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8 trends for mobile app development in 2022

Mobile phones were a luxury until the late 1990s. Today they are a basic necessity we can no longer do without. At first, mobile phones allowed us to contact each other, whereas now they enable many, many more things than making calls. Equipped with multimedia features, a myriad of sensors and an ever-growing range of multifunctional apps, smartphones have become the devices most essential to our lives.

Every year, new technological advances improve our mobile devices. More than 40% of the world’s population now owns a smartphone, and by the end of the year more than 300 million new people will be added to that number.

The smartphone industry is currently at its peak, largely thanks to mobile applications, which have played a major role in this success. Mobile apps have already changed how we shop, communicate and meet our daily needs. In an increasingly digital world, mobile apps are becoming more sophisticated and powerful. Every day, their capabilities make great strides.

In 2022, the field of app development will again see significant advances that will transform the way we make use of our smartphones.

In this article we will discuss some of these advances.

 

1. The 5G network

One of the major technological advances in telecommunications in recent years, of course, is 5G. 5G is expected to change the game with its cutting-edge features and capabilities.

Mobile app development will be disrupted by the arrival of 5G: developers will need to ensure their apps make the most of this technological advance to help end users manage their daily mobile tasks even more easily.

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2. On-demand apps in 2022

Uber Eats

The most popular apps improve service and customer experience. "On-demand" apps are a growing trend in app development and that trend will continue in 2022. These apps help perform daily tasks quickly and conveniently.

On-demand apps have many purposes, such as healthcare, beauty services, grocery shopping, retail, food delivery, getting a rideshare, etc. They allow you to find out the user location and to provide the available services instantly.

 

3. Instant Apps

“Instant apps” or instant applications allow users to try games or apps without having to install them on their device.

This method is perfect for letting users understand an app's basic features without downloading it. It helps mobile users decide whether they want to install the app on their devices.

These apps are more useful when they are paired with marketing strategies to reach target audiences and the encourage downloading the appThey can therefore be expected to be very popular this year.

 

4. Wearable apps

Apple Watch

The integration of wearable apps is expanding significantly worldwide.

Did you know?
The smartwatch market is doing very well after a slowdown in 2020; there are no fewer than 100 million Apple Watch users, which holds the largest market share alongside Samsung and Garmin, whose sales have also increased. Entry-level watches priced under €100 saw their sales grow by 547% in 2021.

Thanks to technological innovation, we can foresee that wearable apps will become an important new necessity in our daily lives. Apple recently announced an update to watchOS. Apple Watch apps will no longer need a companion iOS app and will have their own App Store. This shows that the rise of the wearable app will indeed be one of the significant trends in mobile app development in 2022.

5. Cloud-based apps

Cloud development will be in the spotlight. With the rise of theIoT (Internet of Things) and its growing use, cloud-based applications will experience great success and major advances.

The development of cloud-based applications allows mobile developers to reduce the size of their apps while improving information interoperability.

 

6. The rise of artificial intelligence in 2022

The advent of Artificial Intelligence has transformed almost every industrial and commercial sector. Equipped with voice recognition and face identification capabilities, this technology enables apps to identify and predict user behavior, integrate high-end security features, and recognize objects scanned by the camera.

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7. Augmented reality

Citroën gamification

Interest in Augmented Reality continues to grow in sectors such as healthcare, commerce, education, or travel. Augmented reality is not about building an artificial world to replace the original world.

This involves presenting additional data or objects in reality: with the pandemic and lockdowns causing store closures, customers have moved toward online activity. Many forward-thinking sectors are turning to Augmented Reality to give customers an experience as close as possible to what they had in-store.

 

8. New screen formats

Various "foldable" smartphones (Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3, Huawei Mate Xs, Motorola Razr, to name the best-known) are trying to carve out a place in the high-end device market.

The challenge for mobile app developers is to adapt to different display modes and screen sizes; it is possible to "play" with the features offered by these foldable screens.

foldable smartphones mobile app 2022

Our tip

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