Trends in App Development:Tech Behind the Apps

Every year, there are new trends in technology that influence the types of apps that are created and that influence the technologies consumers are introduced to, start using, grow to love, and then, are so deeply ingrained into their daily actions that they just get on with.

Since the introduction of the iPhone in 2008 and the App Store in 2009, there have been a number of trends that have made our apps more intuitive, supportive of our daily actions, and powerful in becoming a tool for companies to directly communicate with their users.

As app developers, it’s in your best interest to stay informed of these trends in order to integrate them into your latest projects.

As there is so much competition within app development, choosing to go down the agency route and building apps for clients may be a revenue stream you’re considering. Being in the know of the latest trends could give you an edge over your agency competition or make your app stand out among the many others on the app stores. It just depends on how you want to utilize this knowledge to your advantage.

Trends Lead to Features

The trends that we see rising lead to the development of features within your apps that can be offered as an add-on service or a specialism of your company.

Through this post, I discuss the trends in app development that we have seen surfacing or growing during 2021. I hope that it gives you a good insight to begin your research into these new trends and help you decide whether you’ll choose to use one or more within your apps.

5G Technology

5G technology is said to be 100 times faster than the previous 4G technologies delivering speed boosts, increased network efficiency, and decreasing latency.?

The infrastructure has been set up all around the world in developing and developed countries. The amount of users that could potentially adopt this new technology immediately is severely higher than those currently on 4G.?

From 2021 there were an estimated 190.8 million 5G smartphone connections, but in 2024 there could be as many as 1,478 million connections. 5G technology is expected to change the way we use our devices and the internet so how is 5G going to affect your app?

For app developers, this will mean that you will be able to add more features to your app without fearing dips in performance. The reach of your audience will also be even greater thanks to the high penetration. If you don’t already, you may want to consider incorporating testing with 5G? devices and 5G network speed tests into your testing practices. This will ensure you are seeing how well your app will perform across all existing networks.

Cloud Computing Integration

The use of cloud storage and services is continuing to grow too this year. The obvious benefit of these tools is the number of hands-off and done-for-you solutions that can autoscale to accommodate the needs of your apps with just a configuration change in the console (and that’s probably the maximum effort needed!).?

With the backend services effectively managed and stored, you can be fully focused on the development and design of your app to ensure that you can create the best product for your users.

What you should be aware of, though, is the additional cost that you need to factor into your development budget/monthly fee. You are charged per service and by the different storage class, so it’s good to start small and scale up when the traffic requires it in order to maximize your profits.

Increased Security

With so many people using smart devices of late, hackers are finding new ways to access our personal systems.?

Recently, certain apps on legacy versions of Android have been susceptible to security issues of the platform. This leads to a number of users being more cautious about the platforms. So, you may want to think about the platforms that you’re targeting your app on.?

Stories of security vulnerabilities could lead to fewer users downloading your app on those devices. So, you should weigh whether the return on investment developing the app on certain platforms, APIs, or SDKs would be worth it.

Beacons Technology

This is not new technology, but it is underutilized. It was introduced in 2013 by Apple and is used mainly in marketing projects.?

Beacons are small, wireless transmitters that use low-energy Bluetooth technology to send signals to other smart devices nearby.

Shops like Macy’s use beacons to specifically target buyers within their store. This direct marketing allows them to offer these customers special deals just for them or drawing their attention to things that will appeal the most to them, making them more likely to buy.

In 2019, Global Market Insights predicted that the beacon technology market is set to surpass $25 billion by 2024.

New apps will probably start adopting this technology more, and the integration may become easier.

Retailers are increasing their use of apps to strengthen their marketing efforts. Beacons will allow them to get more sales and increase profits, so if you are building more retailer-focused apps, you may want to keep an ear out for updates on this piece of technology.

What Are You Excited About Using?

There’s definitely a broad range of trends growing in popularity or that can help your app grow. Although some are very much established, others are still in their infancy. So deciding whether you want to dive in and be a market leader or just be great at implementing a tried and tested feature that appeals to your customers is up to you.

However, always keep in mind your customers. It’s great to be able to develop using the latest shiny feature, but if your customers don’t want or need it, or if they will never use it, will the return on investment be worth it?