This article was originally published on the iPrism Technologies blog
There’s so much going on in the world of mobile app development, it’s hard to follow everything. Even if you’re a veteran with 10+ years of experience, each new year brings something that can really surprise you and say something like “Wow, I didn’t know this was already happening!”
2020 isn’t an exception. It’s going to be a year of apps, definitely, and there are some new tendencies in the market that you absolutely need to know about. That’s why this article is about mobile app development trends for 2020.
- Artificial Intelligence-Assisted App Development
Even though Artificial Intelligence (AI) can’t create apps autonomously, yet, it can already help programmers to significantly reduce the time they spend on this task.
For example, AI can check kilometers of code for errors within impressively short time frames and automate repetitive tasks to allow developers to focus on more important things. On top of that, there are also AI-powered technologies like face recognition for security and the ability to extract insights about app users by analyzing data usage patterns and drawing insights.
- Chatbots
Chatbots are already huge in the world of eCommerce, and 2020 will be the year when their functionality will be integrated with mobile apps. The most important promise of chatbots is to deliver real-time communication with users, and this is what both B2B and B2C companies with apps can really use.
For example, an eCommerce business’s app should have chatbot functionality to be able to make orders, provide users with customer support as well as connect to a human service agent. The interest to chatbots has been steadily growing, too, as the global chatbot market is predicted to increase by up to $1.23 billion by 2025, reaching an annual growth rate of 24.3 percent.
Making chatbots as user-friendly as possible will become key to their effectiveness. This includes presenting chatbot users with clear, concise, and easy-to-understand options to choose from. To deliver a positive user experience with chatbots, a well-researched and user-friendly copy is needed. The use of professional writing tools like Studious, BestEssayEducation, and Grammarly is recommended to deliver a quality copy.
So, with chatbots gradually becoming a must for online business, chances are great that more businesses will add this functionality to their existing mobile apps.
- The Arrival of 5G Networks
The long-awaited arrival of 5G in 2020 means big things to many industries, including mobile app development. The adoption of this technology will bring the following changes:
- Lower latency. Every mobile app user has experienced delays due to the current limits of 4G networks, and 5G can help with that. According to VentureBeat, the technology dramatically improves latency by reducing the response time down to 2 milliseconds from the current 4G;s average of 50 milliseconds
- Increased connection density. 5G is expected to increase the number of connected devices per 0.38 square miles to 1 million from 2,000 as well as enhance the ability of the network to support faster data transmission.
- Faster web development. “Faster speeds will make integrating other technologies into apps possible,” says Samuel Stone, a data scientist at WowGrade. “Moreover, data transfer to the cloud will also help with testing and developing without relying on a device’s processing capabilities.”
Together, these advantages will provide both mobile app developers and users with richer experiences.
- More Creative and Innovative UX and UI
Successful mobile apps share one important trait: ridiculously simple, intuitive, and user-friendly user interface and experience. An interactive, intuitive app interface is a trend that’s already gaining momentum, and it’s going to become a must for businesses in 2020 and beyond.
There are two major elements that create a perfect user experience: design and writing. On the one hand, mobile app development in 2020 will include more circular design patterns, content manipulation capabilities, interactive content layers, overlapping visuals, and functional animations.
On the other hand, UX writing will become more important for making apps more usable and engaging. It includes writing for in-app messages, usage instructions, menu items – basically every piece of textual content inside an app. Clarity and consistency with user intent will be keys to providing that intuitive and easy user experience. The field of UX writing is still pretty much in its infancy, using writing and clarity tools like these is recommended:
- Hemingway Editor. This tool is for copywriters and UX writers who need to increase the readability and clarity of their copy.
- Supreme Dissertations. Professional advice on usability and concise, to-the-point writing from copywriters and UX designers.
- GrabMyEssay. Help with writing for the web, i.e., websites and apps, proofreading and editing for clarity.
- Virtual (VR) and Augmented (AR) Reality
Finally, we’re seeing great examples of the application of AR and VR in apps to provide a truly immersive experience for users. Google Earth VR is one of the best examples of such apps that will astonish everyone who sees how incredibly beautiful our planet really is. With devices like headsets being almost mainstream now, using such apps has become really is.
As for AR, makeover apps are the best example. YouCam, for example, uses innovative 3D scanning to create a complete virtual makeover, including cheeks, eyes, lips, and brows. The app has become incredibly popular among selfie fans who want to look great on social media and has been downloaded more than 100 million times on the Play store.
The development of VR/AR apps in 2020 will definitely get a huge boost thanks to the recent release of ARCore, Google’s platform for developing AR experiences. Apple is there with its own ARKit 3, which is also designed to create AR experiences for iOS users. This software makes it easier for Android and iOS developers to build apps.
- Cloud-based Apps
The ability of the cloud to store large amounts of data has huge benefits for mobile app development. In 2020, more developers will opt for working with cloud because of the following reasons:
- they’re not going to be limited to local device storage
- Reduce cost for equipment and hosting
- the cloud frees them from the requirement to install an app to access and run it
- Streamline operations that are repetitive and routine
- Constant updates that contribute to the fast elimination of bugs
- Hassle-free Integration of new features.
Cost reduction is one of the biggest benefits that make cloud-based web development an attractive option for small businesses and startups. If they use local storage, they have to upgrade it on a regular basis, which could be a burden for the budget. On the other hand, maintaining apps and data on a cloud server will be cheaper, as the costs of upgrading server space are typically lower. Besides, there’s no need to hire extra staff because the cloud storage providers manage servers.
