Mobile App Development: 2021 trends

Just as the earth turns without stopping - new technologies also see the world in this way. Today, approximately 60% of Earth's population are online - that is ~ 4.6 billions of potential users! And moreover the Internet could be accessed not only from web or mobile devices but also from smart devices. 

The world of mobile development is in a race and to be first we need to run fast as well. In this blog post, we will take an overview of mobile app development trends you should pay attention to in 2021. Stay tuned! 

Mobile traffic analysis

Average users spend more and more time using their phones, laptops or desktop computers. If you are an iPhone user you can check Settings > Screen Time to understand the approximate time you spent on your phone as well as social media, messengers and so on.

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Quick facts 

Search Engine Activity

• 58% of all search engine activity is taken by search mobile devices;
• Queries differ depending on search intention. For example, users are more likely to use a query such as “restaurants near me” from their smartphone rather than from laptop or desktop device.

Social Media Usage

• Approximately 83% of all social media traffic is from mobile devices, compared to around 15% from desktops or laptop computers.
• More than half of all social media users use mobile devices exclusively to access their socials (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn). Some popular social media apps can’t even be accessed from a desktop. 

E-Commerce

• 28% of sales are made via mobile devices. M-commerce shares in overall e-commerce sales are not as big but have grown yearly. Customers more often browse e-commerce apps using phones, but make actual purchases from a desktop computer.
• The conversion rate was about 4.14% on desktop, as compared to 1.53% for mobile devices.
• For e-commerce businesses, mobile traffic accounts for a major share of total traffic, but makes up for a much smaller percentage of revenue earned. To be inline with the market today businesses will need to adapt their mobile website designs or build native apps in order to increase conversions.

Web Browsing

• The desktop remains dominant in the internet surfing. At the same time mobile visits made up 58% of US searches, they only accounted for approximately 42% of total time spent online. 

Mobile development trends in 2021

M-commerce 

Today more and more users prefer buying and selling goods by using their smartphones as it is easier to do. Thus, purchases from mobile devices are made more often, and sellers have changed their direction. M-commerce growth and can probably reach ~ 50% of the overall e-commerce share by 2024.

Modern applications can collect data about a user, which provides the ability to create individualized offers for each customer. In addition, such apps can save transactions for next time users will try to buy something as the process will be much easier and faster.

From our point of view m-commerce may take an exponential leap in the near future by simply using AI algorithms that will provide sellers with capabilities to promote goods that are really needed. We’ve recently noticed that large platforms have the ability to show you goods relevant to your last keyword search, and we are convinced that this process can be boosted. 

Advantages of m-commerce:

• Increased retention - users access the app from the phone's “Home”;
• The app can be used while the user is on the move;
• Wider variety of products and services;
• Businesses’ point of sales and customer contact information are automated.  

Disadvantages of m-commerce:

• High-level mobile UX is required, otherwise it may deter customers from making purchases at all.
• Issues with providing mobile payments in some countries. It is not a great importance if the business is not globally recognized.
• Tax laws and regulations of all countries that require shipping to should be databased, compiled and organized.

Wearable devices

Wearable technology has trended upward for many years. Businesses have taken measures to adopt this technology into their existing systems thereby providing a better UX to their users. The use of this technology can largely be seen in the form of smartwatches, fitness bands, and trackers. 

IoT offers users a seamless experience, you can control your scales, coffee machine, fridge, vacuum cleaner and most other appliances with a specific app from your phone. For example, fitness trackers are very popular all over the world. Users can easily access information about their heart rates, Oxygen rate, blood pressure, how many miles walked in a day etc. 

Taking into account the current growth of the number connected wearables market has the potential to reach 1 billion users in the near future which may lead to a gold rush in mobile app development for wearables.

Learn about the specifics of real estate software development!

5G Network

5G technology can bring brand new experiences to users as well as new trends in mobile app development. This technology is sure to change the way apps are created and used for both developers and users. In 2020, the number of 5G connections will be approximately 15 times higher than it was in 2019. By 2021, those connections will nearly quadruple in comparison.

Speed and efficiency are the two major factors that have proven the capabilities of 5G technology. In addition, 5G technology in mobile phones is expected to offer a tenfold decrease in latency, while improving overall network performance and capacity for traffic. 

As per the various mobile network operators in the world, 5G will be up to 100 times faster and more powerful when compared to 4G. In the end, 5G technology in mobile phones will increase the functionality of mobile apps. Thus, developers will have to integrate a vast amount of features without significantly affecting the quality and performance of the app.

Healthcare mobile solutions

Healthcare is one of the main focuses of the entire world, it is not surprising that mobile applications have been developed to meet users' needs in this sphere.

From this year to the next more and more innovative applications are introduced to the world. Now you can text, call, and even video chat with your doctor, therapist, and other healthcare specialists right from your smartphone in comfortability of your own home.

Medical professionals can now diagnose each patient using different parameters according to their individual needs and work concurrently with other medical experts in the healthcare sector. Your medical provider can also receive your medical history via wearable devices connected to this application in order to monitor your health and prevent medical issues. 

Over time, the use of healthcare apps has increased tremendously, and in 2020 was taken to new heights. People have started to focus on the improvement of their health & wellness now that digitization is playing a major role in it.

Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence

Last but not least, the trend in mobile applications is heading towards Augmented Reality and Machine Learning. These technologies can be mixed together with each other as well as with other fields such as healthcare. 

Top rated apps related to AR currently provide the ability for the user to place 3D digital copies of chosen furniture to approximate how it will look. At the same time apps related to makeup are not becoming less popular but more so.

If you are planning to develop some trendy mobile app for sure you may try AI or AR as these technologies have been greatly hyped. AI provides great user experience by taking routine tasks by itself. You can ask your phone: “Who is singing?” - AI algorithms will find the author. Want to set up an alarm - just ask your phone to do it by you. Just provide your commands to the devices and get a great many things accomplished with ease. 

The main idea is to find complex business operations that AI can replace which will lead to greater productivity and increased efficiency. They pick up quickly on identifying user preferences, providing user-specific suggestions, and simplifying online businesses. 

As per the reports by International Data Corporation, Worldwide spending on Artificial Intelligence by major tech companies will be nearly $98 billion in 2023.

Cases 

AI: Reface

One of the brightest examples of implementing AI technology is Ukrainian startup - Reface. Based on AI deepfake technology, Reface has been downloaded ~70 million times since it launched in January 2020. And furthermore the app attained Top 5 leading app status in around 100 countries. 

‍FinTech: Monobank

Another interesting phenomenon from Ukraine, a mobile bank named “Monobank”. Ukraine is a developing country and it is currently transforming into a digitized society. One of the great examples of this success is its mobile banking sector. 

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Modern people prefer speed and ease of use. To open a bank account you simply need to go to the bank office, sign papers, bring your documents, wait for approval etc… Can it be simpler or a hassle? 

Digitalization provides us the opportunity to open a bank account from a smartphone, upload documents photos, take selfies and order delivery or visit a bank to receive your brand new card. 

Monobank: what’s behind the success? 

Monobank is a fintech mobile app with a very simple referral program that is currently the best on the Ukrainian market. It is an app wherein attention to UI/UX was a primary consideration, designers have made it as simple to use as humanly possible.

All common functionalities that traditional banks offer via poor web-services or apps with unfriendly interfaces are implemented in a way that are easily expressed and used in the Monobank application. The design of the app won the Red Dot award in 2020.

As a result of this, their clientele has exceeded a million in a year and a half. Today Monobank has over 3.2 millions users. The primary idea was to build a good product that allows customers to overcome major obstacles in banking. In the case of Monobank, they saved clients from having to go to the bank, and convenience is time worth saving.

Education: Udemy

Sometimes simply referred to as mLearning, mobile learning is a broad term that refers to the process of learning via the internet or network using personal mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and digital notebooks. 

Mobile learning has been around in one form or the other since the early 2000s but soared in popularity in the last few years because it allows students access to education anywhere and at any time, provided they have a mobile device.

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The overall idea of courses suited to more modern lifestyles is great. Modern people spend more time in action and Udemy has given them an opportunity to learn utilizing web and mobile  platforms. As an end-user are able to take a course offline while sitting in the metro, camping and so on.

As of February 2021, this platform has over 40 million students, 155,000 courses and 70,000 instructors teaching courses in over 65 languages. There have been over 480 million course enrollments. Students and instructors come from 180+ countries and 2/3 of the students are located outside of the United States. 

Axon also has similar experience of developing IT solutions for Ed-Tech platforms such as Lectera.  At the client's request, our team developed an educational portion of the platform that consisted of a web-portal, admin panel, mobile iOS and Android apps, as well as the backend side. To Learn more about the Everycards case (click the link).

Сonclusion

Mobile development is continually casting a shadow over more and more internet-users globally. Statistical data regarding mobile search engines and mobile social media usage has grown from year to year. So if your business has the possibility to expand by covering mobile users, 2021 is the year to seize and  utilize this opportunity.

Mobile app development is a motivational factor behind your business profit. We are ready to develop digital solutions for your business and show you how mobile development can be a competitive advantage for you in the global marketplace. 

In our next blog post, we are talking about Axon's recent mobile development projects we have been working with our clients. Stay tuned!