Ever since smartphones entered the tech scene, there has been no turning back. Everything that happened after that was beyond anyone's wildest imagination.

In the blink of an eye, smartphones have become our constant companion. Many technologies have entered our lives. And the revenues from mobile app development skyrocketed.

Due to this phenomenon, more and more trends in mobile app development started to emerge and materialize.

Both users and app developers have hit the jackpot in this scenario. These trends have simplified our lives in many ways. On the other hand, it has also brought more tools to the developer's arsenal.

The prospect of mobile apps looks brighter than ever before. In 2021, numerous innovative mobile app development trends will see the light and order our lives.

Trends have a habit of making their presence appeared. We are easily attracted to it. At first, it excites our imagination. The next moment, we are now encountering them in their whole.

mobile app development trends

But when it appears to mobile app development trends, what we encounter is always better than our expectations. Functionally, they are very beneficial. But from a marketing viewpoint, they are also highly productive.

Developers are communicating these trends to users through mobile apps and invest in these trends to develop mobile app ideas. Trends make life easier for users. Indeed, more users will jump on the bandwagon. In this way, companies are strengthening their user base.

Which is precisely what these mobile app trends promise. So, should we know them one by one? Here we go.

Top 10 mobile app development trends

1. The Internet of Things (IoT).

The Internet of Things

No one predicted that the Internet would hit our livelihoods until now.

Imagine you are in your office. But you forgot to lock your home. So instead of going home, you can lock your house from your current location. All you need is an IoT-enabled locking system, an IoT app, and an internet connection.

Not just our home or office in the future, but we can control almost anything with IoT systems.

IoT products like the Amazon Dash button, Philips lighting system, August door camera, August smart lock, etc., are already gaining users' trust.

Many enterprise organizations are rapidly migrating their equipment to IoT application development. Thus, by 2021, IoT devices will become as ubiquitous as smartphones.

Future trends in IoT

  • Smart homes and cities
  • Smart and self-driving cars
  • IoT devices powered by AI
  • IoT in healthcare

2. 5G network

5G network

The long-awaited 5G network expects to hit the market in 2021 finally. And according to statistics, the number of 5G connections will increase from 20 million to 100 million by 2021.

In its latest iPhone 12 launch, Apple predicted the introduction of the 5G network, and it shows that this is one of the most anticipated trends in mobile app development!

5G will revolutionize streaming services, as streaming 4k without buffering will finally stop being a dream. With higher bandwidth, it will be possible to manipulate VR & AR 3D objects also improve IoT services by improving connectivity.

Future 5G applications

  • Wireless medical services.
  • Cloud computing
  • Driverless car technology

3. Artificial intelligence and Machine learning

Artificial intelligence and Machine learning

But in 2021, AI will also perform a vital role in our lives. Besides enhancing existing apps, many other tools such as AI cameras, voice translation, personalized predictions, etc., will find a new home on smartphones.

The combination of AI and ML can be instrumental in complex activities such as mobile app development. Be it app development for Android or iOS, and it can learn from the development process based on historical data, detect problems and fix them in real-time.

It can even learn our complete behavior and actions using our standard usage patterns and perform the necessary steps without any instructions.

For example, ML can understand our purchasing behavior based on historical data. This way, the next time we shop online, the app will direct us to the products we want without us having to navigate between them, which is very efficient in developing e-commerce applications.

When AI and the Internet of Things are connected, we don't even need to tap our fingers to do things. When we relax, the AI will start to manage our homes, appliances, cars, etc., properly.

Future trends in AI

  • AIOps to automate computational operations
  • AI combined with IoT.
  • Smart camera with object detection functionality
  • Voice and language translation
  • Unlocking the face with AI.
  • User behavior predictions
  • High application authentication for cybersecurity
  • Adaptive battery for longer battery life

4. Cross-platform application development

In current years, we have noticed a shift towards cross-platform technologies in mobile app development. Big trusted names in the mobile app space, such as Facebook, Pinterest, Alibaba, etc., have successfully adopted the technology to improve their performance.

In 2021, this continuous change will reach a new level. The numerous advantages of cross-platform app development, such as cost-efficiency, high performance, rapid growth, etc., will drive more applications to this technology.

According to statistics, Flutter, Google's new technology, will dominate the cross-platform industry by 2021. Ease of learning, support for multiple IDEs, hot-loading, etc., make Flutter a superior technology for cross-platform improvement.

 Other mobile app development frameworks used by mobile app developers to create hybrid or cross-platform apps are React Native, Xamarin, Ionic, etc.

5. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality

AR and VR are already dominating the field of games and video. But it's only a subject of time before these technologies find their way into every aspect of our daily lives.

Apple's ARkit and Google's ARcore offer a glimpse of the mixed reality revolution that will inevitably follow. These packages provide a host of motion tracking, human occlusion, environmental understanding, and light assessment.

So, by 2021, many AR-based app ideas will be fully functioning mobile apps that will be highly beneficial to healthcare, tourism, education, retail, and marketing.

Mixed reality will also revolutionize our social media experience:

  • Facebook has already introduced 'Facebook Spaces' for interacting with friends through VR.
  • Instagram now allows you to create your augmented reality filters.
  • Facebook has launched a new app called 'Facebook Spaces.'

Several augmented reality smart glasses provide an immersive and interactive user experience, including HoloLens, Oculus Go, and Magic Leap.

With these gadgets and VR/AR applications, doctors in different regions can perform surgeries in person. We can virtually swim in the deep sea, teleport to space and other planets, and even change and reconstruct reality.

Future trends in AR and VR

  • Virtual user guides with AR
  • Virtual training and simulation with VR
  • Research activities using VR
  • Live music festivals and concerts using VR
  • Destination navigators using AR
  • Video learning using VR and AR

6. Enterprise Mobile Apps

Enterprise Mobile Apps

Enterprise mobile applications are becoming increasingly important for companies around the world. Statistics show that companies benefit greatly when their employees have access to mobile enterprise applications.

Improves internal communication within the organization, increases employee satisfaction and productivity, and improves return on investment. In 2021, many companies will move to develop enterprise apps.

Enterprise mobile apps are a step towards digital transformation, helping organizations streamline and manage complex business processes efficiently. They can simplify an organization's overall operations by making it easier to integrate and migrate information while enhancing security.

7. Beacon Technology

Beacon Technology

Imagine this. You search Google for a particular brand or model of shoe. But you don't know what to expect until you try them on.

But when you go to the shop, an app on your phone shows you the shop with the product you want and its price and other specifications.

It's not just an idea. It's beacon technology that makes it possible.

Beacons use a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signal. As soon as the phone enters the Beacon's area, the app picks up the call and gives the user relevant notifications and instructions.

Beacons have massive potential in the marketing arena. They can bring users and businesses closer together.

Many industries, such as hotels, museums, and healthcare, have already implemented beacons in their services.

Since Apple introduced iBeacon in 2013, it has permeated iOS app development. Google then introduced Eddystone in 2015. Therefore, it is now also part of Android app development.

In 2021, we will see more and more Beacon-based apps and location-based mobile app development services.

Future development of Beacon

  • Beacons in Healthcare
  • Signposting for Travel & Tourism
  • Mobile Payment by Beacon
  • Beacons in physical games (hint games, treasure hunts, etc.)

8. Accelerated Mobile Pages

Today, most web browsing on mobile devices. A fast, responsive, and user-friendly design is a critical factor in gaining user engagement.

Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) helps achieve this by reducing page load times and improving performance; AMP enhances user engagement and increases user traffic.

AMP is one of the fastest-growing free app development trends that implement strategies to improve search AMP sites load four times faster than traditional sites. Google encourages these sites and drives traffic to them.AMP is an inevitable trend in mobile app development for 2021, as it improves both SEO and user engagement.

9. Blockchain

Blockchain

Blockchain has given us a glimpse of its offerings in the form of cryptocurrencies and smart contracts.

Blockchain offers complete protection for all our sensitive information. Whether it is our transactions, data exchanges, or documents, no one can trace this information. It is by far the best cybersecurity solution.

If bitcoin gave us a taste of cryptocurrencies, Ethereum showed us the true capabilities of the blockchain. The volume of decentralized apps and the way it has empowered app developers is a stunning example.

Decentralized apps or Dapps don't need an intermediary to operate or manage our information. It directly connects users and providers. So no one else can get into our data.

There are already many Dapps in finance, commerce, healthcare, media, and gaming. By 2021, Dapps will enter all other arenas as well. In short, the blockchain app development revolution is upon us and will be one of the latest trends in mobile apps.

Future applications of blockchain

  • Blockchain in the fight against piracy
  • Secure public elections
  • Transparent betting
  • Swarm robotics
  • Tokenization of assets
  • Blockchain as a Service (BaaS)

10. Foldable screen

The mobile app trend that will revolutionize the smartphone industry in 2021 is the foldable screen. The first models have already appeared on the market - Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X.

A retractable screen means that we will see the screen instantly resize based on the user's actions.

In terms of app development, every app will have to be modified accordingly to accommodate this trend. As phones with foldable screens become more prevalent, the demand for apps supporting this functionality will grow.

Naturally, this will lead to greater complexity in mobile app development. But it will also open up many opportunities for mobile app developers.

Conclusion

The future of mobile app development is inspiring. Creating apps will be more accessible than ever. With the advent of 5G technology and innovative trends in mobile app development, by 2021, everything will be 100 times better, faster, and more accessible.

Integrating these trends into your smartphone is a giant leap forward. It requires a top app development company in India you can trust on .