Mobile app developers are already working extensively to stay ahead of all the latest new technologies and protocols, so this calls for newer stuff to look forward to in 2016. So what are the revolutionary trends we all need to brace ourselves for next year in the world of mobile application development? Here’s all you need to know!
1) Swift goes Swifter:
Until recent years, most of the mobile application developers have developed their programs using the traditional programs such as HTML, Objective C and C++. But with the release of Apple’s Swift in 2014, it’s already made it big as the most popular development language chosen by all developers and mobile app development companies alike. Most of the app developers have integrated Swift with LinkedIn, Vine and Yahoo also and now all the major enterprises around the world have switched to this language. Looking ahead, Swift has a bright future ahead as its makers are working on a desktop-version of the same called as Perfect.
What does this mean? Coders can now create both a mobile app as well as a server-side management platform on Swift which calls for the language’s popularity to soar even higher!
2) Security next:
In 2014, a report by Gartner stated that out of 5 mobile apps, at least 4 of them would miserably fail security tests. This has been a startling issue which developers have worked hard on addressing this year – and looking ahead, this main focus will last in 2016 as well! Apple’s iOS 9 platform is incorporated with high-end security features whilst Google Android 6.0 Marshmallow is also about to turn up its security protocols. With apps on the rise which stores extremely vital information such as credit card details and other legal information, developers cannot afford to let loose and ignore the security gaps in their applications during the development and deployment phase.
3) Hello, Wearable Tech:
Google Glass made headlines last year and the year before the last, but the interest in wearable technology does not seem to fade – thanks to success of Apple Watch. The challenge has gotten even better for WatchKit developers this year with the release of watchOS2 this year. Recently, the complete count of applications for the Apple Watch hit 10000 – by the end of 2016, it’s aimed at growing more in leaps and bounds.
4) Free, free, free:
Currently, there are almost 75% mobile applications which are free of cost, and according to a study by Gartner, this number is going to climb up to 93% by 2016! The main revenue-generating force for both iOS and Android mobile app developers are in-app purchases, and total amount of mobile apps are going to inch towards 310 billion! Another interesting trend to look forward to is hybrid apps (or in other words mobile web apps) which are predicted to grow popular. However, for this trend to actually happen, we all need to wait and watch!
5) Content Driven
According to most of the app marketers, they have discovered that most of their methods that would work for them in the past have hardly had any effect when they were used on mobile devices. Mobile application marketing simply requires its own strategy as it varies from brand to brand and also the audience you are targeting at. But the common factor that should be kept in mind during mobile marketing is – consumers get highly irked by excessive marketing on their devices, so a content driven approach is highly vital and must be adopted by businesses.
How well you personalize your app marketing and also the content within is a key factor to determine success. If you have a program to track the data associated with how your target audience users are interacting with your app, you can customize and craft your content accordingly to the user’s interests! It’s been a tried and tested method – nothing improves a marketer's program like enhancing the relevance and content of their messaging.
Apart from the above, there are furthermore mobile app trends to look forward to next year such as M-commerce, Internet of Things, the growth of enterprise apps, HTML5, mobile app gaming and tons more! Let’s wait and watch. If you have any suggestions or further comments to add to the above article, feel free to comment.