2017 is finally here and mobile app development industry experts are sure many of the trends which took off in 2016 are going to stay (and many be even boost) in 2017 too. At this moment, Google Play Store and iTunes have more than 2 million apps each and of course this number is going to rise even more. However, developers already have the idea of making perfect and bug-free apps so they can stay in the business. Mobile app development industry witnesses new innovative technologies and trends every now and then.
Following are some mobile app development trends which are going to dominate the industry in 2017. Let’s take a closer look.
Location Based Services
Location based services which are also known as LBS are not the latest trend in mobile development industry yet it has been growing steadily for quite some time. More and more companies are using LBS in their mobile apps to provide better services and more importantly a more personalized experience. At this moment, LBS are being used in many areas like mapping, tourism, retail industry, security features, navigation and many others. As we all have a pretty good idea that location based services drain too much battery power, hopefully we will see some technological advancements by hardware manufacturers too.
Augmented Reality
Unfortunately Virtual Reality didn’t take off like industry experts suggested at its initial phase and VR has very limited uses in real world. However, Augmented Reality seems a promising technology and we have seen some marvelous examples of AR in action. The most recent and most popular example is Pokémon Go which is the first game in the history to use AR in gaming. Before that, AR was considered a marketing tactic but now developers are going to take it more seriously. AR could be integrated with other technologies and apps to improve it practicality; for example, location tracking, social media and others.
Better Application Security
That’s no brainer; security is still the top priority of developers and app stores, and 2017 is not going to be any different. Of course we can expect Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and other major app stores to improve their security standards but security always remains one step behind the threats. Companies have realized the fact people are the main reason behind security flaws and it is almost impossible to remove the human factor here. However, this threat could be mitigated by introducing improved standards of app development from security point of view. Apple and Google encourage developers to prioritize built-in security features in their app for better security.
IoT and Data Analytics
IoT may have been slow in penetrating the mobile and IT industry yet there is no doubt it is the future. In 2017, developers must create flexible apps so they can integrate with other smart gadgets. Right now, many industries including health industry, education, security, automobile and many others are accepting IoT with open arms. Of course IoT has some issues related to security but considering the rapid development in this area, the pros would overcome the disadvantages soon enough. From app development prospective, this is not just about integration but developers also have to focus on data analytics.
AMP and Mobile Apps
AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) is a project by Google that was started few months ago. And now Google has released a separate search index and platform for mobile devices. The idea is to provide mobile users a better user experience by providing and prioritizing fast loading websites. Of course AMP would revolutionize the mobile web industry from SEO prospective. Considering AMP has been a huge success, no wonder mobile apps are going to get the same benefits. AMP would significantly decrease the bounce rate and help businesses increase their conversion rate.
Cloud Computing and Data
Cloud computing and data storage are not the latest concepts and we would see more mobile apps powered by cloud in 2017. Unfortunately, mobile app development industry hasn’t used the full potential of cloud computing as it should have. Now mobile apps could be more powerful as they are not bound by the hardware boundaries of their host devices. Mobile devices can send data to the cloud and get processed information back. Some of the apps which have been doing it successfully are Dropbox and Google Drive. Another recent example is Prisma app that was one of the most popular apps of 2016.
What Are 1000 Apps Doing to Reduce Their Bugs to Zero?
Down to Zero is a practical guide to solving bugs. Our team has been developing mobile apps for over a decade and we'd like to share some tips we've picked up along the way.
The Rise of M-Commerce
M-Commerce has been penetrating the mobile industry for past couple of years and with the support of Google Wallet and Apple Pay (hopefully we would see some other major names this year), M-Commerce is getting more traction. Some of the other things which can now support M-Commerce are wearable devices and digital currency.
Fewer Forgiving Users
As mentioned above, iTunes and Google Play Store have more than 2 million apps each and almost every mobile app or service has at least one alternative. Of course there is always room for improvement and new apps may dominate the app stores but it also means users are now less tolerable towards app. It is nearly impossible to release buggy apps on app stores and make them a success. People move on too quickly and in 2017 they would be even quicker. Considering the issue of device fragmentation is now associated with iOS devices too, remote testing tools like Bugfender can make a huge difference here.
