Do you know more smartphones are getting activated than babies born every day? There are more than 2 billion smartphones in the world right now and this is an interesting fact because smartphones are not that old. This huge number of devices has dramatically revolutionized things around the entire mobile industry and they now provide unique opportunities to developers, designers and everyone else who is even remotely associated with this industry.
Mobile development was a hot-new-thing almost a decade ago and now it has become a billion dollar industry where millions of people are continuously trying to deliver a better mobile experience. Of course, the mobile app development industry has been in continuous growth since then and many things have been changed for last two decades. Let’s see what we got.
The Installation Process
The installation process may not seem directly associated module of mobile app development but it is one of the most revolutionizing changes we’ve experienced so far. App Stores like iTunes and Google Play Store have changed the way people see mobile apps. Before these things, people had to visit a shop and pay the installer or technician to install software on their mobile devices.
Now all they need to do is visit the relevant app store, find the app they want and install it. Not to mention the review and rating system which has made it even easier for users to discover good apps.
Security
Security has been a major driving factor since the early days of mobile app development but things have got drastically difficult and worse (in some sense) for developers because now they have to meet the high security standards. Data breaches have become more common than ever and even reputed and official app stores like Google Play Store and iTunes have been facing difficulties dealing with security issues.
In the last couple of years, security firms like McAfee, Symantec and Norton have discovered many malicious apps on app stores. This kind of incidents and security risks put all associated parties at risk; customers don’t want to try new apps anymore, developers have to meet tough security criteria to be eligible for launching an app and many other issues which we didn’t anticipate two decades ago.
Tracking Frequent Customers
New trends and innovative technologies have made it easier for developers to monetize their apps and games. Based on the nature of the app itself, its category, target audience and some other factors, developers can choose from different options like paid apps, freemium model, IAPs and ads supported apps to get fruit of their efforts.
According to some estimates, almost 50% of the people who download apps regularly are actually paying customers. Other than that, companies have found other interesting ways to engage with their customers on a deeper level. For example, some developing companies offer rewards to their frequent customers to get their loyalty.
Diverse Shares
Apple sold $10 billion worth of digital media in year 2013 and that seems a big number. However, there is another side of the coin; considering the number of apps on iTunes, the share per app comes down to $8 per app per year that is relatively surprising.
Everyone has a fair shot but not everyone has a fair share because unfortunately, most of the money goes to the big players and it’s the individuals and independent developers who suffer. Of course there are some exceptions but generally this game is just for big players with deep pockets.
Educational Apps
We all know “Games” is the most popular category in app stores like Google Play Store and iTunes. What many people don’t know is “Education” is the second more popular category and many companies are going for the smart move by combining both of these categories by developing educational games. This way they can expand their territory and get a bigger target audience.
Cross Platform App Development
Now here comes the fun part; people want to run the exact same apps with same interface and similar features on different devices running different platforms. Device fragmentation possesses even a bigger challenge as developers are expected to develop flawless apps not only for different devices running the same operating systems but also for different platforms.
Startups and independent developers need years of experience and knowledge to learn the core of different platforms, and their pros and cons.
Wearable Devices
Mobile app development is not just about phones and tablets anymore but wearable devices like fitness tracking devices and smart watches are also penetrating the global marketplace with millions of worldwide customers. Developing an app for phone and tablet at the same time is easier than developing an app for phone and wearable device with the same functionality and productivity. But that’s what people want.
Customer Feedback
Customer feedback is now more important than ever; developers and developing companies cannot possibly ignore what customers want and interestingly every review matters a lot. App Stores like Amazon App Store, iTunes and Google Play Store show customers feedback, rating and review clearly so new users can read other people’s comments and experience before downloading the app. In simple words, an unsatisfied user can repel hundreds of others.
A Shot for Independent Developers
The latest trends in mobile app development offer a fair shot to independent developers so they can compete with big names and companies who have been developing apps and games for years. In other words, the global marketplace of digital apps has eliminated the monopoly of enterprises and individuals can present their work to rest of the work.
It is now easier than ever to design, code, built, launch and market mobile apps in app stores and make them accessible to millions of people all over the globe. You don’t have to join an enterprise or developing company to get your hands on resources you need to develop apps but instead even a student with passion for apps living in a dorm can launch his own apps in the market.
Bugfender is the Future
Whether you are a company or an individual working on app development project, you definitely want to deliver the best of your work and without proper testing phases it is almost impossible to deliver so. Bugfender gives thorough insights of the app behavior and its performance on different types of devices. As mobile apps are expected to support all different devices running on the same platform, it is very difficult to test it on multiple variants.
With Bugfender, developers can remotely look into crashes and other abnormal behavioral patterns to determine the cause of the issue and fix it before the user discovers it.
