Rapid technological advancements have brought new capabilities that were inconceivable just a decade ago. Apps have become deeply integrated into how people make money, entertain, communicate, and live. Technologies have transformed the app development industry and many other industries if not all.
Within the last decade, customers began to expect a mobile-first experience with any brand they engage with. Global mobile app downloads reached unprecedented levels during the first half of 2023.
Users around the world installed approximately 77 bln applications on their smartphones, signifying massive growth of over 22% relative to the same period in 2019, when downloads totaled nearly 60 bln. The volume of apps installed continues to expand quickly, molding the future of mobile app development and underscoring their central importance for businesses and users.
Because consumers now have numerous alternatives, a cut-and-dry approach doesn’t adequately meet their preferences and expectations. Companies must tailor their offerings to correlate with specific customer groups. A lack of individualization doesn’t suffice and risks losing customers to more innovative options. This clamor for personalization did not start yesterday. But we can confidently predict it will persist and intensify in 2024.
In this review, we’ll eyeball the top trends in mobile app development that support crafting tailored products to help you build stronger customer relationships and tap into new income flows.
AI/ML – No. 1 among top app trends
Since their launch, these two technologies have redefined various fields and businesses. They will carry forward in 2024, as most companies – 83% – have identified AI as a strategic focus moving forward.
As AI continues to progress, its capabilities in mobile app development are expanding:
- AI-powered personalization. Neural networks can analyze user behavior, favorite options, and interactions to adapt content to individual purposes. For example, many shopping apps now offer AI-based recommendations that suggest items users might like based on their browsing history.
- Intelligent chatbots. AI powers virtual assistants in many mobile applications. These systems can understand natural language, respond to complex queries, and even complete simple tasks on the user’s behalf.
- Generative AI. Another notable trend in mobile apps that allows the creation of photo-realistic images, videos, speech, text, and code indistinguishable from reality. It is used to generate content for mobile applications, especially in gaming, entertainment, and social media. Brands can leverage it to create marketing assets, support content creation, and enhance customer experiences.
- Image recognition. It enables apps to detect and recognize objects, scenes, emotions, and more in images. Visual analysis capabilities are growing all the more important, among others, for medical applications. Using the technology, healthcare professionals can identify, evaluate, and track various health problems with greater accuracy.
As technologies improve, AI will power new, innovative features. They will make apps more intelligent, valuable, engaging, and personalized in 2024.
Voice assistants go mainstream
VAs like Alexa, Google Assistant and Cortana keep improving, making it noteworthy in mobile technology trends. Driven by AI and ML, their abilities to process human language are improving, enabling them to understand more nuanced commands and multi-turn conversations. Voice assistants may even demonstrate a sense of personality.
More “competent” voice assistants for mobile apps mean handling a more comprehensive range of tasks. Users can speak naturally, and VAs can grasp their intent, take appropriate actions, and provide more tailored responses based on the user’s prior behavior.
Voice UI for convenience
Incorporating voice user interfaces into smartphone apps is also among the latest app trends. It allows for a convenient, hands-free experience. Users can speak to navigate menus, enter data, complete purchases, or access various app features. This is excellent when users are on the go or their hands are occupied. The tech also expands access to apps for visually impaired users.
Businesses that get on board with voice interfaces early stand to benefit greatly. Voice UIs open doors to new types of hands-free mobile experiences that were not previously possible.
Read also: Things to Consider When Integrating Voice Technology into Your Business
Biometric authentication for heavier security
Bio-identification, another application development trend in 2024 worth mentioning, is becoming progressively in demand as a secure way to verify users’ identities. This incorporates unique biological features like fingerprints, face ID, voice, and more to confirm users are who they claim to be.
- Fingerprint scanning. It’s currently the most widespread biometric method. Smartphones have built-in fingerprint sensors that authenticate users when they open an app. The fingerprint data is stored locally on the device to protect users’ privacy.
- Facial recognition. It uses a phone’s front-facing camera to scan a user’s face. It creates a 3D map of the face by gauging traits like eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Voice recognition. The tech analyzes a user’s unique voice patterns, pronunciation, accent, and tone to verify their identity. Users record their speaking by repeating a specific phrase as a “voiceprint.”
Evolution in technology enables more accurate identity verification methods across various apps of the future. They hold the potential for streamlined yet secure authorization mechanisms suitable to the progressively networked modern world.
Read also: Exploring Facial Recognition Use Cases
The rise of SaaS
Software as a Service is gaining considerable traction. Accelerating amount of companies are leveraging these platforms to build sophisticated apps with advanced features like AI, ML, and AR without extensive in-house development resources.
Developing SaaS apps lets businesses reduce infrastructure costs and increase their ability to expand. SaaS also allows quick and seamless updates instantly available to all users.
For customers, this 2024 app development trend brings simple access, automatic updates, and scalability. They can log in from anywhere on any device.
Read also: Software as a Service: How to Build a SaaS Application in 8 Steps
IoT and wearables transform lifestyles
In 2024, IoT and wearables will be more integrated into mobile applications than before. Forecasts say the number of devices networked with each other will continue to mount persistently.
If you are on the hunt for startup investment opportunities, scrutinize the trending apps right now in IoT and wearables below:
- Digital home. The systems like Nest and Ecobee are gathering momentum. You can also build mobile applications to control home devices, enabling users to remotely manage everything from security cameras to automatic blinds.
- Sport and health trackers. Fitbit and Garmin are famous for tracking workouts and wellness metrics. You can create companion apps to sync with these devices, giving users a centralized place to view all their health stats and set new goals.
- Augmented reality. As the latest mobile app development trend, AR wearables impact retail, schooling, healthcare, and more. You can offer mobile AR apps to provide a deeply captivating experience when paired with smart glasses. For example, an app for surgeons could display patient scans directly within their field of view during an operation.
IoT and wearables can enhance human capabilities when thoughtfully integrated into mobile applications. With the widespread adoption of 5G in 2024, these applications are becoming the central hub for managing smart devices, accessing AR/VR, and gleaning insights from biometric data.
Discover our IoT apps portfolio
Take a closer look at the advanced and scalable Internet of Things solutions for different industries from our portfolio that connect physical and digital worlds.
5G enables lightning-fast connectivity
The uprise of 5G networks, the latest mobile technology, is in full swing. It makes split-second connectivity for mobile applications a reality. The technology boasts exponentially higher speeds with minimum response time and higher throughput. This means advanced functionality and the ability to handle more data.
Hence, mobile apps in 2024 can be able to support data-intensive capabilities with no buffering or lag, including
- HD livecasts,
- Extended reality,
- Cloud gaming and more.
5G networks open the door to immediate communication and control of remote devices.
Engrossed involvement with AR, VR, and the Metaverse
One of the buzzworthy trends in app development in 2024 is further integrating augmented & virtual reality and the metaverse. As devices become more powerful and 5G networks expand, users can expect more immersive experiences.
Businesses keep utilizing these technologies to create
- engaging shopping apps,
- interactive catalogs,
- 3D product configurators and more.
With the metaverse, mobile app developers take a step further and offer whole virtual worlds that abound in shared socialization, work, and fun.
For brands, the metaverse represents an opportunity to build an enveloping digital sub-reality that transcends physical limitations. They can among many others
- create virtual boutiques,
- hold virtual events,
- sell digital listings, and
- bond with clients in new ways.
As one of the latest trends in mobile app development, the metaverse is still in its infancy. However, our experience suggests that it may be the next significant platform shift, and the companies that establish themselves now appear as innovators and first stand to cash in on.
Mobile-first banking advancement
In 2024, mobile applications providing various banking services are also not losing ground. A recent report forecasts that worldwide digital banking customers will surpass 3.6 bln in 2024 (compared to 2.4 bln in 2020). This 54% growth opens up opportunities for startups and enterprises in the fintech sector to capitalize on the mobile banking market.
Banking as a Service allows fintechs and third parties to offer new solutions. Today, such solutions are secure and convenient. They help people pay, invest, budget and let smaller non-banking organizations provide advanced mobile services that may have otherwise been out of reach.
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On-demand mobile apps keep climbing
It is not a very new trend in mobile app development, but it is persisting in 2024. Demand-based mobile applications connect customers with services they need right away. The traction of these applications has skyrocketed in recent years and shows no sign of stopping, as today’s consumers prefer to get many products and services delivered right to their cart or doorstep.
Some of the mobile applications in this category that keep surging in popularity include the following:
- Meal and grocery delivery apps. These services will see continued growth as more people rely on delivery for meals and essentials (e.g. Uber Eats and Instacart).
- Ridesharing apps. Leading ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft can seize new markets or add additional features.
- Home services apps. On-demand applications for services like cleaning, laundry, lawn mowing, pet care, and more are convenient and practical and will proliferate.
Learn how we can help you build on-demand apps
Find your place in an extremely diverse market with a tailor-made on-demand service app!
From gathering requirements to developing an on-demand app to launching it on the market, we will guide you through all the steps of the on-demand service app development process.
Mobile commerce expand
As more consumers embrace mobile payments and shopping, businesses keep developing intuitive m-commerce apps to meet demand and gain a competitive advantage. These all give reasons to expect m-commerce apps to grow in 2024 and put the segment among the top mobile app development trends.
Sales and purchases made using smartphones and laptops have steadily grown as a proportion of total e-commerce sales. In 2018, mobile accounted for around 56% of all digital sales. This figure is projected to increase to 62% by 2027.
Some application types to heed in 2024 are
- retail apps,
- payment apps,
- food pickup and delivery apps and others.
Read also: Must-Have Features for Every Retail App
Multi-function mobile applications – an app trend on the rise
Super apps are admired in China and may gain more traction in Western countries this year. They make a multitude of services available in one place. Namely, a single app could offer messaging, shopping, travel booking, socializing, food delivery, gaming, and financial services on one platform (like WeChat).
Since people opt for mobile apps that can perform multiple tasks, this category of robust mobile apps consolidating diverse functions continues evolving in 2024.
Just like WhatsApp introduced convenient payment options, you can ask mobile software developers to enhance the capabilities of your existing application, turning it into an all-in-one solution. This approach can expand your user pool and improve your customers’ mobile experience.
2024: Year of change for your business
The trends highlighted here are a glimpse of what’s to come in app development in 2024. With many new technologies on the horizon, this year is shaping to be a tremendous opportunity for those ready to embrace it.
An alliance with Eastern Peak, a global app development company, allows you to create custom applications using the latest industry innovations. Our specialists keep their sharp eyes on trends such as IoT, artificial intelligence, voice interfaces, extended reality, etc., and know how to apply them to maximum effect.
Do you have an idea for a new app that makes your head spin? Contact us to help you turn your idea into a tangible, money making business.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the app development trends for 2024?
2024 shall see shifts in the application architecture arena, such as
- emerging of AI and ML;
- increasing use of VAs and voice technologies;
- integration of bio-authentication for more reliable protection; and
- growth of software as a service apps.
Mobile apps also bring into play the IoT, AR/VR, 5G technology, and on-demand services. Virtual banking and commerce apps modernize how users manage their finances and shopping experiences. Super apps consolidate the services they use daily into single, convenient platforms.
How to create a successful mobile app in 2024?
For startup entrepreneurs, business owners, and investors looking to build an impressive smartphone application, the path to success in 2024 requires foresight that stems from the mobile app industry trends.
The applications that gain traction in 2024 need to harness emerging technologies like 5G networks, AI, IoT, augmented reality, and more. At the same time, they must provide real value to users through appealing design and functionality that enhances their lives.
How much does it cost to develop a mobile app in 2024?
Mobile application development costs depend on many factors, such as application features, total scope of work, technologies used, team size, and commitment period.
Will AI replace mobile app developers?
While AI has made tremendous progress in recent years, it cannot handle the complexity of modern app development that requires creative, analytical, and social skills. Bots can only work with the most straightforward code and can’t implement proper security protocols.
Besides, AI cannot replace the entire team as it cannot effectively communicate with crew, clients, and stakeholders.
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