Trends of Mobile Developers since 2010
Introduction to Mobile Trends
A trend evolves the way society moves or develops, and specifically, trends of mobile development influence the current priorities regarding technology. Such trends begin with adapting or promoting a new idea that sparks interest in the audience and grows in popularity. Mobile developers have been consistently providing new releases and updates based on trends since 2010 up till today.
2010 was a significant year in the mobile world as mobile development's attention shifted towards product and consumer interest innovation. The difference in mobile developers' priorities between 2010 and now is significant as it shows the growth of computing adaptation in everyday life.
Mobile Companies of 2010
There were a few big rivalries among mobile companies such as Android, Apple, Windows, and Blackberry. In 2010 Android had a strong lead in the mobile marketplace as users were more likely to download applications on the phone. However, shortly in 2011, a survey of developer preferences proved the rise of iOS and the diminishing of the Blackberry company.
The Shift in Mobile Devices
During this era, the increase in mobile use led to the decline in PC-based activities, creating a broader spectrum for mobile developers to work with. Mobile developers prioritized innovative and accessible products that would dominate sales and grab consumer interest. For example, email, which was primarily something you would do on a PC, became more accessible through mobile devices. Teenagers significantly helped fuel this trend into action. Additionally, with the creation of the iPad in early 2010 and the apple watch, Apple launched a new increase in consumer engagement with technology.
The apple watch is a primary example of how mobile developers are working on wearable technology where it is fashionable, easy, and accessible. These mobile devices are futuristic and conventional in the digital world and have shown much consumer interest. These innovations also mean an increase in apps specifically designed for the technology, creating a new category for mobile developers to focus on.
Trends of Mobile Development in 2010
One of the most influential factors in mobile development was the world of social media. Social media popularized and created trends, increasing mobile users exponentially. There was a 56% growth in social media users in the U.S., showing how quickly social media dominates trends. People were desperate to connect and join in on this topic, so mobile developers constantly worked with social media, whether Twitter or Instagram.
An additional impactful subject when it comes to mobile trends is advertisement. Mobile developers find ways to increase revenue through specific ads on different platforms such as mobile games or social media. Although discontinued now, one example was Apple's mobile advertisement platform, iAd. IAd increased mobile developer priorities on user engagement and showed a growth in the embedment of advertisements in mobile applications. Next, developers have noticed the effectiveness of in-app and in-game purchases and how users were highly interested in them. Admob is another mobile advertisement platform launched by Google and has helped developers earn money with high-quality ads. The following is an example code from the Google Admob site that teaches developers how to utilize Admob:
import com.google.android.gms.ads.MobileAds;
import com.google.android.gms.ads.initialization.InitializationStatus;
import com.google.android.gms.ads.initialization.OnInitializationCompleteListener;
public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
MobileAds.initialize(this, new OnInitializationCompleteListener() {
@Override
public void onInitializationComplete(InitializationStatus initializationStatus) {
}
});
}
}Another prominent trend taking rise in the mobile development world was location-based services. Updates regarding the location in social media were starting to grow in popularity through apps such as Facebook. Not to mention the increasing downloads of GPS apps such as Google Maps and other services.
Trends of Mobile Development Up to 2015
A trend that showed a significant role in 2015 was cloud technology, where mobile developers focused on creating a syncing feature on multiple devices. The cloud was a massive advancement from individual storage units on mobile or pc to more connected and more accessible data centers. This new technology allowed applications to be shared and integrated on different devices through the same functions.
In 2014, there was a crisis in security as mobile applications were very subject to data leaks and hacking. As a result, in 2015, app security became a top priority for mobile developers. Although it became a top priority, it was a difficult challenge for developers in 2015, so mobile app security remained an urgent matter.
Trends of Mobile Development in 2016
2016 was a year with a promising rise of AI (artificial intelligence) where many companies were incorporating this new realm of technology for advancement. For example, North Face, a clothing company, utilized AI to become more personal with its customers. They created an app where customers could verbally state their customizations to find the perfect jacket based on their gender, location, and other information. This personalized style of method brought the company much success and showed a promising future with the incorporation of AI.
Following 2015, a year with significant issues with security, 2016 inspired much more security measures to cease the data leaks. Approximately 75% of apps were reported to have failed security checks, so developers made it their top priority in 2016. Specific platforms such as iOS 9 began to prioritize security to strengthen and smoothen applications. Furthermore, Apple launched a new file system called Apple File System to upgrade the security with encryption through the updated technology. This new file system replaced the contemporary design, which was over 30 years old. Apart from Apple, Google created new versions of their system, Nougat, to increase security and incorporate features to better user experience.
Trends of Mobile Development in 2017
In 2017, augmented reality was a massive trend in the gaming community, and mobile developers were successful in this aspect. Gaming has always been a significant part of mobile users' lives, but augmented reality has incorporated it to another level. One prime example of this is Pokémon Go, a mobile app that combines the real world with the artificial environment. In summary, you catch creatures called Pokémon and venture out into the real world to interact with the applications placed in the game. In 2017 alone, Pokémon Go established 84% of AR revenue with a whopping $890 M.
Another huge upbringing in the year 2017 was wireless audio or headphones. Apple launched this new invention and inspired many others to do the same. This resulted in mobile developers revising specific music platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music to adapt to this new trend of wireless audio. This was the start of many more innovative audio services in the future.
Trends of Mobile Development in 2018
In 2018, artificial intelligence took another step forward as companies created features such as Alexa and Siri so that users can easily navigate around mobile devices. These AI identities are extremely helpful and innovative as they are programmed to better the mobile experience. Additionally, face recognition is another successful addition to mobile development. Apple launched the face recognition feature in an iPhone to increase security and make unlocking phones hands-free.
Adding onto the mention of security, one significant development to manage security is two-factor authentication, where users are given double security measures to keep their identity safe. Two-factor authentication is promptly used by Gmail and other applications where identity is a significant part of the account. Any suspicious potential security leaks are directly reported to the user and recorded to defend the account from data breaches through this innovation.
Trends of Mobile Development in 2019
One of the biggest mobile development trends in 2019 was chatbots, a computer programs supposed to perform human communication with users. Chatbots were an effective way to increase customer engagement and showed a rise in aspects of communication. Many companies benefitted and profited from this innovation.
Another rise in mobile development trends came from the introduction of instant apps. These instant apps quickly surged in popularity as they became more accessible and user-friendly. Such apps included Buzzfeed and other previously downloaded applications that were once harder to access. Users could now use these apps without using too much space and faster.
A big trend in practicality was mobile payment services, which was the effect of the growing e-commerce. Banks were updated to connect with this new digital service and make payment more convenient. Mobile payment, most of all, saved users from visiting banks every time they needed to act on their finance.
Trends of Mobile Development in 2020
M-commerce is the aspect of commercial transactions through mobile devices like smartphones. As the concept of mobile payment increases, m-commerce begins to rise quickly as a mobile development trend. Physical cards are now discouraged as platforms such as Apply Pay promote shopping through mobile devices.
One of the biggest trends of 2020 has to be the category of the "Internet of Things" (IoT), which allows users to control devices through their devices. Virtual assistants and work often accompany IoT in aspects such as home automation. One good example of this new realm is the Echo Dot, created by Amazon and run with Alexa. This virtual assistant can perform a series of actions through verbal and physical communication on the phone.
Recent Trends of Mobile Development
A big trend in mobile development at the moment is virtual reality. Virtual reality is an artificial environment created by computer technology to simulate an imaginary reality. Several big companies have started to put mobile developers to work on this project as more and more users become interested in experiencing such interaction through technology. Technology has never been so close and personal as users step into a three-dimensional visual world, whether for games or experience.
Conclusion to Mobile Trends
Reflecting on the different trends in the past that mobile developers put their absolute priorities on shows the progress in which the world of technology has gone through. Although trends differ from time to time, mobile developers have constantly set their goal of increasing consumer numbers and making futuristic innovations in hopes o
