Mobile app

Top 11 Mobile App Development Trends To Be Aware Of

By Phuong Anh Nguyen   |   December 15, 2021

The mobile application market is worth a whopping $522 billion in 2024. And so, it’s unsurprising that people spend more time on mobile devices and have changed their behavior with ease of use and convenience. For instance, according to Google, 80% of smartphone users are more likely to purchase from companies with applications for mobile devices.

However, those figures do not say everything in this dynamic and ever-evolving area. Gartner’s study showed that less than 0,01% of mobile applications can be considered a hit or generate a financial success statement. Therefore, to at least get customers’ attention, it is very crucial to be aware of mobile application development trends and accordingly incorporate these into generating your app. 

#1 Cross-platform application development

One of the most popular mobile application technology trends is cross-platform app development. While going for native apps nowadays will cost businesses lots of budget, time, and effort, cross-platform app development has emerged as a feasible solution to solve these problems partially. 

More specifically, its ability to run in different operating systems (i.e. iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux) with native looks and experience by using just one single codebase has become the unrivaled choice for many businesses. As reported by Statista, nearly a third of developers use cross-platform technologies or frameworks, while the rest call for native apps.

top-trends-in-mobile-app-development

Various cross-platform app frameworks have been released over the years but Flutter is considered as the perfect framework for developing mobile apps so far. Introduced by Google in 2018, Flutter is an advanced and open-source UI software development kit (SDK). Despite its young age, many IT giants like Alibaba, Facebook, Pinterest have used Flutter for their app development. Only that much is enough to demonstrate the tremendous potential of Flutter and sure it will be continuously developed to be more fascinating.

top-trends-in-mobile-app-development

#2 Touchless experience

In recent years, the user experience for mobile devices is being changed dramatically and revolutionized by the emergence of innovative gesture control techniques and touchless sensing. Users can control the device without having to directly touch the screen, making mobile usage more intuitive and convenient. 

top-trends-in-mobile-app-development

This creativity is driven by the need for hands-free interaction, users can “touch without touching” like switching to another song just by swiping hand above the screen. The adoption of these cutting-edge features in mobile application development can potentially create successful pioneers.

#3 Beacon technology

First introduced by Apple in 2013, Beacon Technology serves as a wireless transmitter, using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signals to determine the location of other smart devices within a short distance and comes with the ability to provide the user with relevant information or instructions. Beacons now become one of the latest developments in location technology and proximity marketing. 

Data is transmitted using different Beacons protocols. Accordingly, Beacon technology has 3 main protocols including iBeacon, AltBeacon and Eddystone. For Beacon app developers, the choice of protocol will depend on the mobile platform – iOS or Android.

top-trends-in-mobile-app-development

Beacon is considered as one of the promising mobile application development trends with great potential in a wide range of domains such as retail, mobile payment, tourism, education, financial institutions, etc.

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of Beacons for your mobile application development:

  • Affordable and relatively easy to install or set up
  • Proximity marketing
  • Advanced data gathering
  • Increases app engagement and retention

#4 Hyper-Personalization

The general tendency among today’s users is that they prefer everything to be personalized, making their experience better and more private. They therefore expect businesses to offer products or services in a personal manner. As stated in Accenture study, 91% of customers have a preference for brands that “recognize, remember, and provide relevant offers and recommendations”. 

To deliver personal experiences in mobile applications development, instead of one-fits-all, hyper-personalization will certainly increase user retention and engagement. This can be determined by two broad categories:

  • On-using Personalization: Features like pop-ups, dialogue boxes, recommendations or any special offers that are accompanied by content related to the user’s characteristics and preferences will help them have a more personalized experience while using the application. 
  • Out-of-app Personalization: Push notifications are the way to personalize the user experience with creative and compelling messages to engage users and get them to re-open your app.

#5 Biometric authentication

The implementation of mobile biometric authentication system for applications is an extense part of cutting-edge app development technology, especially regarding security and protection of user information, by assessing the physical as well as behavioral characteristics of users to verify their identity. Such characteristics may include facial recognition, fingerprint scanning, iris recognition and voice recognition, ect.

top-trends-in-mobile-app-development

Biometric security verification for mobile apps is considered faster and more secure than other identity verification methods. It is increasingly being used in domains such as finance, banking (learn more about the future of mobile banking apps here), etc.

#6 Smart wearable devices

As stated in Statista, the number of connected wearable devices worldwide reached 722 million in 2019. And this figure is forecast to grow dramatically to more than one billion by 2022. From smart watches or jewelry to body sensors and even smart lenses,… wearable devices are the potential future.

top-trends-in-mobile-app-development

The tendency of using smart, compact and all-inclusive wearable devices is seemingly becoming essential coupled with the modern user. Hence, this is also a ​great opportunity for companies to create applications that support wearable technology.

#7 Mobile payment wallets

An additional trend in developing mobile apps is mobile e-wallets. Most services and goods can now be easily purchased or ordered online, fueling a growing demand for payment services. Mobile wallet apps can be developed in different forms, such as client applications, P2P platforms accessible from specific bank applications, or retailer applications. 

top-trends-in-mobile-app-development

In other words, this growing e-commerce industry is creating a need in online payment demand, particularly mobile payment wallets because of their convenience, ease of use and high security. At a rapid pace, we can witness the development of some globally mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay and Amazon Pay, etc. However, this playground is considered unsaturated and still has a lot of development potential in the future, opening up great opportunities for businesses to integrate into their mobile app development project.

#8 Blockchain App Development

As a base for the stable functioning of any cryptocurrency, blockchain technology has been initially popular for a while, but even now it is considered as a database that can be used by virtually numerous mobile applications. This technology has already revolutionized industries such as finance, healthcare, education, retail, supply chain, etc. and will definitely stay in vogue in the coming years when the global spending on blockchain solution is estimated to reach $11.7 billion by 2022.

top-trends-in-mobile-app-development

Blockchain integration has created DApps – today’s decentralized mobile application with transparent system and enhanced security as no fraudulent transactions can be made while protecting user data absolutely. Furthermore, the blockchain protocols can make the digital transactions more accessible and faster. The future of a multitude of mobile applications that will be integrated with this state-of-the-art technology will only be a matter of time.

#9 Internet of Things

Emerged as a concept a couple of decades ago, Internet of things (IoTs) is now making headlines all over the world. Needless to say that its development and attraction is tremendous. IoT approaches are being used across different areas such as world trade, healthcare, finance, production and retail were the most dynamic. 

top-trends-in-mobile-app-development

According to Juniper Research’s report, the number of IoT devices has exceeded 46 billion, which is a 200% increase in comparison to 2016. IoTs open the network of many communicating and connecting devices without human involvement to do data collection and processing. And the phone will be an intermediary when applying the Internet of Things to applications on mobile devices, helping to connect these intelligence devices together by using the Internet. Therefore, IoT-based applications will become the most modern development trends, contributing to modernizing and automating human’s lives.

#10 5G Technology

The number of 5G connections is increasing worldwide and this evolution of 5G networks will also miraculously impact future application development of how it is being created and used.

top-trends-in-mobile-app-development

The dramatic speed improvements brought by 5G increase the functionality of the mobile application as it enables the connection of up to 1 million devices per square kilometer. Its maximum speed is up to 1 Tb/s and is 65,000 times faster than 4G. Along with high speeds, features like 5G networking will be a great support to data security, 3D gaming, augmented reality, and much more

#11 Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

And last but certainly not least – we can’t leave without covering the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) into mobile applications. It’s undoubtedly been one of the most transformative trends in app development. In fact the AI in mobile apps market size is expected to reach 249.8 billion USD by 2033

AI and ML capabilities are transforming how apps interact with users, process data, and deliver personalized experiences. And major tech companies like Google, Apple, and Amazon have already integrated AI capabilities into their mobile development frameworks, making it easier for developers to implement intelligent features.

Some key applications of AI enhancing mobile application development include:

  • Smart personal assistants that learn user preferences and behaviors over time
  • Image and speech recognition systems for enhanced user authentication and interaction
  • Predictive text and automated language translation services
  • Intelligent recommendation engines for content and products
  • Automated customer service through AI-powered chatbots
  • Real-time data analysis for better decision-making and user experience optimization

And with the advancement of on-device AI processing capabilities in modern smartphones, developers can now implement AI features that work offline while maintaining user privacy. This edge computing approach allows for faster response times and reduced data transmission, making AI-powered features more accessible and efficient for mobile users.

Mobile App Development Trends in Closing

All mobile app development trends mentioned above are all spectacular. Keeping track of all cutting-edge trends and engaging with timely innovations is essential for businesses to create innovative applications and stay ahead of the competition. As a leading mobile app development services company in Vietnam, fram^ always keeps abreast of all the emerging trends in the mobile industry. With the power of our top mobile developers we have, fram^ has helped many businesses in various industries: healthcare, transportation, e-finance, media, etc. to build their apps in a cost-effective & high-quality way.

Get in touch!

Whether you have any questions or want to explore how we can help you, connect with us now or drop us a visit and enjoy a cup of Vietnamese espresso.


    By filling in the form, you agree to our Privacy Policy, including our cookie use.