Jeff Bezos, the head of Amazon once said: “There is no alternative to digital transformation. Visionary companies will carve out new strategic options for themselves — those that don’t adapt will fail.” And he couldn’t be more right as the situation rings true for the current business competitive environment.
The mobile app market is booming, and it’s changing fast. In 2022, it exceeded $200 billion and experts estimate that it will grow at 14% annually till the year 2030, according to Grand View Research. There is a huge need to keep an eye on the latest trends in mobile app-making as we enter 2024 if one wants to stay ahead in the digital world.
So let’s go for it and see what a new mobile market has in stock.
Multi-purpose apps
Avid mobile users tend to like apps that have more than just one function. Instead of cluttering their mobiles with single-tasking apps, they prefer multi-tasking ones.
As an example look at Telegram. Essentially, it’s a messaging app but at the same time combines channels broadcast for messaging, sharing files between the users, and voice calls and now expanding its activities up to payment systems and gaming. This shift shows a new dynamic where people are looking for convenience and efficiency in one app rather than a dozen different apps that clog up their screens.
Minimalistic UX/UI design
People are starting to value simplicity in the app design because it doesn’t overwhelm the eye and looks neat. If you take an average screen size, you want to fit only the necessary stuff on it, right? This kind of app offers intuitive user navigation and clean interfaces that are easier to use.
Calm is among the decent examples. This is a sleep and meditation app, that has a minimalistic design, aesthetic interface, and an easy navigation panel – basically all one needs. It uses subdued visuals to avoid any distractions for the user and ensure a tranquil meditation experience. The app’s eye-pleasing icons are limited to a narrow color scheme and text so that users don’t have to peer into their smartphones, looking for the right button.
E-studying
Another blossoming trend is mobile studying. With the advent of e-learning and working from home, there’s a huge demand for mobile applications that complement education, knowledge, and skills. Such mobile applications give the flexibility of learning on the move and are available to users in their pockets, which refiningly fits into today’s day-to-day activities.
A case in point is platforms like Duolingo. They offer learning of languages through bite-sized lessons, gamification as well as guided and adaptive learning methods that make learners busy on the go. What has made the app successful was the provision of interactive lessons that cater to individual paces and preferences.
Also, many learning mobile applications are making use of AI and machine learning algorithms for providing personalized recommendations and adaptive learning paths. Such tools customize the learning experiences by analyzing the behavior of a user, his strengths, and weaknesses so that there is maximum retention and understanding.
Short-video format
The more digital society goes, the shorter our attention spans become. Nowadays we are hungry for quick, engaging content that is perfectly embodied in a short video format – a trend that has taken over the world of mobile apps. These addictive videos running from just a few seconds to a minute hit you up with their ability to engage the audience right away.
The first thing that comes to mind is TikTok. Its short, captivating clips keep you scrolling for more. They get you hooked with fast dynamic content from the get-go. The genres and niches are various – funny skits, useful tips or even cooking recipes – literally everything you can even think about. One of the features of the app which gets people sucked by content is personalized targeting that analyzes the content you are interested in and recommends similar ones.
Many businesses have already taped into it to show off products or share their stories. It’s a fast, catchy way to reach lots of people with the content which is tricky to perform given the vast pool of such ads.
VR & AR
Another trend that has crept into the mobile app industry is augmented reality and virtual reality. These tech wonders provide immersive experiences that are captivating to users pretty much like short videos do.
Snapchat constantly refreshes its library of AR Lenses, giving the ability to users to have an interactive experience with a diverse range of filters and effects that react to facial movements, gestures, and even to the world around them. Such lenses make a fully immersive, state-of-the-art AR experience not just with visual transformations but also with interactive games.
AR shopping is also gaining traction. There are several apps where one can go and see an augmented reality-powered try-on for clothes, accessories, or even makeup. Brands like IKEA have applications that allow the users to use their phones and AR, they can place furniture within the room virtually and check how the pieces fit before making a purchase.
5G network
While the world is moving forward, 4G is becoming outdated, leaving the place for a newer alternative – 5G connectivity. By 2023, the 5G network had approximately 1.9 billion subscriptions in the entire world. Statista predicts a great rise to 2.8 billion come the year 2024 and an enormous rally to even 5.9 billion by the year 2027.
5G boosts phones’ speed immensely, making every operation happen with lightning-fast connections. Downloads, streaming, and browsing all become almost instant with no buffering in between.
This exponential growth is because 5G isn’t all about the speed, it’s the future. It enables such things as smart cities where everything is super connected and works efficiently. Also critical are innovations like self-driving cars and advanced healthcare solutions.
Impressive ads, showcasing business products in super-clear and engaging ways are just other ways businesses are tapping this high-speed 5G. The speed and connectivity make it easier to reach a wider audience.
Wrap up
In order to shine in the mobile app space, an individual should be up to date with the latest trends. Understanding these and using them effectively play a key role in designing strong and innovative apps.
In this article, we have looked at the future and cutting-edge predicted 2024 mobile app development trends. As you gear up yourself for next year it’s imperative that you work on your areas such as intuitive, user-centric design, minimalism, and entertainment to develop applications that will have an edge.
