Are you looking for the best mobile app design and development trends that going to rule 2020? Are you looking top trending mobile app technologies that will be the talk of the town in the year 2020? I have summarized the answers to this question here.

Mobile app development has come a long way since the introduction of the first-ever iPhone in 2007 and the emergence of the Android smartphone revolution starting from the HTC Dream.

At the time you’re reading this, Android has already celebrated its 10th Anniversary, and iOS seems to be in the need of a revamp in order for it to catch up with the extremely powerful hardware used on Apple devices.

The time between nine versions of dessert-themed android versions and twelve versions of the iOS has led to the rise of many mobile app designs & development trends and technologies, many of which left a significant mark and some of which terribly failed.

Now that we’re near 2020, the custom software development industry might churn other similar new mobile app industry trends which may affect how we interact with our smartphones and other portable devices.

List of Top Mobile App Development Trends for 2020

  1. Progressive Web Apps
  2. Android Instant Apps
  3. IoT Apps
  4. Moving away from the mobile app “Ecosystem”
  5. Augmented Reality

Let’s talk about these top app trends in an elaboration way:

1st Mobile App Trend: Progressive Web Apps

Progressive web apps are web apps that deliver an almost complete mobile app experience. But unlike mobile apps, these don’t need to be installed from app stores or require any significant amount of physical storage space within the device. Progressive web apps can run directly from the browser, and once installed on the home screen, it can even run without the Internet.

The USP of PWAs is that it can operate even on a low-bandwidth network and work smoothly on low-spec smartphones. Many companies including Alibaba and Flipkart have successfully integrated PWAs into their website platforms and have derived significant benefits out of it.

PWAs offer incredible new possibilities for those willing to have the experience of android apps even in low-spec smartphones. Take, for example, the Google Maps Progressive web app used in Android Go smartphones.

The highly useful app, which otherwise takes well over 200 MB of space on smartphones barely consumers 50KB of physical storage when installing as a PWA.

Even with space as low as that, it functions perfectly in low-spec smartphones and allows users to do pretty much all the basic things they could do with the full app.

Progressive web app development is expected to surge in 2020 as these apps offer a lot of value for users in developing and rural smartphone markets across the world.

2nd Mobile App Development Trend: Android Instant Apps

Android Instant apps have created a new way for mobile app developers and companies to market apps to customers. Instant apps allow users to try a demo version of an app they wish to try through a link, all without the need to install the app itself.

Instant apps also offer an additional advantage with PWAs don’t have, i.e., playing mobile games. Though Instant apps haven’t really taken off as well as it was expected. The development of new instant apps and games on the market does give the platform some hope.

Android Instant apps help users to analyze any app/game before having it installed on their smartphones. It helps users make a better choice for installing smartphone apps. It simultaneously also acts as a business opportunity for full-stack developers to attract more customers and give the best first impression that it could deliver.

3rd Mobile Application Trend: IoT Apps

In 2018, we have seen brands like Amazon fire up the competition in IoT with its “Echo” line of devices. Similarly, Google too has stepped up its game with a few devices under the Google Home brand.

The need for users to control their hardware devices such as light, speaker, and other appliances; is expected to increase in 2020. Google’s collaboration with Nest, a Home security camera manufacturer is a subtle sign of more interesting things to come.

The demand for such devices in the market will consequently result in the demand for better apps to control them. Ultimately, the dream for seamless connectivity and control would inch one step closer to reality with IoT app development.

4th Mobile App Trend: Moving away from the mobile app “Ecosystem”

If you don’t understand the term “Ecosystem” in the mobile app world. Here’s a simple way to put it. Say, for example, you’re an iPhone user who loves apple’s iMessage app. It will be hard, perhaps impossible to you to use this favorite messenger app of yours on any other platform like Android.

Wonder why Apple doesn’t introduce iMessage on Android or other platforms? Well, this is because the company wants you to stick to their own devices even if it’s just for the sake of one damn app!

This range of devices, the Mac, the iPad, the iPhone, and others, which users inevitably end up surrounding themselves with (due to an addiction to the software, or some exclusive apps like iMessage or Final Cut Pro) is what consists of an ecosystem.

In the mobile app world, an ecosystem simply refers to the set of apps from one specific developer that you may always want to use. Google’s apps are a good example of this.

Google also locks its users into an ecosystem by having a few of its Android OS features exclusive to the flagship Pixel smartphones. Microsoft has been infamously been desperate for years in a bid to make users try the Edge browser, but unfortunately, has always failed to the global “default” browser, Google Chrome.

But modern consumers indeed have a shorter attention span. So it’s seemingly impossible to stop them from trying out new sets of apps. Consumers today are often on the lookout for a new set of favorite apps, which they always find one way or the other.

It seems that mobile app development companies have understood this well enough. As a result, more and more apps today are going cross-platform. The prime reason for this shift is the users’ inconsistent patterns of app usage, and their desire to switch apps every now and then.

5th Mobile Application Development Trend: Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality app development has seen stable growth in 2018. The dawn of AR was set-up with the success of Pokemon Go. Since then, many AR apps have emerged. However, the most significant development in AR is its newfound applications in diverse fields and industries. Unlike its twin cousin, the Virtual Reality (VR), the former is considered much more valuable today.

Google displayed the applicability of AR in its popular Maps app at its annual developers’ conference this year. Using interactive objects displayed on the camera interface, the app is capable of delivering a much more intuitive experience.

AR has seen some incredible use cases; from lame filters on apps like Snapchat, selfies with Marvel characters on the Pixel devices to useful implementations in the Ikea Place app.

In addition to this, Blockchain development is also in great demand; therefore, the demand to hire hyper ledger developers and hire ethereum developers is rising day after day.

So which trend will dominate 2020? Only time shall tell that. However, what’s clear is that smartphone users are well set to have a good time. As for mobile app developers and development; well, that battleground will remain as competitive as it has always been.

What do you think about mobile app design & development trends that are going to rule 2020? Let’s discuss this in the comment box.

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