Mobile trends 2020

Mobile applications are gaining popularity every day and actively built into daily life. Consumer’s expectations outstrip the development of mobile applications along with the number of smartphones purchased. The mobile revolution is gaining momentum. And that means that the development market has a large stock of growth.

The years 2018-2019 were breakthroughs for mobile application development. Total revenue made from sales of iOS App Store and Google Play during the first three quarters of 2019 was $23 billion. This is a record figure for recent years. The outlook Statista for 2020 is also positive: gross annual income for the mobile app industry will exceed $189 billion. Research figures may vary slightly, but overall the conclusions are that the market is still far from the saturation point.

Embedded advertising

According to analysts, product placement will become the leading factor of mobile application market growth in the coming years. According to statistics of world data provider’s website App Annie, the global spending on mobile advertising in 2020 will be $240 billion compared to $190 billion in 2019.

Blockchain

In 2020, Blockchain technology will have a significant impact on the world of mobile applications. The revolutionary solution will bring much-needed security, reliability, and simplicity to mobile development. Taking into account the increasing need for data security in the medical and financial fields, Blockchain will be in demand in mobile applications for payments and transfers, health monitoring, contracting, mutual payments between financial institutions, identification and etc. The application of Blockchain technology can make any modern company competitive.

Mobile wallets, payment integration

Given the increased need for security during payments, companies implementing more advanced mobile technologies. For example, they integrate payments giant marketplaces and on-demand applications. Payment services based on leading mobile operating systems are already being developed.

On the basis of modern payment methods, mobile wallets are developed and the possibility of payments made using cryptocurrency is being introduced. Today more than ever, users want to have in their arsenal various methods of online payments.

Augmented reality

This technology can accelerate sales and improve service for many businesses. It will be possible to carry out 3D presentations of the goods and services not only in the office or shop. For example, by means of augmented reality in Pure Cycles users can estimate sizes and other characteristics of each product, applying images to separate zones of the apartment.

 

There are also some developments for car repair. After synchronizing the smartphone with the car you need to turn on the application, then point the phone camera on the engine. The screen will show all the necessary technical characteristics of the car: from the temperature under the hood to the brake fluid residue.

This technology has a big future: it allows you to create cognitive and entertaining projects using mobile applications.

Applications “on-demand”

The modern market offers more and more services sold through applications: taxi calls, hairdressers, florists, and flower delivery, repair services, calling electricians, ordering tables in restaurants and cafes.

The trend is also relevant in 2020, becoming a leading trend of UX development. Improving the technology of receiving services to order is the main task of companies providing services: how to save more customer’s time and provide even better service using mobile services.

iBeacon

When iOS’s or Android’s user connects a mobile device notification or turns on a mobile app, iBeacon is triggered. In addition to smartphones, you can also use Macintosh computers. Devices pick up the Bluetooth radio signal and a notification appears.

iBeacon technology has been recognized in marketing. It can be used in large supermarkets where customer’s smartphone records sales information using mobile service. Moreover, it is possible to use the technology in navigation, tracking the movement of employees and goods, in advertising, for checkpoints.

Chat Bots

By the year 2025, as Statista notes, the global market for chatbots will reach a growth point of $1.2 billion. Chatbots are becoming a natural phenomenon of mobile reality.

 

Most often they are found in trading applications and mobile wallets. The technology is applied due to the growing trend of customer self-service, which is supported by about 50% of customers. Popular chatbots are NatGeo Genius, Whole Foods, BabyCentre UK, Duolingo and etc.

Mobile App Design Trends 2020

Design plays an important role in application development. Alongside the idea of an app, it sometimes becomes the key to the popularity of this or that service. What trends will 2020 set us? What apps will be at their peak popularity?

• Simplified design

Zero UI is a trend of 2020. In the design of most of the mobile development, we will meet an advantage of air space between elements. Bright, pure colors will prevail. The functionality will be a priority. In this way, the user will not get distracted from his tasks by too complex images. This trend is also called “invisible” design.

• Sound input. Voice-first.

In 2020 developers will pay attention to the development of both touchscreen and voice input. There is active development in both principles of work with a mobile application. Multifunctional as well as complex voice devices for mobile development will appear. The rapid development of voice assistants, which have already become popular among users, is predicted in 2020. Udonis notes: 2 of 5 people solve daily tasks on a regular basis using voice interfaces. These developments of programmers proved to be really convenient, which in 2020 will fully justify itself.

 

It should be noted that the audio device is a separate type of human contact with the network. The development of voice devices will require a special direction of analytics, which will identify principles of behavior of users.

• Personalized user interface. Content output for a separate user. Smart apps.

It is noted in eMarket that 35% of consumers prefer more personalized applications and sites. Only 18% of apps today are personalized. At the same time, ASOS already shows products, taking into account individual characteristics of its visitors. Yandex music app provides tracklists, taking into account the election of each user. A “smart ribbon” has been introduced in social networks.

In 2020 personalization trend is spreading in the area of mobile development. For example, customer contact with the interface is reduced to a few seconds and facilitates several tasks at once. Both content and services are personalized. Whereas previously specific mobile application was developed for a separate segment, now there are solutions for tasks of the separate user.

• Users decide! Modding

Through customization, users determine for themselves what they need to see in their application. How does it work? Customization allows you to customize the theme and order of elements, remove and add blocks. This way users can see the information they need.  For example, Tinkoff users can hide cards and accounts, Telegram launched settings with which we completely change the form to suit our preferences.

• Combining application into one. Building ecosystems.

In the coming years, we’ve got a war of leaders’ industry for Users. Now banks are moving towards uniting many mobile services into one. For example, the Tinkoff application has become more like a social network and is not limited to purely financial operations. Tinkoff can now even book a theatre ticket or quickly book a table in a bar in the evening.

 

• UGC. Blogging, own content.

The trend of creating your own content is not new. Blogging as a phenomenon is actively developing, willing to generate their own content on the Internet is becoming more. Services that allow you to generate this content and share it are downloading more and more often. In this regard, the trend of developing special mobile applications to create video, photo, text using new animation chips to quickly share this.

For example, Instagram has created Threads application, which allows exchanging photo and video content as well as text messages. Instagram starts implementing Reels function for editing short music videos.

• Reasonable interaction with mobile content. Digital Detox.

Along with the digitization of society, there is an opposite trend, which has acquired the popular name Digital Detox. Users are increasingly inclined to consume content sensibly: the important thing to know, the less relevant thing to ignore. This is a whole world lifestyle movement, which requires a technical response.

In 2020 service creators will think about how to support this wave in the best way without losing their user. Keeping the client’s attention for a short time is what will become important now. There are already “caring solutions”. The latest updates to iOS and Android include screen time reports. Instagram will gradually remove likes.

 

• Bottom navigation. Interfaces slide down

Application creators, like smartphone manufacturers, adapt to user preferences. Today video content wins. Having caught this trend, giants began to produce smartphones with big screens. There are practically no apps with a side menu. Tab Bar and Botton Sheets became applicable increasingly. Context menu in mobile developments becomes the priority, it is connecting via Long Tap technology, and the area of work with the interface shifts down.

A trendsetter in this area is Samsung, having released the smartphone One UI. The contact between user and device occurs at the bottom of the screen-this is about 60%. Also, an example is Apple in the 13 iOS version.

• And again, the motion content!

Video content on the Internet is demand. In market leaders’ applications, there is a wide choice of solutions and special services for motion content. Animation and cartoon characters are actively introduced into applications.

• Seamless interface

The main task for developers is to keep the user’s attention. In other words, put everything on the table. A seamless interface will become one of the main trends in mobile development in 2020. Now the mobile application can be download without transition: all content of the service is provided instantly.

Conclusions

Creating a user-friendly and truly useful application can be a key competitive advantage this year. The user experience is ahead of the development. Web trends are changing faster than they can be implemented. The main trends of mobile development in 2020 will be the creation of secure but at the same time exciting user experience. Developers will focus on improving the quality of customer service.