According to a report by App Annie, the global mobile app industry is estimated to be worth over $100 billion. With the widespread adoption of 5G networks, increased demand for personalized customer user experiences, and the emergence of new technologies like Artificial intelligence and machine learning, business and mobile app developers must stay ahead of the curve in order to remain competitive in the industry.

Here are some of the top mobile app development trends to keep an eye on in 2023:

1. Augmented Reality (AR) & Virtual Reality (VR):

AR and VR are expected to become more prominent in 2023, allowing developers to create immersive experiences for users. This could range from virtual events to interactive tutorials, to gaming applications.

• Shopping: brick-and-mortar stores increasingly see this as a way to bring consumers back into a physical store by, paradoxically enough, providing more of an online virtual experience on-site.

• Navigation: not just traffic and walking directions, but where to go in airports, hospitals, malls and other interior buildings.

• Training: provide hands-on simulations of equipment use; physicians and other healthcare professionals can “practice” treatment techniques on virtual patients.

• Gaming: it almost goes without saying.

2. Cloud Computing:

Cloud computing has become increasingly popular in recent years, and this trend is expected to continue in 2023. Cloud computing enables developers to store data in a secure, remote location, as well as access resources from any location with an internet connection.

3. Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning:

AI and machine learning are becoming increasingly popular in mobile app development. These technologies allow mobile app developers to create smarter, more customized apps that can learn from user behaviour and adapt accordingly. The report states that AI ML is the fastest-growing segment of the mobile app industry, with a CAGR of 46.3% between 2019 and 2022.

4. Internet of Things (IoT):

IoT is expected to become even more popular in 2023, as more companies are beginning to leverage connected devices to improve their products and services. IoT is also becoming increasingly popular in smart home technology.

• Health apps on smartphones and wearables that track activity levels connected to medical devices and physician/healthcare monitoring systems.

• Sports sensors such as ShotTracker™ collect athlete performance statistics and stream real-time results and findings to coaches and fans.

• Enterprise apps that provide real-time monitoring of employee as well as asset (e.g., fleet and equipment) activities to improve safety and productivity, as well as customer-facing apps that enhance service experience and satisfaction by providing timely delivery updates and arrival (see Uber).

• Smart homes/buildings provide the ability for users to set locks/temperatures and other environmental/security features remotely from smartphones, as well as collect data to better manage energy consumption.

5. Chatbots

Chatbots were first implemented on websites primarily to perform routine customer service functions. As they’ve grown in sophistication and capabilities to perform a variety of back-office functions (e.g., opening and sending emails, providing documents and links), chatbots are increasingly integral as virtual assistants for mobile apps. The challenge to mobile app developers is that chatbots represent both opportunity and threat. As Robby Gupta writes in TechJini, “Chatbots help in reducing the number of apps we use. If you think about it, all the websites and apps that we use daily are just a collection of information. If this information can be packaged into an app which uses a sophisticated chatbot, it would make other apps obsolete. Services such as booking hotel rooms and flight tickets, buying movie tickets etc. can be done using one app.”

While chatbot integration is likely to render some mobile apps obsolete, mobile app developers can look to new ways to deploy chatbots in ways that improve user experience to make newer apps more exciting and more important to perform everyday tasks such as shopping, appointment scheduling and time management and entertainment.

6. 5G Networks:

5G networks are expected to become the standard in 2023, allowing for faster data speeds and improved connectivity. This will be beneficial for mobile app developers, as it will enable them to create more powerful and sophisticated apps.

As the mobile app development industry continues to evolve, these trends will be crucial for developers to keep up with. Keeping an eye on these trends will help developers stay ahead of the curve and remain competitive.

7. Mobile Wallet

Cash is no longer king. Pretty soon, neither will plastic credit cards. Given the ubiquity of smartphones and the degree to which users are reliant on them for daily living, mobile wallets serve a range of convenient uses:

• Making payment for a range of services, both on-site and online, including scheduling auto-payments

• Splitting bill payments among multiple users

• Transferring and receiving funds

• Receiving discounts, discounts, cashback and other promotional incentives.

Do you have a project in mind and looking for a reliable mobile app development company? Let’s talk!