Corporate mobile apps. State of the art and technology trends in 2023

In the ever-evolving digital age, corporate mobile applications have played a key role in business strategy. While it may seem that their heyday is behind them and that they are no longer as fashionable as they once were, the reality is that these applications continue to be an essential communication and customer experience channel for companies, whether B2C or B2B. As we move forward in 2023, it is essential to understand the current state of corporate mobile apps and how they continue to transform the way companies interact with their customers and business partners.

In this blog post, we will explore the state of the art and the technological trends that we, at SEIDOR, continue to pinpoint in corporate mobile application development. To do so, we will start by taking a look at data and statistics to give us some context.

• According to Statista's Digital Market Outlook Study, revenues in most segments of the mobile app industry are estimated to reach approximately USD 613 billion by 2025.
• The annual number of app downloads worldwide in 2023 is estimated to be around 299 billion. This has increased from 247 billion global app downloads in 2020.
• In the third quarter of 2022, there were 3.55 million apps available in the Google Play Store, making it the largest app store. Apple's App Store, with 1.64 million apps for iOS, is the second-largest app store.

The above statistics show the growing importance of mobile applications in the development of new commercial opportunities. With many of these applications competing for attention, making your application stand out can be a challenge. To succeed in this competitive environment, it is crucial to keep abreast of the latest trends in mobile application development and take advantage of them to create robust and feature-rich mobile applications.

A worrying truth is that many mobile apps fail. One of the main reasons for this is the inability to keep up with and implement the latest trends in mobile application development. This deficiency often leads to losing out to more technologically adaptable competitors. However, following a few mobile app development tips can significantly improve your app's chances of success.

To achieve success, the first step is to keep up to date with future trends in mobile application development. This ensures that your application remains relevant and incorporates the latest developments in the industry.

Looking at 2023, the latest surprising trends in mobile application development will strengthen mobile application development and shape its future.

Is your company ready for the changes seen in mobile application development in recent years?

• 5G Technology
• Integration of Internet of Things (IoT) applications
• Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) apps
• Beacons
• Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) · Chatbots · Integration with wearables
• Mobile wallet and contactless payments
• Multi-platform mobile development
• Recognition and conversational interfaces
• Mobile application security
• Mobile commerce
• Extended Reality (XR)
• Touchless UI
• Camera-based mobile applications
• Smart and inclusive UX application designs
• P2P mobile applications
• App and mobile learning

5G technology is expected to have a significant impact on the development of mobile applications. With faster connection speeds and lower latency, 5G provides an improved user experience and enables greater capacity to transmit data in real time. This is especially relevant for applications that require high data transfer rates, such as high-definition video streaming, virtual or augmented reality and the Internet of Things (IoT).

With the gradual rollout of 5G infrastructure around the world, mobile application developers can take full advantage of this technology to create faster, more responsive and more data-capable applications. This can open up new opportunities for application development in areas such as mobile gaming, healthcare, logistics, industrial automation and much more.

In addition, the low latency of 5G can enable real-time applications that require immediate interaction, such as remote control of devices or real-time communication between users. This can lead to greater personalisation and more immersive experiences for mobile application users.

The integration of IoT applications involves the connection and communication between physical devices, sensors and computer systems via the Internet. This allows real-time data collection and remote control of devices. By combining the power of the IoT with mobile applications, smarter, user-centric solutions can be created.

The integration of IoT applications into mobile application development offers a wide range of possibilities. For example, mobile applications can be developed that interact with smart home devices, such as thermostats, lights, locks, household appliances, etc. This allows users to control and monitor their devices from anywhere via their mobile phones.

IoT applications can also be useful in various sectors, such as health, agriculture, industry and logistics. For example, developers can now create mobile applications that collect data from medical sensors to monitor patients' health or agricultural applications that control and optimise irrigation systems in real time.

IoT application integration can also drive automation and efficiency in business processes. For example, developers can now create mobile applications that integrate with sensors in the supply chain to track and manage inventories more accurately.

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) applications have gained popularity in recent years and are transforming the way we interact with technology. Both technologies offer immersive experiences to users, allowing them to explore virtual environments or to superimpose digital elements on the real world.

In mobile application development, AR and VR offer exciting opportunities to create interactive and immersive experiences. AR applications use the mobile device's camera and sensors to overlay graphics and digital content on the real environment, providing additional information, interactivity and entertainment to users. For example, AR applications can allow users to visualise how a piece of furniture would look in their home before buying it or provide real-time information about nearby points of interest.

VR applications, on the other hand, fully immerse users in simulated virtual environments. Users can explore and interact with these environments through VR display devices, such as headsets or special glasses. VR applications can provide immersive experiences in areas such as entertainment, gaming, training and simulation. For example, users can experience immersive games, visit tourist destinations virtually or perform training simulations in safe environments.

Developing mobile applications with AR and VR requires specific technical skills and appropriate tools to create 3D content, interact with sensors and optimise performance. However, as these technologies continue to evolve and become more accessible, their application across sectors and use cases is expected to expand.

Beacon technology is a system based on small wireless devices that emit Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signals to transmit information and communicate with nearby mobile devices. These devices can be placed in specific physical locations, such as retail shops, museums, stadiums, airports and more.

Mobile applications can use beacon technology to receive signals from these devices and provide users with personalised information and experiences based on their location and context. For example, when a user enters a retail shop, a beacon-enabled mobile application can send push notifications with special offers, coupons or relevant product information to the user's exact location within the shop.

Beacon technology has been widely used in sectors such as retail, hospitality and tourism, as it can improve customer interaction and provide more personalised experiences. In addition, it has also been used in indoor navigation environments, such as museums or airports, to help users find their way around and access relevant information about exhibits or services.

Implementing beacon technology in mobile applications requires that mobile devices are equipped with the ability to receive Bluetooth Low Energy signals and that users grant permissions for applications to access their location and receive notifications. Application developers need to take these technical aspects into account when working with beacon technology.

In 2017, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning were integrated into mobile app development to make apps smarter. What comes to mind when you hear about Artificial Intelligence and Automatic Learning? You may think of Siri and Alexa when they are integrated into the mobile app as virtual assistants. However, we are only at the early stages of exploring their great potential. The use of AI in mobile application development goes far beyond this.

Last year, Apple launched Core ML 3, an iOS machine learning framework designed to help developers incorporate AI technology into their apps. Not only that, we also saw Google introduce new features in its Maps app, which uses AI to improve the user experience. The AI market is predicted to reach $190 billion at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 37% over the forecast period to 2025.

The progress of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning has encouraged the mobile application development industry to integrate different use cases, such as chatbots, personalised ads, etc. Functions such as image recognition, face detection, text and image classification, speech recognition and others can be integrated into mobile applications.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning have become two of the main trends in mobile application development for 2023. In 2023, we can expect AI to transform the way applications are built, making them smarter, more efficient and capable of delivering richer user experiences.

Chatbots

Chatbots have become advanced and have peaked compared to the early days of AOL Instant Messenger. Now, they have evolved mainly when it comes to customer service on websites.

While only a small fraction of apps in Apple's App Store and the Google Play Store currently use chatbots, this is expected to change by 2023. Demand for chatbot-driven interactions is on the rise, and advances in AI technology are making chatbot responses more natural and human-like.

The global chatbots market is experiencing significant growth and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.3% from 2023 to 2030. Chatbots need to be more widely integrated into mobile application development to achieve more widespread use.

As AI technology advances, we can anticipate that chatbots will become increasingly prevalent in a variety of applications, including mobile applications. This will lead to improved customer experiences and more efficient support services.

Wearable devices are becoming popular day by day and are having a big impact on the world, with smartwatches, fitness trackers and fitness bands becoming more and more common. According to Statista, the total number of connected wearable devices worldwide increased to 1.1 billion, up from 929 million a year earlier.

In 2019, Apple made a major announcement regarding wearables and app integration at WWDC. The introduction of watchOS 6 brought Apple's App Store directly to the Apple Watch, enabling the development of standalone apps specifically for these devices. Google launched unified platforms for wearables that combine its Wear OS with Samsung's Tizen software platform. This collaboration resulted in a significant boost in application start-up times.

These developments point to the growing influence of wearable technology, making it one of the major trends in mobile application development by 2023. In other words, application developers and companies must be prepared to create applications that deliver an excellent digital experience to users on smartwatches and other wearable devices. By doing so, they can gain a competitive advantage over those who ignore this trend.

The e-commerce market is experiencing rapid growth worldwide, and mobile shopping has become increasingly popular with consumers. As a result, there is a growing demand for convenient and secure mobile payment solutions. It is expected that by 2023 there will be 1.31 billion users of mobile payment transactions worldwide.

Alongside traditional banking applications, several widely used payment applications, such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, AliPay, WeChatPay and Zelle, have gained popularity. These applications allow users to conduct financial transactions quickly, easily and from anywhere, contributing to the rapid growth of mobile commerce. QR codes have become particularly popular for contactless payments. Many mobile payment applications and platforms use QR codes to facilitate transactions.

In the coming years, the development of e-commerce applications that integrate mobile payment functionalities is expected to continue to be a significant trend in mobile application development. Companies and application developers recognise the importance of providing seamless and secure mobile payment experiences to satisfy the growing number of consumers who prefer to shop and make transactions via their mobile devices.

By keeping up with this trend and incorporating mobile payment capabilities into their e-commerce applications, businesses can improve the customer experience, attract a broader user base and stay competitive in the ever-changing mobile application landscape.

Voice search has become incredibly popular and addictive among users. As expected, the voice search market will reach almost USD 50 billion by 2029. Companies in various industries have recognised the importance of voice search and are actively incorporating it into their applications. They understand that integrating voice search improves the user experience and makes their applications more attractive and easier to use.

You can simply say your queries or commands with voice search instead of typing them. This level of convenience and accessibility has transformed the way we interact with applications and software technology.

The increasing adoption of voice search by companies is evidence of its importance in meeting users' needs and preferences. By adopting voice search, organisations provide users with a simple and seamless way to interact with their applications.

Mobile devices face significant security threats and are vulnerable to various attacks. In addition, Statista reported that malware attacks exceeded 5.5 billion worldwide in 2022 and are expected to increase by 2% in 2023. A survey showed that nearly 45% of iOS and Android users would stop and discourage others from using an app they considered unsafe.

As people become more dependent on mobile applications, organisations are focusing more on cybersecurity and looking to develop mobile applications with strong data protection and information privacy laws. Exhaustive testing during application development is essential to identify and correct vulnerabilities, as customer confidence is at stake.

Therefore, focusing on improving the security of mobile applications is trending, and developers are looking to implement a features, such as Sign in, with Apple.

The incorporation of biometric logins, such as fingerprints or facial scans, adds an additional layer of security. Mobile app developers must prioritise app security in 2023 to build trust and ensure long-term success. In 2023, a shift towards a security-first approach is expected, which, in turn, sets out a roadmap for a robust DevOps strategy.

Mobile Commerce

Mobile commerce is a dominant trend that has thrived in 2021 and 2022 and will continue to be important in 2023. Organisations of all sizes, including retailers, content creators and personal brands, are looking to develop mobile applications to increase revenues by initiating the sale and purchase of goods. This mobile e-commerce functionality has become the main feature that application resellers showcase in customer presentations.

Competition in the online sales space is extreme, and having a mobile commerce application is becoming essential to stay competitive. Each new e-commerce organisation competes with giants such as Amazon and Flipkart and begins to take on the offline business.

By 2022, e-commerce sales will exceed USD 5.7 trillion worldwide. We expect such sales to reach a high point in the coming year. These significant e-commerce sales were only possible thanks to mobile devices, so the focus was on the importance of apps in the success of mobile commerce. The development of e-commerce applications will continue to be a major focus in 2023.

Extended reality (XR) technology, which includes augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), is gaining popularity in mobile applications. AR filters and gaming interfaces, such as the popular Pokémon Go game, showcase the use of XR in mobile applications. In addition, major companies have started to leverage XR for virtual training and onboarding processes.

According to Statista's forecast, revenues in the Extended Reality market are expected to reach $52 billion by 2027. AR and VR have already been widely accepted as new commercial marketing strategies. As a result, product owners can introduce and enhance their services using XR to attract maximum attention and drive conversions. This mobile application development trend in 2023 will drive the user experience.

The touchless user interface is a fast-growing trend in mobile application development. It allows you to interact with mobile applications without physically touching the screen. Using software technologies such as voice recognition, gesture control and facial recognition, the touchless user interface offers a convenient user experience. Gartner predicts that by 2023, more than 50% of major business applications will incorporate touchless experiences.

While users are already familiar with touchless user interface features such as biometric authentication using fingerprint or facial recognition, finance and payment applications often employ them in two-factor authentication. In addition, upcoming mobile applications may track eye movements to assist with movement.

The future of app design and development holds exciting transformations, ranging from simplified designs to trend-setting AR/VR interfaces. These innovative approaches will become prominent in mobile application development trends.

Camera-based mobile applications are gaining speed as a major trend in mobile application development. With the ever-increasing quality and capabilities of smartphone cameras, developers are taking advantage of this technology to create innovative and amazing applications. These applications are designed to enhance the user experience by using the camera as a core function.

Companies are moving towards the development of video conferencing applications due to the increasing culture of remote working. This has led to an increase in revenues by enabling broadcasting, social networking, etc.

More attention will be paid to camera-based mobile applications for entertainment streaming, broadcasting and social networking niches in the coming year. This trend capitalises on the growing demand for visually driven applications, which allow users to unleash their creativity and explore new dimensions of mobile photography and videography.

One of the emerging trends in mobile app development is smart and inclusive UX app designs that leverage AI and ML to personalise app interactions and provide personalised recommendations. These days, inclusive UX allows applications to focus on making them easily accessible to users with disabilities and offer features such as voice commands and adaptive interfaces.

A notable example is the survival game "Rust", which gained a lot of attention by randomising players' skin colour. By ensuring that your application design is tailored to a wide range of demographics, you can effectively engage and satisfy the users of your application.

P2P (peer-to-peer) mobile applications are gaining attention and have become a prominent trend in mobile application development. Such an application helps to drive transactions and communication with users by waiving the requirements of intermediaries. Using this type of application allows for peer-to-peer payments, file sharing and a collaborative marketplace in a single point.

In 2023, leveraging secure and efficient technologies can enable you to have a seamless experience that allows users to connect and transact directly with each other. Therefore, this market will expand further in the future and grow as a trend in mobile application development.

Mobile learning is very popular and will become the focus of education in the future. The mobile learning market is projected to reach a substantial value of $58.50 billion by 2025, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.45% from 2020 to 2025.

Mobile learning has gained popularity for a number of effective reasons. Firstly, it offers the advantage of accessibility, meaning users can access educational content at any time and from anywhere. Meanwhile, mobile learning has introduced interactive and enjoyable learning experiences through features such as continuous feedback and 360-degree learning. These aspects make learning more attractive, interactive and pleasant for students.

Given the high demand for mobile learning applications and the potential benefits they offer, now is the right time to look into developing a mobile learning solution. Whether you have an innovative idea or a plan to launch a mobile learning platform to train your employees, you should contact a specialised team with experience in developing educational applications. They can turn your vision into reality and create a valuable mobile learning application that meets the unique needs of your organisation.

If you're intrigued to discover more about mobile application testing, check out our detailed mobile application testing tutorial and learn how to identify bugs and optimise your mobile applications.

In the ever-changing world of mobile application development, it is essential to stay on top of the latest trends to remain relevant and competitive. In this article, we have explored several prominent trends in the field of mobile application development in 2023.

Keeping abreast of trends in mobile application development is critical to delivering innovative experiences, staying at the forefront of the industry and meeting evolving user expectations. By embracing these trends and taking advantage of the tools and technologies available, companies can boost their success in the competitive world of mobile applications.