Viewing the popularity of smart phones it can be predicted, with great confidence, that the future is definitely going to see more of smart gadgets. Desktop PC and Laptop sales are on the decline whereas the sales figure for mobile phones is accelerating at jet speed. People are increasingly making use of their smart devices to browse the web and to perform a number of tasks.
The statistics for the number of web browsers via mobile is certainly higher than that of those accessing the web through desktop computers. Statistics scream that most of the traffic for websites is through mobile devices. Even M-commerce transactions are spiraling with mobile commerce transactions reaching $114 billion in 2014 in United States alone.
This mobile-centric environment has urged businesses to avail of this trend to push their growth and generate more revenue whilst retaining the competitive advantage. The mobile apps trade is increasing as ever. Companies are churning out mobile apps at great speed and deploying them quickly to help a business gain the most from its services. This wave of technology has integrated mobile, cloud, big data, and internet into a single space, with each being complementary to other.
To have an upper hand in this fiercely competitive era, web developers need to brush up their knowledge and know what’s happening around them. This can help them create an effective mobile application development strategy that will beat their competitors and give them a survival elixir in these harsh conditions.
Wearable Smart Devices like Apple Watch
Different people prefer different platforms for the devices they use. Some prefer Windows whereas others prefer iOS or Android. No matter what device people use, they always keep a watch on the upcoming smart devices. For instance, when Apple released Watchkit, the development toolkit for Apple Watch, everyone was eager to know what it had to offer. This kit can be used by apps developers to create apps for the watch.
Experts have predicted that Apple Watch will bring a lot of change in the smart watch industry and will create a new industry for wearable applications. As per the consumer demand, the size and shape of wearable application’s screen will keep on changing. It is essential for apps developers to keep a close tab on the Apple Watch technologies to attain a competitive edge against rivals.
Mobile Voice Applications – The Voice of Future
Text has now replaced voice. The present times have made people busier than ever. They don’t want to waste their time typing their message. People prefer sending voice messages to sending text messages. The reason is obvious – time saving! A number of apps supporting voice have been introduced of late.
Google voice search is the latest to add to this trend. Whatsapp, Viber, Line, WeChat, etc are some of the voice apps which provide instant messaging both through video and audio channels. Speech recognition technology has also been utilized in software and different apps. Voice is now increasingly being used to send messages, schedule meetings, make voice calls, and many other tasks can be performed with the use of voice. With such trend prevailing, it will be wise if developers can integrate voice into their mobile apps and be ahead of others in the market.
Responsive Technology
The emergence of varied screen sizes among different devices has given birth to the concept of responsive design and development. Responsive technology helps web owners get a design for their website which works on all devices irrespective of its screen size. Currently the most sophisticated responsive front-end framework is the ZURB’s foundation platform. Semantic UI is also a novel design framework which helps creating mind-blowing responsive applications.
The Era Of Mobile Transactions
With smart phone technologies advancing at a rapid pace, people are making more payments through mobile platforms. Google Wallet has long back established its presence. PayPal, Square, and Dwolla are the big names in this field. However, topping the list is Apple Pay, which is Apple’s newly integrated mobile and digital wallet service. Using this platform, Apple users can make retail payments. They can also use it for online payments in a convenient and secure way.
Mobile application developers should keep track of the way in which they can integrate Apple Pay into apps. This will ensure that their apps are always using the latest plugins to enable users to pay through the most innovative ways to buy different products and/or services.
So, Now What?
Viewing the general trends of the present days it can be clearly predicted that the inclination towards mobile phones and smart gadgets is here to stay. A number of habits associated with this trend will also leave their mark and get instilled in the routines of people’s lives. As technology advances, there will be more options searched in order to bring down the time taken to communicate messages across the world.
From text, we moved to calls, from calls we moved to instant audio messages, and there is more to come. Technology is hugging people more ever than before. We have our watches replaced by smart gadgets. We have our glasses replaced by Google Glass. Technology is now becoming a part and parcel of life and with more and more people embracing it, the days are not far when it will be an indispensable part of life.
All in all, topping the mobile development trends this year will be smart watches, when it comes to gadgets. When it comes to communication, voice will be the king. More and more apps will try to use the voice feature so that even busiest people can avail of those applications.
When it comes to technology most of the transactions, whether banking or commercial, will take place through smart devices. People will move on to mobile from laptop/desktop, to shop whatever they need without wasting time. Simply put, technology will lace each and every aspect of human life and make it an essential part of professional as well as personal life.
Images: “Smart phone with cloud of colorful application icons/Shutterstock.com“
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