It is undoubtedly true that the android app market is on boom nowadays and experiencing exponential growth in each passing year. So, It becomes important for us to talk about Top android app development trends in 2021. This market occupies more than 85% market share approximately with almost 3.04 million apps on the Google Play store. This number includes a wide variety of apps like- healthcare apps, educational apps, payment and banking apps, utility apps like camera effects, Picasa, etc. Or games. Mobile apps are the most demanding mobile Operating system in the world.
To build these enterprise apps, the developer mainly gives the majority of attention to the android operating system because android apps are user-friendly and it is the most occupied operating system around the world in mobile app development. To beat the latest trends and technologies, android app development is the key focus area in terms of popularity and service delivery.
Here are some latest android app development trends to look at in 2021
As users worldwide started to use android on a larger scale, the app android app development market has experienced a significant increase to get users an improvised user experience. If you want to know the latest trends in mobile app development, you need to continuously update yourself with the latest ongoing trends in the app market to stay one step ahead.
Here are some breathtaking changes that made the android app development, a trendsetter for every day:
- Android Instant Apps
The instant apps are although not most common in android app development but are most trending at this time. This technology lets the users have a seamless experience of the games and utility without downloading them on their devices. If they liked the app, they can download it after that.
This allows the users to have a better user experience in terms of utility without downloading them on their devices and help them to better utilize the internet and web. This technology is mainly beneficial in the case of the e-commerce and gaming industry. These instant apps do not take any extra space on the devices and don’t impose any unnecessary interruptions. Their main significance is that a user can have access to its UI/UX, storage, etc. Without any need to download them. That’s why Instant apps hold the #1 spot in android app development trends of 2021.
- Blockchain Technology
Blockchain technology is trendy and specially designed to provide decentralized app development solutions to boost a transparent environment and it also removes any unauthorized access and intermediate utility apps by using efficient security protocols.
Due to the security feature, this technology is mainly used in banking, stock/currency exchange, and finance sector apps where security is counted as the main priority. “A survey by PWC shows that 84% of global companies are actively engaged in Blockchain technologies.”
Here are some advantages of blockchain technology that makes it efficient to use everywhere:
- Reduced Data loss
- Efficient use of data in case of network failure
- Apps made with blockchain technology are more secure and safe for data as well as money due to their encryption system.
- Machine Learning and AI (Artificial Intelligence)
With the development of cloud computing in recent times, the organizations which are using it have seen a massive boom in terms of their computing strength due to the AI models that help to augment procedures and task performance. “As per Accenture, modern AI accessible can enhance productivity by up to 40%.
The modern AI implementations and solutions are although versatile in terms of their strengths and weaknesses. These AI implementations can be applied to automate different tasks, identification of images, NLP ( Natural Language Processing), and data analysis.
- Development on Multiplatforms (Flutter)
Google has paced up a new technology and it is the future of android app development. It is flutter. Flutter enables a user for the mobile app development in their existing interface whether it is iOS or Android. This platform is compatible, flexible, and easy to use. This is why most app developers prefer to use this platform.
Why should you choose flutter?
- Its native design
- Its features are easy to learn
- Development of MVP
Many software developers embed flutter with their app development platforms. So it is one of the platforms which is in demand as the trendsetter in 2021. Some of the apps which are designed and developed with Flutter with good UI and perfectly added features include Alibaba, Reflect, etc.
- Chatbots/Google Assistant
With the increasing trends in 2021, most businesses will connect their interfaces, content, and services with Google Assistant for a seamless user experience. This integration of Google Assistant in their services will help users to use their app with Google assistant. With Google Assistant, many particular functions can be linked in the mobile apps also.
Android Slices is another beneficial option to enable the developer to highlight the most important content from the application. In recent times, it is noted that the number of users using Google Assistant are increasing exponentially, so the integration of Google Assistant with the mobile apps seems to be much beneficial for the app development team.
- EMM and APM
APM stands for Application Performance Management (APM) and EMM stands for Enterprise Mobile Management. These are two elements of mobile app development. These two technologies are implemented in mobile app development to reduce the slow processing of mobile apps.
As mobile app usage and hence development is increasing, it has become an important factor to ensure the quality of mobile apps in terms of their processing. These two technologies APM and EMM ensure the quality of the mobile apps with safety and security of the data and information along with it for individuals as well as corporates.
- Beacon Technology
It has been proved by recent business scenarios that the businesses can improve their sales and conversions by targeting the specific segments of the clients that can ensure lead conversion also. Beacons are transmitting gadgets that can connect with those devices which are in their range. This technology is, in turn, helping many businesses to send notifications to their clients as per their demand like nearby hotels, restaurants, accommodations, special events or offers, etc.
Integration of this technology into mobile apps is becoming popular these days. Like if FMCG businesses like hotels or restaurants start to use this technology, they can grab their clients more rapidly than any other thing. For this, the use of iBeacon is strongly recommended.
- 5G Technology
India has grown up now with 4G, but can you think of something faster than this?
Yes! It’s 5G, with quicker and unthinkable speed.
It has a high radio frequency with 100 GBPS speed. It has a data transmission capacity to serve 1.4 billion mobile gadgets worldwide. This quick speed can help to create a feature-rich app to enhance business performance levels.
- Internet of Things (IoT)
In 2021, the world completely relies on smartphones as this helps them to store their data, information such as Apps, emails, photos, documents, etc.
As app development is on the boom, and so is the use of smartphones including smart devices such as smartwatches, sports bands, smart TV and other wearable gadgets. Many companies have reduced the prices for these smart gadgets to increase sales and nowadays these are becoming household things and are within the budget of the common man now. A study says that “It is expected that there will be 75.44 billion connected gadgets globally by 2025 and cost-effectiveness is one of the drivers of this android app development trend.”
- Android Jetpack
It is the complete suite that contains guidelines, libraries, and tools that helps the android app developers to develop the apps. This provides an easy way to structure the android apps. Structured documentation is uploaded on Google for the utilization of Android jetpacks.
It consists of four prime elements which are: Behavior, UI, architecture, and foundation. Due to the ease of use, Android Jetpack is considered to be the latest trend in android app development in 2021.
- Kotlin Multiplatform
Whenever there is a need for Multiplatform, Kotlin is the probable option. It can be used in app development instead of Flutter (use of flutter is already discussed). It is embedded with experimental features in Kotlin 1.2 and 1.3 but it is considered to be the future of app development tools.
Kotlin works by sharing the codes between the platforms. The supported technologies in Kotlin include Mac, Windows, Linux, Javascript, JVM, Android operating system, iOS, and STM32. It reduces the development time for the apps and hence more time is saved in app development to utilize it on other difficult tasks.
- On-Demand Apps
Every business is now implementing android apps to boost user experience and client servicing. Android app development is experiencing exponential growth and is a rapidly growing trend in 2021. These mobile apps help the users to complete their tasks with the ease of their smartphones.
Many businesses have implemented the android apps such as healthcare and beauty, educational institutions, retail industry, food delivery, and many other services.
- Mobile Wallets
Many payment and eCommerce industries started implementing mobile wallets to add or reserve money that enhances the user experience as well. Many companies like Google Pay and PhonePe, PayTm are a few of them which offer mobile wallets as well as payment gateway services. This mainly offers enhanced security and services, thereby reducing human efforts and enhanced flexibility with safe and secure money transactions.
- AR (Augmented Reality)
It is creating a buzz these days. Augmented Reality is the latest trend that is implemented these days in mobile app development.
It is expected that “By 2023, augmented reality gaming’s value is expected to reach $284.93 billion.” Augmented reality is basically used to create more fantasies into real-world applications.
- MotionLayout
This is a layout that is used to handle widget animations and their relative motion within the application. It is compatible with Android 4.0 and more superior versions and it is a part of the android app layout library files. These layout library files in turn help the developer to maintain coordination between complex motion handling and layout transitions easily with its rich set of features.
MotionLayout is also beneficial to animate the layout of the widgets.
It also allows the user to respond to specific conditions like touch input and display each point according to the input with transitions and effects given by the users. This can be considered as the latest trend for the android app developer to develop apps with animated layouts and widgets that will enable users to understand things in a better way, enhancing user experience.
- eCommerce
As the use of smartphones is increasing rapidly with each passing year, the users are more prominent to use mobile apps to shop and the eCommerce companies are driving more than half of the revenue with these mobile apps. Many users are now preferring to shop online on eCommerce platforms and the mobile apps are helping them to list their products and services better.
These mobile apps are implemented with a few USPs that includes:
- GPS enabled online shops
- The safest mode of payment with payment gateways
- Push notifications enabled for announcements of new products and offer
- Customized user experience
- Competitive analysis
- Enhanced customer loyalty
- Increased conversion rate
- Security and Enterprise Solutions
A user feels more satisfied when the banking and financial companies give them ease to operate their services with their gadgets with the mobile apps. According to a study, “Just 50% of users have any type of protection on their smartphones. There were more than 3.2 million malicious applications recognized by the end of the 3rd quarter of 2018.” Although the Android operating system comes with the poor security consciousness of the users, it is a popular OS that comes up with Gmail, Google Office Suite, and Calendar-like features.
There are many applications developed taking care of android OS that make it worth having. So with the addition of more secure and enterprise solutions to the android apps, it will bring a digital revolution in 2021.
- AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)
It is considered to be a smart technology that enables publishers to publish their creativity by boosting their work in mobile search. Web Pages and websites are now designed to take care of their mobile-friendliness. It enhances the SEO performance of web pages and websites and helps organizations to make their services more visible on Google search. It makes the website SEO performance boosted up with speed and performance of the webpages.
As Google says, “AMP websites load four times faster than average non-AMP websites”. When it comes to SERP, Google is predicted to give more importance to AMP to drive more traffic to the websites.
- Cloud-Based Mobile Apps
With the increasing use and development of mobile apps, the need for cloud space is more in use than ever before. Because operating these mobile apps seems difficult without implementing cloud storage in them. So the mobile app developers are nowadays designing mobile apps with the implementation of cloud space in them to reduce the heavy data burden on the apps.
Cloud-based mobile apps help the users to use the apps without imposing extra space burden on the phone memory and the extra data is stored on their cloud space.
- Wearable Apps
As the use of smartphones is increasing exponentially across the world, a significant increase in the use of wearable smart gadgets is also seen among the users like smartwatches, smart TVs, Smart health monitoring devices, etc. Like smartphones, these smart gadgets also use the android operating system but they have different functionality and features as that smartphones. These specialized operating systems support smartwatches and other smart gadgets and come in proper coordination with the supporting hardware like a sensor, GPU, etc.
