Top 8 Mobile App Development Trends to Look For in 2022
With each passing day, more and more attention is being given to creating state-of-the-art mobile technologies. In 2020 alone, over $75 billion was invested into developing mobile technologies. Besides, the recent impact of the lockdowns caused app downloads to rise to almost twice their market size. There were 218 billion worldwide mobile app downloads that year.



Almost everyone with access to a cell phone uses at least one mobile app today. To stay ahead in the years to come, here are top 8 mobile app development trends to look out for in 2022:



1 Peer to Peer Mobile Apps


According to eMarketer, peer-to-peer or P2P mobile transactions will reach over $612 billion by 2023. This means 2022 is a critical year to invest in P2P technologies. Besides, with the rise of mobile users, the ease of P2P mobile applications has also become quite essential.



For instance, most e-commerce platforms use P2P technology for built-in payments. Some mobile apps such as Samsung Pay, Apple Pay also use P2P mobile technology. It is quite convenient and hassle-free for developers to use as well.



2 Blockchain in Mobile Technology
Blockchain technology is another example of a peer to peer technology in use today. This technology is mobile and secure. The data on the blockchain is immutable and can only be accessed by the two peers. Besides, blockchain came to light due to the crypto boom and it has grown ever since. Such systems will continue to be used in the mobile FinTech and eCommerce sectors in the years to come.



Blockchain alone is growing at a significant rate and is predicted to reach a market size of over $20 billion by 2024. This is also going to drive mobile apps to take a decentralized route, driving more businesses towards P2P technology that is mobile and easy to use.



3 The Advent of 5G Mobile Technology


The 5G technology has been around in some places for a while now, yet access to this 5G technology has been limited to research and commerce. However, this year can mark the start of a new era in mobile app technology as 5G technology is all set to scale itself for use in mobile phones.



What does this mean for mobile app development? The integration of 5G technology in mobile phones will revolutionize the mobile experience completely. It means almost 100x faster browsing speeds, latency reduced by 50x, increased compatibility with Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality devices, more efficient app development architecture, quicker verifications, etc.



4 Augmented Reality in Mobile Apps


We've already seen many augmented reality or AR mobile apps like Pokemon Go and the incorporation of AR into Google Live View. We've also seen AR being used in Instagram and Facebook stories as well. There are AR-enabled stickers too! As mobile processors get more reliable and efficient, the AR sector can scale quite easily.



Businesses such as Ikea allow you to record how a piece of furniture will look in your home by using your mobile phone camera, Google lens can predict the exact product you're scanning, make-up brands offer AR simulations of their products, stores such as Home Depot, sportswear brands such as Nike, all use AR technology in their mobile app environment. In 2022, more businesses are likely to use mobile AR technology.



5 Virtual Reality in Mobile App Development


It's been a few years since Oculus launched their VR headsets. Ever since, it has been scaled up for use with the launch of Samsung's Gear VR. This offered virtual reality games and the possibility to watch Netflix shows in a Meta-theater. Then came the improved remote control functions that allowed physical movements beyond moving your head.



As many businesses such as Samsung, Apple, Meta, and Google continue exploring the possibility of improving this VR technology, it is a huge scope for mobile app developers to explore and the rise of the 'metaverse' has only triggered immense investments into this sector of mobile technology.



6 Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Deep Learning in Mobile Apps


There is a myriad of mobile applications that can generate artistic portraits from camera images and these mobile apps use AI and Machine Learning to do so. For instance, FaceApp uses AI to refine any image clicked on your phone. The MyHeritage app uses AI and ML to create photo animations from still images.



The possibilities of using AI and ML are endless. With the current incorporation of deep learning into several mobile systems, we can now track real-time data and possibly predict future behavior based on sustained patterns. This is a huge boost for geo-location service providers and their partners.



7 Mobile Apps for Wearable Devices


Mobile technology has seen a rapid growth of smartwatches, among other wearable devices in the past. Moreover, we already have a few wearable glasses with smart functions too. These so-called 'smart glasses' include Vurix Blade, Amazon Echo Frames, Bose Frames, to name a few. Even our earphones and headphones are getting more efficient and immersive.



In 2022, this domain of wearable technologies can mark a paradigm shift towards incorporating interactive softwares backed with AI and ML that goes beyond Siri and Google Voice. Mobile apps are being developed to let you stream movies on your glasses or smartwatches. New updates can learn your location, predict weather changes and create alerts based on your preferences. It can tell you when you skipped a meal too!



8 Beacon Technology for Mobile Apps


Beacons are wireless transmitters that can alert a server when a certain goal is met. In the United States, major retailers such as Walmart already used location-backed beacon systems to send push notifications about offers. This is a widely unexplored market and offers millions of possibilities for retailers, marketers, policymaking, alike.



In 2022, we could see such technology being used to drive audiences towards events and products in their vicinity. It can help alert the public against disasters and weather anomalies. It can also provide accurate data about the customer's actions which can be used to create more streamlined advertisement campaigns.