By the end of the first quarter of 2018, there were almost 2.2 million apps for users on the App Store! With Apple debuting the cross-platform app solutions in 2019 and allowing developers to port iOS apps to MacOS soon, this number is likely to get bigger.
This rapid growth in the number of apps is a clear reflection of the ever-growing needs of customers and various enterprises. Nowadays, there is an app for almost everything. Cooking apps, apps to book tickets, shop, order food, there are apps to even get a haircut appointment; there is no end to this list. But if you think that the market is now reaching its saturation point, then think again.
Needs are infinite; there are many frontiers which are yet to be conquered. Enterprises are spending and depending more and more on these apps, and common users are now demanding and expecting newer and more exciting apps.
Thus, it falls on developers to cater to the ever growing needs of the market. It is their duty to invent, innovate and update. So if you are an iOS developer, then listed below for you are several iOS app development trends which will rule the market in 2018, and understanding them will help you in achieving maximum customer satisfaction:
1. IoT
Internet of things is quickly embedding to the deepest recesses of our lives. Soon there’ll come a time when we’ll wonder, how we ever even survived without it? These days, almost everything is connected. You can control everything remotely, from A.C. to your coffee maker. Anything which is net-enabled can be reached remotely.
iOS developers were quick in understanding this need and started to design applications which work as communication bridges between various internet-enabled devices. The market is growing at a baffling pace, profits made by major developers are astounding, and the good news for iOS developers is that the IoT trend is far from being over. There is still a lot of sophistication to come in the IoT market, and a lot of new ideas are yet to be explored. Meteorology, medicine, astronomy are only some of the fields which can, and already are, benefiting greatly from IoT.
2. AR and VR
It seems like people in the technology market can’t stop talking about Augmented Reality and Virtual reality. Both concepts have been around longer than most people know. There are countless pieces of fictional literature and cinema exploring this notion. But they were able to see the light of reality only in the past decade. Though the progress in initial years was slow, the AR/ VR market has taken a big leap in recent times.
From VR glasses to AR applications, it appears that AR and VR devices and applications enabling them will significantly dominate the future. Pokemon Go was just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. iOS developers are working ceaselessly in this domain, to create new and exciting platforms and are finding new ways to use AR and VR technologies. It has been estimated that by 2020, AR and VR market will gain around $200 billion in revenue. So there is a lot of money to be made by everyone in this market, and there are a lot of borders to be pushed, yet.
3. Artificial Intelligence
Siri was a monumental success for Apple. It was the first artificial tool of its kind which put astounding capabilities in users’ hands and cemented Apple’s position as the industry leader. Siri was a milestone no one had yet achieved. Though it was able to do incredible things even before, stakes and people’s expectation are getting higher with every new update Apple releases. And, Apple is working tirelessly to meet its customers’ expectations.
But having a device with AI is not enough anymore. The times of applications with AI has come, and developers are hard at work to make that happen. Apps already have a small amount of AI in them even now, with auto-completion in your chat applications, image detection, and other such features in various apps. But the horizons are about to be pushed further in coming times.
4. Secure Payment
Apple Pay has been a big success. It eliminated the need of having credit in your e-wallet or even adding your credit or debit card to perform a transaction and made the entire process unbelievably user-friendly. Apple Pay’s capability to use Apple device’s Near Field Communication (NFC) technology lets the user make a transaction with the least bit of hassle. Such simplicity and ease are addictive, and soon people will start demanding this new technology in more apps. Apple Pay transformed the entire e-payment spectrum.
But ease is not everything though. Security is a more significant concern whenever there is money involved, and Apple has done a great job in making Apple Pay extraordinarily secure and safe for users.
5. Cloud Integration
Cloud technology is the bedrock of our future. It has been around for a while now and be assured that it is not going anywhere any time soon. Whether it is social media, online channel streaming or anything else; everything hinges on cloud technology. With the rapid rate at which cloud is taking over the market, soon it will be so thoroughly embedded in our lives that no aspect of it will function without it. So developers are trying tirelessly to pick out the problems the cloud platform has and fix them. Furthermore, many business owners nowadays are integrating their businesses with the cloud. There are various reasons behind it. Storage space, connectivity, security, and availability are only a few of the perks one gets by shifting to the cloud.
6. Security
Security is a major concern. Data thefts are very real and happen all too often. No matter what developers do, hackers and data bandits find a way around it. Apple made it very clear in WWDC in 2016 that it is developing more secure platforms and devices which will be immune to these thefts. By employing stronger and innovative data encryption tactics, Apple has taken the security of its devices to a whole new level.
7. Dedicated Apps
More and more industries are now going for personalized and dedicated iOS applications to enable their internal working. Yes, iOS developers are now creating tools to enable the inner workings of various industries.
The reason behind this acceptance is the growing needs of enterprises. They need more real-time data now, they need to be connected to their servers at all times, able to access data which might make or cost them millions of dollars.
There are various things which enterprises look for in their applications- Big Data and IoT are only two of them.
8. Wearable Apps
Apple’s smartwatch was a game changer. Since its release, many companies have launched their versions of the smartwatch. These devices emerged due to the growing fitness trend among the professionals, people who analyze numbers and charts all day and want to treat their fitness mongering in the same way. These devices enabled them to quantify every aspect of their fitness regime. They can measure their heartbeat, calories they burned, steps they walked and the stairs they climbed. Furthermore, these devices let you listen to music, check emails and countless other things. But still, there are so many things that these devices lack. That creates a room for iOS developers to explore and create. Thus new apps for these wearable apps are coming to market every year, each one offering something new exciting.
Conclusion
From what we have seen in the past few years, it is safe to predict that the iOS app market is only going to grow in 2018. By following the above-mentioned iOS App Development trends, developers can make sure that their projects are up to date with today’s time and ensure that their apps are widely accepted and loved.
With apps like Obscura 2 and Fiery Feed already making a buzz, more interesting apps are expected before the years rounds up.
