According to Statista, the revenue generated by mobile applications is going to reach $581 in the year 2020. iOS development accounts for a major part of the mobile app market. No surprise the competition level in this sphere is rather high. For developers, it is crucial to stay aware of the latest trends in iOS development just to stay competitive. Let’s review 8 hot trends to keep an eye on in 2020.
AI and ML
While Artificial Intelligence is not a cutting-edge technology, its scope of application is expanding from year to year. The same is about Machine Learning algorithms that help analyze user behavior and form targeted recommendations. Here are just some use cases of these technologies.
- Search suggestions and spelling correction are used almost everywhere to make the searching process more effective. Some businesses, such as Spotify, took it a step further: they give precise and relevant recommendations based on the user’s previous inquiries.
- Siri, which is a self-learning helper of iOS users, can become smarter in 2020. Thus, it will collect and analyze current information about the user, track his location, and make more precise suggestions.
- Deep learning is, essentially, a combination of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. It is used for an in-depth analysis of user behavior, which allows predicting their actions and creating the most precise recommendations. This approach is extensively used by Netflix.
- Speech recognition is a technology based on Artificial Intelligence. A use case of this tool in iOS development is the ELSA app aimed at those who study English. It helps practicing English by making short dialogs.
Augmented Reality
The scope of application of the AR technology is much broader than games like Pokémon Go. Major brands make use of Augmented Reality for quite utilitarian purposes. A shining example is the IKEA app, which lets you “fit” a piece of furniture in your interior before purchasing just to see how it will look. It helps improve user experience and increase customer loyalty.
For iOS developers, Apple offers several tools that help make the most of Augmented Reality. Here are some of them:
- ARKit3, which makes it possible to place content behind or in front of people (up to three persons simultaneously);
- Reality Composer, which is a tool for creating interactive and animated effects within apps;
- RealityKit framework, which works in combination with ARKit and allows placing virtual objects in the real world.
Internet of Things
This is, again, not brand-new but powerful and much-promising technology, which makes it one of the hottest trends of the year. In simple terms, IoT is a network where information is transmitted from one object to another without human participation. This becomes possible due to a growing number of various smart devices. The technology is widely used in various spheres. Thus, IoT in the healthcare industry lets monitor patients’ state remotely, take measurements, and send them to medical specialists. IoT is also used in logistics, agriculture, and other fields.
Wearables
To some extent, this trend is interconnected with the previous one. Wearables are smart portable devices in the form of watches, bracelets, jewelry, etc. They can perform three basic features.
- Collecting data, such as AD pressure, pulse frequency, physical activity level, etc. This feature is used mainly in healthcare.
- Push notifications. This is a convenient way of sending instant notifications, for example, using iBeacon technology.
- Social media. Nowadays, some wearable devices allow viewing certain types of social media content. Moreover, some messengers, such as Telegram and Slack, allow exchanging messages using smartwatches only.
No surprise wearables are one of the hottest trends in iOS app development, especially, in the field of healthcare and fitness product development.
Cloud Technology
The main idea of cloud technology is storing large amounts of information, which, in turn, increases the productivity and efficiency of applications. From the perspective of a user, cloud-based apps are more powerful and speedy; they let process resource-demanding tasks faster and more effectively. As for app developers, they can use cloud platforms as a secure and convenient environment for developing.
iBeacon
iBeacon is a proprietary Apple’s wireless technology, which has lately become a popular marketing trend. It works in the following way: special transmitters send signals, which are received by nearby iOS devices and displayed on the screen in the form of push-up messages. For retailers, this is an easy and convenient way to inform people about their current offers. iPhone users automatically get push-up messages with relevant information when they are passing by the store.
Chatbots
This trend is gaining popularity for a simple reason: more and more people choose using automated services rather than dealing with a live operator. A chatbot accepts and processes customer orders instantly and automatically. It can work 24/7 and prevents mistakes caused by a human factor. Many well-known brands, for example, Starbucks, use chatbots for accepting orders.
Security
Although security is not a development trend in the full sense of this word, this is definitely a thing that is worth investing in. This is especially true for those apps that store personal or financial data. Top-notch protection from cyber threats is the first thing you should think of when developing an app of this kind. One of the powerful developer tools to consider is AppTransportSecurity, which helps to maximize the protection of the data transmitted from an app to a web server.
Why Follow iOS Development Trends?
If you feel uncertain about the need for integrating the latest iOS trends in your product, think of at least three benefits you will get by doing so.
- Higher user loyalty. Using cutting-edge solutions is a simple way to attract new customers and hold their attention.
- Higher user engagement. People will use an app more frequently if they feel comfortable with it. Make your product as simple, comfortable-to-use, and useful as possible.
- Higher security. It goes without saying that user data must be reliably protected.
The Bottom Line
You need to consider a lot of things if you want to make an app that will work for you in 2020. It’s not just about making a user-friendly interface and adding some nice features. If you want to be competitive, make use of some hot trends. Of course, you don’t have to apply all of them; however, using AI and ML algorithms, AR solutions, chatbots, and IoT technologies will help you stand out.
Author’s bio:
Vitaly Kuprenko is a technical writer at Cleveroad. It’s an iOS app development company in Ukraine. He enjoys telling about tech innovations and digital ways to boost businesses.
