Mobile is a growing industry that attracts businesses from every marketplace. No wonder – mobile app revenues are projected to reach almost $600 billion in 2020. The exploding popularity of smartphones and tablets has made mobile application development an increasingly popular trend among business owners all over the world.
But what exactly is a mobile app? What kind of benefits does it bring to businesses? And what does the process of building a mobile application look like?
What is mobile app development?
Mobile app development is a process that draws a lot from traditional software development. However, it’s focused on creating software that takes advantage of the unique features of mobile device hardware.
The most straightforward scenario for building a mobile app is taking a desktop-based application and importing it to a mobile device. However, as the app becomes more robust, this technique can become problematic.
A better approach involves developing specifically for the mobile environment. It’s a technique that takes advantage of all the benefits mobile devices offer. The process takes into account their limitations and helps business owners balance cost with functionality.
For example, applications that use location-based features such as maps are always built from the ground up with mobile in mind. Location-based services delivered on a desktop app make less sense because desktop users aren’t moving around.
Types of Mobile Applications
Mobile applications come in many shapes and sizes. Here are the most popular types of mobile apps to help you understand the current trends in the mobile landscape.
Business or Productivity Apps
These apps hold a large chunk of the market today because people are increasingly prone to using their smartphones and tablets to perform many complex tasks on the go.
For example, apps can help them to book tickets, send emails, or track their work progress. Business apps are geared at boosting productivity and minimizing expenses as they allow users to complete a wide range of tasks, from buying new cartridges for office printers to recruiting a new office manager.
Gaming Apps
This is the most popular category of mobile apps. You’d be surprised to learn how many users install games on their phones. Businesses invest an increasing amount of time and resources into creating games and mobile versions of well-known stationary games because it’s such a profitable market.
According to a recent study, mobile games account for 35% of all app downloads, 75% of consumer spendings, and 10% of all the time spent using apps. The most successful mobile games like PUBG or FREE FIRE have become known all over the world.
M-commerce Apps
The most popular shopping apps like Amazon or eBay offer the experience of their desktop versions to mobile users. Mobile commerce applications provide customers with convenient access to products and seamless payment methods for an optimal shopping experience.
Travel Apps
The major goal of this category is to make it easier for consumers to travel. Trip applications turn a smartphone or tablet into a travel journal and guide, allowing users to learn all they need to know about the destination.
Educational Apps
This category includes mobile apps that help users gain new skills and knowledge. For example, language learning apps like Duolingo have become incredibly popular because they give users the flexibility they look for in learning. Educational game apps are an excellent tool for kids. Many educational apps turn out to be popular among teachers too, who use them to organize their teaching process better or educate themselves further.
Lifestyle Apps
Shopping, fashion, virtual fitting rooms, fitness, dating, and diet apps are all included in this broad category. These applications are targeted toward various elements of personal life.
Entertainment Apps
These apps allow users to stream video content, search for events, chat, or watch content online. Social media apps like Facebook or Instagram are great examples. Moreover, video streaming apps such as Netflix or Amazon Prime Video have become incredibly popular with users all over the world. These apps usually boost user engagement by notifying members about updates and newly added products.
Conclusion
We hope this guide helps you understand what the mobile app development landscape looks like today. In the future, we’re going to see even more innovative mobile applications take advantage of cutting-edge technologies like the Internet of Things, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and many more.
