Today, there are almost 2.6 million apps available for download on the Play Store; Apple Store has more than 1.5 million. And these numbers will further increase in the coming years. From small businesses to global brands, all need a mobile application to engage and interact with their audience.

If you are a mobile app developer, you’re likely to be curious about the future of mobile app development  new trends and technologies, job opportunities, the impact of AI and VR, and some other significant details about the industry. In this article, I’m going to give you a few glimpses of the future. Are you ready?

Future Technologies in Mobile App Development

1. Artificial Intelligence

Just explore the Apple store and Play store for a while, and you will come across various applications. From gaming, entertainment, productivity, fitness, and health to finances, and you name it. But one thing will be common in each of these in the future — Artificial Intelligence.

In the future, it will be normal for an app to recognize images, voices, perform complex calculations, predict future results, and do much more that we couldn’t even imagine before. And mobile app developers will have to be proficient in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in order to execute those ideas.

2. Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality

The concept of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality is not new, but in the coming years, it will take mobile app development to a whole new level. Imagine not just shopping online but being able to feel a product and analyze it before adding it to your cart. Or playing an action game as if you’re present in it.

This isn’t a fantasy, applications like Pokemon Go, Sky Siege, and iOnRoad are an example of what the future holds. And don’t think Virtual Reality will stop here, it will continue to enhance the performance and features of an app at a rapid speed.

3.Internet of Things and Cloud

It’s already here… the Internet of Things. Who would have thought one-day human beings will control their appliances through voice even when they are away from their home? Thanks to Alexa, and so many other similar technologies.

Due to this rapid growth, the IoT industry is projected to be a $1.1 trillion industry by 2023. IoT and cloud-enabled mobile applications will introduce new trends and comfort for app users.

Future apps will not just take commands but also speak to you, handle your data, take real-time instructions, and transcend ordinary human imagination level by far. Get ready for that!

4. Mobile Applications for Wearables

Future mobile apps will be used by people wearing smartwatches, or other similar wearables we use for monitoring heart rate, step counting, monitoring the glucose level in the body, etc.

Around 441.5 million people all over the world use wearable devices. And due to their fast-growing user base, the demand for applications compatible with wearables is increasing.

But developing and designing such apps requires additional expertise and knowledge. Mobile app developers in the future will compete against each other in this aspect, the one with more command over creating apps for wearable will have an edge over others.

Huge Demand of Mobile App Developers

Mobile app developers, both iOS and Android, are already enjoying lucrative salaries. The demand for skilled developers is increasing. Experienced individuals from Asia and the Middle East get handsome offers from abroad and they take no time in switching.

But in the future, it won’t be that easy. Companies will expect developers to be proficient in required frameworks and languages as well as in emerging technologies.

From Artificial Intelligence to Machine Learning, Virtual Reality to Augmented Reality, and precise knowledge of designing layouts for various screens and operating systems, there will be a lot to learn to excel in this skill.

However, after all the hard work, a developer will get his reward in the form of above-average salaries. The average salary of a mobile app developer in the USA is $140000.

In Dubai, a skilled developer can make up to AED 25,000 per month. All over the world, the salary trend is pretty much the same — you earn much more than an average in other jobs.

Strict App Approval Policies

Apple is already quite strict when it comes to iOS applications. You can’t litter the Apple store with insecure, boring, and poorly designed apps.

In case your app is approved, after a couple of bad reviews, your app will be removed from the platform. Apple rejected almost 1 million apps that were submitted to its App Store in 2020.

Play store is relatively lenient in this regard. But in the future, it, too, will take an aggressive approach and remove debris from the platform. As there will be more android apps on Play Store, the platform will get stricter and stricter in terms of app quality and security.

So if you are an app developer, it’s worth learning the recommended practices for creating apps for different devices, because the future is all about quality!