App development trends in 2020

What could be more exciting than knowing and hearing about new trends in mobile app development trends sector. In our digital agency, we realized in last two years that mobile applications are becoming the main points we discuss once it comes to a new project. This year, it seems that the focus will be on whether we can develop it as a mobile application or should it be something else… Let’s see how things seem to be evolving this year.

1. Entertainment and Video Player Apps

People are spending hundreds of billions of hours on Entertainment and Video Player and Editor categories worldwide on Android phones. This consists of streaming services, like Netflix, HBO or Apple TV, but also Youtube or Disney+. But not only, as we can equally talk about popular social media platforms that people use for entertainment purposes, just like Instagram, Tiktok or Snapchat. Among the latest entertainment inventions, we have to mention Twitch, a video game live-streaming platform that serves the gamer to interact with his/her audience and creates some kind of a networking/chatting platform.

It looks like in the short term, new streaming services might emerge as users always look for the latest trends and there are possibilities to see some new partnerships in the business to make actual actors of the market more competitive.

2. Apple Arcade & Google Play Pass

With these two game and apps subscription services, a new age has come to the games, as well. The subscription system incites developers to create innovative new games and to constantly work on them. No ads and in-app purchases can be very promising now that most school kids are already having their own phones. So this can be one of the most awaited features for a lot of parents. 

3. 5G – mobility is a key

Gamers might be the first to profit on a wide range from the highest internet speed available. Multiplayer online games demand speed that can now be reached and that will be reached even more easily very soon. A faster 5G network and adapted mobiles will rapidly create a need for games that can profit from it. As for the predictions, by 2024, 64% of the world’s population will have 5G coverage which also means that mobile usage will be even more affecting our daily life. While gamers are going to use first the fast mobile connection a lot more, slowly other sectors can have their benefits from it, as well. Just like agriculture or logistics. Experienced mobile agencies are aware of this app development trend, feel free to ask us.

4. Auto Battlers on their way in app development trends

Auto Battlers genre only started in January 2019 but already involved eSports fans who actually finance the development of new games of this genre and therefore numerous themes and variants exist already. These multiplayer strategy games are working with a simple logic: Players select and assemble a lineup of characters to pit against opponents, then the game automatically plays round-by-round to see who wins. They attract a lot of people and the number of downloads and screen time is gradually increasing. Further optimization of auto battlers can be the next challenge to beat. Publishers will also look for these apps as their simplicity might be attractive, besides their popularity.

5. App development trend or else ? Progressive Web App – PWA

Why wouldn’t we take a step towards the needs of our clients? Progressive Web Apps might be the key to an important increase in conversions. A PWA is basically a simplified version of an application, available online. What are the outcomes for an end-user? Limited, but faster access to the information than on a simple website. In developing markets, for example in India this advantage is also appearing in the number of Facebook Lite users (90%). But the most important benefit can be seen in the travel or also in the retail sectors. As PWAs can be placed in between mobile web pages and applications, with no need to download anything on your phone permanently, people might be more willing to use it and all user experience can be corrected almost real-time. Worth to think about it more often from now on.

Do you need some professional personalized advice to create your own app? Swiss Tomato’s experts are looking forward to sitting down with you and discussing your application project with the most recent app development trends in mind.