Did you know the first smartphone (Simon) was built in 1992 by IBM, and released in 1994 with 10 inbuilt applications?
The mobile apps were in their nascent stage even at the launch of the first iPhone in 2007. But over the last decade, mobile apps have become so prominent that they generated revenue of $189 billion by 2020. The expansion of app development is a result of a combination of innovative technologies and cutting-edge hardware.
In this blog, we will understand the evolution of mobile app development over the years and how it has impacted businesses and human life on the whole.
Mobile application – what is it?
Mobile applications are simply a type of software application that is specifically designed for a mobile device. Moreover, mobile applications are individual software units that have limited but very specific functionalities.
The programming languages used to develop an app are fit to build either native mobile applications or cross-platform applications. The most commonly used abbreviation for mobile application is 'mobile app.'
A mobile application, as mentioned, is divided into two major categories:
- Native mobile applications
- Cross-platform mobile applications
History of mobile applications
The first smartphone was built way back in 1994 with over ten in-built apps in it. Of course, there was no AppStore or Play Store as we have currently at that time. The smartphones came with pre-loaded apps like calculator, calendar, mail, Sketch pad, address book, etc.
Remember the Snake game that used to keep us hooked to our mobile screens for a long time? Those were the first kinds of apps that were included in the smartphone.
After the basic keypads, there came an era of the 'qwerty keypads', and it created a revolution in the smartphone and mobile app industry. The Research In Motion (RIM) owned Blackberry was the pioneer in introducing the qwerty pad phone Blackberry 5810.
With the expansion of technology, mobile app developers worldwide began to understand the users' changing needs and demands. Especially in the last ten years, smartphones and mobile applications have seen some drastic changes. For example, smartphones have gone from flat-screen mobiles to big curved screens.
In the same manner, growth in the mobile app development industry has been monumental. The apps have become more responsive, customer-friendly, and are designed using the latest technologies.
Growth of the mobile app market
Mobile apps' growth has been nothing less than phenomenal since its inception. In 2018, the mobile applications' market size was valued at $106.27 billion, and it is expected to reach $407.31 billion by 2026. Today, more than 5 billion people across the globe using mobile devices. Moreover, in the coming years, mobile gaming apps are forecasted to take the front seat in terms of app growth by category.
Yes, the mobile gaming platform is on course of easily surpassing $120 billion in consumer spending in 2021. This means that mobile gaming will capture more than 1.5 times the total market of all other gaming platforms combined.
To further understand the mobile app market's growth in detail, we have to know that the global mobile app market has various segments. The segmentation is based on the marketplace, app region, and app category.
The marketplace is further classified in iOS and Google Play stores and other market places. Likewise, based on the app category, the market is further classified into different kinds of apps according to the industry they belong to, like travel, fitness, education, etc. And region-wise, it is classified as North-America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, etc.
Factors that affect the growth of the mobile app market
Some essential factors affect the development of mobile apps. We will take a look at them in detail below:
Uncertainty
Different organizations invest money in developing new applications due to the surge of uncertainty in the existing applications. Moreover, companies need to constantly update the apps to ensure a seamless customer experience with the changing needs and requirements.
Furthermore, various business organizations worldwide are looking to invest in collaborative efforts to increase the customer experience. Moreover, the combined approaches would also drastically reduce the maintenance and development cost.
Internet penetration and increase in data usage
There is no hidden theory behind the fact that internet penetration has emerged as a crucial factor driving the mobile app market's growth. The reason behind this is simple. The Internet allows the user to access different apps in a hassle-free manner.
Moreover, in the past decade, the number of online buyers has increased significantly due to the unprecedented growth of the ecommerce industry.
Thus, an increase in data usage and internet penetration has significantly impacted the mobile app market's growth.
Inclusion of new-age technologies
New-age technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain , IoT, machine learning, etc., have played a massive part in mobile app development. All the leading app development companies worldwide are inculcating these high-end technologies according to their client's requirements and providing them growth in the market.
Furthermore, the implementation of AI and machine learning technologies is increasing the performance of mobile apps by leaps and bounds. With the help of big data services, businesses can also analyze the data and make better marketing decisions.
Growth of iOS and Android platforms
The years 2007 and 2008 embarked on a new journey in the realm of mobile app development. In 2007 Apple launched its first iPhone, and in 2008, Google came out with the first version of Android. Since then, there has been a fierce rivalry between iOS and Android to become the world's top mobile OS.
The rivalry has brought the best out of the two leading platforms, which has been very beneficial for the end customers.
The above graph is a clear depiction of the neck-to-neck competition between iOS and Android apps. Thus, as of December 2020, 55.73% of the total time was spent on mobile devices.
With Android apps, the developers have the cushion to include more features, and the functioning is not device-specific. On the other hand, iOS apps only work on Apple-powered products. Because of this, the iOS apps fit only a limited number of screens.
Despite this, iOS apps win the battle when it comes to UI/UX design, and this is why it also has a big fan following compared to Android apps.
What is the future of mobile app development?
In the beginning, the process of mobile app development used to depend on the hardware. A lot has changed since then.
In 2018, Artificial Intelligence (AI) opened up a plethora of opportunities for mobile app developers. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) became more accessible to the developers to develop voice-assistant apps.
Moreover, looking at the current scenario, the future looks very bright for mobile apps. Thus to excel in your business, you must contact an experienced mobile app development company that can take your business to newer heights.
Conclusion
Mobile app development in the current day and age is absolutely essential. Moreover, its unprecedented expansion has made it easier for businesses to increase their user base. Mobile app development from here is just going to rise.