We are right in the middle of 2020 - some mobile trends have already crystallized in the first few months of this year. And we want to take a closer look at what is possibly still to come. Which trends are being set? Which developments create the breakthrough? Which technology is conquering the mass market? In this article, we introduce some of the top mobile trends for 2020.
1. Internet of Things (IoT)
The widespread use of mobile internet-enabled devices and the continuous improvement in network coverage mean that the internet is becoming even more integrated into our lives. The so-called "Internet of Things" (IoT for short) will continue to revolutionize our everyday lives in the years to come.
What exactly is the Internet of Things?
This means the digital networking of different physical objects within networked environments via the Internet. In this context, terms such as “Smart Home” or “Smart City” are used again and again. In a smart home, important household appliances, such as the refrigerator or washing machine, but also heating, lighting or entertainment electronics devices such as smart TV and music system and of course the smartphone can be connected to one another via the Internet.
Smart home technology is already an integral part of our lives
In a smart home, all devices are centrally controlled via just one app from the smartphone and regardless of location. The Internet of Things also makes it possible for devices to communicate with one another independently. For example, the networked devices recognize whether people are in the house or not; accordingly, the room temperature is automatically adjusted via the heating. Or you can take a quick look at the networked refrigerator using the smartphone app while shopping and check whether there is enough milk left. Networked entertainment electronics are already widespread today. Internet-enabled Smart TVs can already be found in over 56 percent of all German households.
While some of these intelligent devices are more for convenience and entertainment, smart devices that ensure the security of the apartment or house are increasingly used. The trend is towards equipping one's home with cameras and having high-quality video and audio recordings. The security cameras are now so good that they record very high-quality images of people in pitch-black surroundings.
2. The Augmented Reality (AR) trend
Apps, games, and applications based on the principle of augmented reality remain one of the hottest trends in the mobile industry. As explained in our topic special Augmented Reality on the smartphone, the new technology offers countless exciting possibilities for the future of smartphone applications.
The hype surrounding the game "Pokémon Go" based on augmented reality technology was probably just the beginning. The social media apps Snapchat and Instagram Stories have already integrated augmented reality elements into our everyday smartphone life. Also in the new year, we can look forward to exciting new developments of mobile games and apps, which further merge the boundaries between reality and the virtual world. Forecasts indicate that the large social media platforms in particular will increasingly rely on augmented reality elements in the future.
3. Mobile payment - the trend towards cashless payment transactions is spreading
The good old leather wallet could soon be a relic from the past. Because if you believe different technology experts, we will soon all only pay with the smartphone. The magic word is "Mobile Payment" and describes mobile cashless payment systems. In 2020 it will already be common practice to pay cashless, even contactless. This trend continues to expand over the coming years. If you believe the German Bankers Association, then the following scenarios could soon become a reality: the coffee machine independently orders more beans. Medical bills are authorized in an app and released for payment. When ordering a new kitchen, financing is automatically offered.
Corresponding apps for cashless and contactless payment by smartphone already exist and are already being used very actively in other countries. With services such as Apple Pay or Android Pay, there are now promising applications in the starting blocks to make simple payment via an app on the smartphone socially acceptable in this country too. If you are interested in paying by smartphone, you will find our mobile payment special.
4. Artificial intelligence of the future
Will hyper-intelligent robots soon replace us, humans? Such future scenarios haunt the media landscape with great regularity. There is still a long way to go - what is already a reality today, however, are systems and applications with a steadily growing level of artificial intelligence. App developers are also making increasing use of this, so we can expect shockingly smart apps and other intelligent applications for our smartphones in the second half of the year as well, there is another trend in Huawei mobiles which uses HUAWEI audiokit a set of audio capabilities developed by the Huawei company. It provides you with audio playback capabilities which are based on the HMS ecosystem, including audio encoding and different decoding capabilities at the hardware level and system bottom layer.
The voice assistants of the major smartphone manufacturers in particular already provide an impressive example of what artificial intelligence is already capable of today. The Alexa app from Amazon leads the way here with a great example and pioneering technology. But artificial intelligence can be useful in so many other mobile applications.
5. The video streaming trend does not stop
Video streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Co. have been indispensable since 2017. The popularity increases from year to year and reached its peak in the Corona crisis in 2020. Netflix is the streaming provider that was able to benefit most from the pandemic and with its quarterly results (Q1 / 2020) even exceeded all expectations of analysts and the stock exchange.
The number of users of the video streaming portals continues to rise rapidly. The widespread high quality of various series in-house productions is confirmed by many awards and expert praise. There is no end in sight to the series and streaming hype for 2020 either. On the contrary: with even larger budgets, streaming providers are banking on exciting new series and film formats for every taste. So Joyn has now made it onto the German market, a streaming app for television. Live TV can be streamed online for free with the app. You can choose between programs like Das Erste, Pro Sieben, Sat.1, or ZDF info, but you can also stream programs from the huge media library online - whenever and wherever you want.
Regardless of which streaming service you choose: You can use the app to conveniently get the exciting content of the streaming provider onto your smartphone. The download figures indicate that more and more users are enjoying their favorite series using LTE cellular technology while on the go. Thanks to the option of pre-downloading, the streams can also be viewed offline.
6. Services via the "Delivery as service" app
There is still a hype surrounding so-called “Delivery as a service” apps. The food delivery service apps in particular, especially the top dog Lieferando, are predicted to have high growth rates in 2020. Like Netflix, this app was also able to benefit greatly from the Corona crisis, as its usage figures have risen sharply. And in general, too, the apps for the individual ordering of services seem to have a great future - not only when it comes to ordering food.
At the food retailer REWE, the number of orders via delivery service has already risen significantly: all groceries can be delivered fresh to your home, which replaces going to the supermarket. Especially in a crisis-ridden year like 2020, this is a service that many people like to use often. Even apps for booking cosmetic services or laundry service for at-home belong to this increasingly important segment, according to experts. This trend will also change a lot on the job market because it has never been so easy to order small services via an app.
7. Beacon technology
If you own a business or are in marketing, you may have heard of beacon technology. You may even have received a Google Beacon in the mail as part of Project Beacon; a program that Google launched to send free beacons to businesses The goal: to improve the visibility and experience on mobile devices such as cell phones and tablets.
Beacon technology has come a long way since its debut by Apple in 2013 and is expected to continue to grow. This year, Global Market Insights predicted that the beacon technology market will exceed $25 billion by 2024. Technology is said to have great potential and will play an increasingly important role in the marketing landscape.
But what exactly are beacons in detail? Beacons are small, wireless transmitters that use energy-saving Bluetooth technology to send signals to other smart devices nearby. They are one of the latest developments in location technology and proximity marketing. Put simply, they connect and transmit information to smart devices, making location-based search and interaction easier and more accurate. In concrete terms, for example, consumers can be made aware of special marketing campaigns and special prices via smartphone while strolling through town.
8. Cloud-based apps - cloud computing for mobile phones
The prospects for limited smartphone storage are good thanks to the trend towards cloud-based apps. In times of ever-increasing amounts of data and scarce local storage capacities, this type of app offers an intelligent solution that is forecast to become increasingly important in app development in 2020. The cloud can be accessed directly in the app by integrating the corresponding functions. Another advantage of such apps: You have access to important files via such an app from several mobile devices.
2020 is already a very exciting year in terms of smartphone applications! It will be interesting to see which app trends will come our way in the further course of the year and which will actually prevail. However, one thing can already be predicted with certainty: the average mobile data volume per smartphone user will continue to increase sharply in 2020 and fast mobile internet for using all new apps and applications is extremely important. smartmobil.de can come up with attractive LTE tariffs. The prices are very cheap and the performance is right.