Artem VasinMobile devices have become indispensable for tasks ranging from opening a bank account to ordering pizza, pushing app developers to find innovative ways to attract and engage users.
With 2025 on the horizon, advancements in mobile technology promise to unlock even greater possibilities for mobile apps. Key trends shaping the future include harnessing the full power of 5G, merging real and virtual experiences through augmented reality, and accelerating development with low-code tools.
From predictive analytics and machine learning to redefining app functionality for foldable smartphones, this article explores the trends shaping the mobile app industry and reimagining how we interact with technology.
Table of Contents
1. IoT integration and centralized control
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a network of physical devices – such as home security systems, smart appliances, and telematics solutions – that collect and exchange data in real time over the Internet. These devices are typically accessed through a central hub, which in most cases is a smartphone or tablet running a dedicated mobile application.
One of the main reasons users love mobile apps is their ability to provide instant notifications and enable remote control of smart devices. Since smartphones and companion devices like smartwatches can be carried anywhere, IoT software developers have adopted a mobile-first approach.
Mobile applications can access a wireless security camera in real time, change the temperature settings of a heating system, adjust the volume of a smart speaker, or select a specific lighting mode for the home. Other devices, such as refrigerators, air conditioners, and robotic vacuum cleaners, can also be connected and managed via mobile apps.
These apps can schedule tasks, learn a homeowner’s daily habits, and create personalized automated routines based on those habits. They also enhance safety by providing real-time alerts about potentially dangerous situations, such as detecting fire or smoke, or notifying users of attempted intrusions. Some apps can even automatically contact the police, fire department, or a security agency in emergencies.
In healthcare, mobile apps connected to wearable IoT devices can alert users about unusually high or low heart rates and abnormal blood oxygen levels. They can also review sleep patterns and help set sleep duration goals.
2. Ultra-responsive, data-heavy, and immersive mobile experiences with 5G
The successor to 4G technology is poised to provide faster data transfers, which could lead to the development of more resource-intensive mobile applications. Let’s take a look at how mobile development is poised to evolve.
Applications will run more smoothly as 5G is designed to reduce latency and bandwidth issues, meaning users will no longer have to search for stable Wi-Fi when using demanding apps. This will allow developers to integrate interactive videos, ultra-high-definition (UHD) videos, and augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences into their products. Meanwhile, mobile game developers will be able to implement large-scale multiplayer modes with fewer lags.
Live streaming will become even more accessible, and the use of UHD video on product pages will no longer scare off users who abandon pages that took more than six seconds to load, as these pages will load much faster with 5G.
Finally, thanks to higher data transfer speeds to the cloud, developers will be able to reduce their dependence on smartphone hardware. Cloud and edge computing services will enable automatic scaling of resources based on user needs, eliminating the pressure to buy a new mobile device every year.
3. Motion design
Motion design has long been used to enhance the user experience in mobile applications, and this trend is set to gain even more momentum. Once considered a nice extra feature, it is evolving into a powerful tool for capturing users’ attention.
Motion design focuses on subtle interactions within a mobile user interface. Whether navigating different sections of an app, adding items to a shopping cart or wishlist, or signing up for updates, refined animations help communicate ideas in a way that’s unique to each brand.
These animations can serve as “rewards” for users, enhancing their experience when they make a purchase, complete a registration form, change app settings, or toggle between light and dark modes. They can also act as guides, offering animated instructions for first-time users. In addition, motion design can notify users when something goes wrong – for instance, form fields that shake with a red outline when an incorrect email address is entered or mandatory shipping information is left blank.
Mobile applications have the critical task of replacing the numerous menus and right-clicks typical of desktop software with simple gestures, such as swipes and taps, that can be performed with one hand. Unlike desktop software, which allows the use of a mouse to interact with even the smallest interface elements, smartphone apps are not just scaled-down versions of their desktop counterparts – they must be far more intuitive and easy to navigate.
UI/UX design, combined with motion design, addresses this challenge with multipurpose buttons. For example, when a user presses or holds a button, an animation starts, allowing the button to serve multiple roles. We see this approach used in Google Sheets, where the large “plus” button smoothly transforms into options for using templates or creating a blank spreadsheet. Similarly, in ChatGPT, holding down on the assistant’s response reveals a menu with options to edit, select text, or read the message aloud.
4. Apps for foldable devices
While Apple’s first foldable device may not arrive until 2026, other players like Samsung, Google, and Motorola are focused on refining their foldable phone designs and making these devices more accessible.
Foldable devices present developers with new opportunities – and in many cases, new challenges – due to the completely different aspect ratio of the unfolded screen compared to traditional 16:9 phone screens. Applications must run smoothly as users switch between the folded state, the unfolded state, and the unfolded state’s multi-screen mode, which allows two apps to be displayed side by side for multitasking.
So, what do flexible display phones offer to mobile development? In the expanded state, apps can fit more information on the screen, reducing the need for scrolling, or they can use the extra space for interactive features.
For instance, in Google Maps, users can simultaneously view the map and scroll through reviews of places. In a weather app, users can view both a detailed weather report for today and a 7-day forecast, while social media apps can display messages alongside feeds. Fintech applications can also take advantage of the unfolded state, allowing users to perform transactions while viewing key information such as account data or spending statistics.
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5. Predictive analytics
Predictive analytics uses data, statistical algorithms, and machine learning techniques to forecast customer needs based on historical data, such as previous purchases, search history, interests, and demographics.
A prime example of predictive analytics is personalized suggestion algorithms. For instance, Netflix recommends shows based on what users have previously watched and liked. This algorithm is similar to Google’s search results, refined for each person based on their search history. Personalized recommendations can even spark conversations among consumers – looking at TikTok feeds that differ drastically from person to person, users might ask, “Show me what’s in your TikTok feed, and I’ll show you mine.”
Predictive models can also use vast amounts of data to identify and assess risks. In insurance technology, predictive underwriting leverages numerous criteria from customer applications to help determine how much to charge an applicant or whether to offer them coverage at all. For instance, in life insurance, machine learning algorithms can evaluate age, health, medical history, and physical activity before defining appropriate terms for risk acceptance.
In fintech, machine learning algorithms assist in making more accurate trading decisions by processing data at unprecedented speeds, significantly improving prediction accuracy. Data analytics is also used to uncover complex financial fraud patterns in real time by feeding algorithms with previously detected fraudulent and legitimate transactions. Additionally, the algorithms identify abnormalities in transaction patterns, helping to detect new types of fraud that may not have been encountered before and could otherwise be overlooked by humans (not due to incompetence, but because it’s difficult for us to process and retain large amounts of information).
6. Fintech goes mobile-first
Fintech’s shift to a mobile-first approach is driven by the rise of mobile payments, digital wallets, and consumers’ preference for convenient access to financial services. Many banks are now mobile-first by default, and some digital-only banks operate without any physical branches. Through mobile devices, users can open bank accounts, manage deposits, track expenses, and transfer funds. They can also access immediate online assistance, either through chatbots or personal banking advisors.
Mobile banking offers real-time alerts that help customers monitor their transactions, avoid low account balances, and keep track of upcoming loan, mortgage, or credit card payments. Additionally, mobile fintech apps can notify users when their savings reach specific milestones.
Emerging trends in mobile banking include AI-powered customer service, advanced security features, and biometric authentication. With modern smartphones equipped for fingerprint and facial recognition, users increasingly expect biometric security as a standard feature in mobile banking apps.
7. Low-code and no-code solutions
Low-code tools provide development teams with efficient ways to build comparatively simple mobile apps at a lower cost, freeing up developers to focus on high-level projects that require more advanced coding.
No-code platforms, on the other hand, eliminate the need for programming knowledge altogether, allowing non-technical specialists to quickly bring existing ideas into production.
In recent years, the concept of “citizen developers” has emerged: professionals who create applications using low-code or no-code platforms without extensive programming expertise. This trend achieved broad recognition during the coronavirus pandemic, as tech companies sought to address a shortage of skilled engineers.
Today, the rise of generative artificial intelligence further supports the citizen developer movement by simplifying programming tasks and reducing the time required to train new professionals.
The role of citizen developers using low-code solutions is gaining popularity because they can quickly deploy new, albeit limited, functionality. They are well-suited for tasks such as testing application concepts or building simple client applications like booking systems or store locators.
However, low-code and no-code tools have their limitations. These platforms are not well-suited for building mission-critical software from scratch, as they depend on APIs that must be coded and maintained by experienced developers. Additionally, low-code solutions often struggle with complex programming tasks or extensive customizations.
8. Cloud computing as a foundational framework for mobile app development
Since the early 2000s, when cloud computing began to take shape with the introduction of Amazon Web Services, cloud technology has advanced, offering enhanced data security and flexible working options for both remote and on-site developers.
Distributed computing platforms allow developers to adjust resource consumption based on user demand, ensuring the stable performance of mobile applications.
Companies that adopt a cloud-based approach benefit from reduced operating costs, as they no longer need to invest heavily in hardware and infrastructure. Cloud platforms enhance data security through encryption and access control measures, while their cross-platform support simplifies the development of applications for multiple mobile platforms.
Another emerging trend is Mobile Backend as a Service (MBaaS), which provides backend infrastructure and services for both mobile and web applications. Web and mobile apps typically require a similar set of backend features – such as push notifications, social media integration, data management, and cloud storage. Implementing each of these components individually can be time-consuming and complex for developers. MBaaS providers simplify this process by connecting the app’s client side to various cloud backends through a unified API and SDK.
Final thoughts
It may seem that modern mobile users are hard to surprise. Revolutionary breakthroughs like the first iPhone in 2007 – when a single device combined browsing, music, GPS, and messaging – are rare. Similarly, the release of ChatGPT has been called the ‘iPhone moment’ for AI, highlighting its groundbreaking potential to interact like a human.
Yet, incremental advancements in mobile technology are no less significant. Innovations such as smart home and vehicle management, AR glasses that translate languages in real time, and ultra-immersive games are reshaping how we live, work, and play. These developments cement technology’s role in everyday life, reflecting a shift toward a more connected, mobile-first world – and opening endless possibilities for businesses and consumers alike.
