The future of mobile app development is unclear. Five things to keep an eye on.

The very first mobile phone was invented in the 1970s, and since then, it has been many times that mobile app development has undergone transformation.

Here are five major trends shaping the future of mobile application developments:

1. **5G at the core**: Fifth-generation wireless technology, or 5G, has long been anticipated; in fact, major carriers are just now offering broad access in 2021.

Speed is the actual emphasis of 5G. It is not an incremental upgrade from the existing 4G but stands to mean speed distinctively. The 5G network will work at a speed of up to 100 times faster than today's networks, thus facilitating perfect connectivity not only for cell phones but also watches, IoT devices, and machines.

With an ultra-low latency of 5G, the data is moved in milliseconds, much enhancing user experiences across applications.

Next are two examples of very different applications of which 5G technology has been used in its stride:

1. **Use case: Simple**: In this case, users shall have high-definition videos run on their devices without any buffering or deterioration in quality.

2. **Complex use case**: The findings of this research by PwC were supporting evidence for the fact that a 5G-enabled healthcare ecosystem, along with mobile apps, IoT devices, and wearables, can effectively enhance the care process for patients. This is because, through the enhanced monitoring possible for both critical health metrics and quality of life enabled, it may lead to the earlier detection of diseases. Such integration is further expected to reduce approximately $2,000 per patient in healthcare expense.

Here are two examples of how both AR and VR technologies make a step beyond gaming:

1. **AR Technology**: Augmented reality does things like allowing users to play a game of Pokémon Go as they walk around their neighborhood by putting digital images and objects on top of real-world surroundings.

2. **VR Technology**: Virtual reality, on the other hand, completely makes artificial environments—what one would get with, for example, Meta's Oculus Quest 2: exercises, visiting various destinations around the world, or attending concerts. Such activities can be done virtually and in the comfort of one's own home.

These technologies are no longer limited to just gaming and are fast expanding into multiple industries such as travel, real estate, and retail.

Although real estate only really got a hold of this technology thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, its usage was growing before. In no time, app development allowed for virtual house viewings while maintaining social distancing from the comfort of one's home.

One of the biggest platforms for 3D virtual tours, Matterport, released an iOS app in the second half of 2020 that leveraged LiDAR sensors on smartphones or tablets to map homes—a capability previously restricted to camera gear costing thousands of dollars.

According to Redfin, 63% of homebuyers who used virtual walk-throughs in late 2020 made offers on homes they hadn't seen in person. The number of 3-D walk-through views on the app surged more than 500% from February 2020.

Examples of such wearable technologies are watches and earbuds, and even some types of clothing, which enable the wearer to do everything from making calls with voice activation to steps taken during the day.

 Estimations peg about 1 billion connected wearables worldwide, pegging the wearable technology market at about $116 billion in 2021, with huge growth expected.

While the wearable devices are consumed in huge volumes by consumer electronics, the interest by users increases in its expanded use, particularly in healthcare applications. Starting with Fitbit to Apple Watch, everything has come to receive FDA clearance for apps such as electrocardiograms and monitoring heart irregularities.

In the future, one can expect to see security features built into wearables and their associated smart apps. For example, Apple has paired up with lock manufacturers — Schlage is just one — to develop smart locks designed to be controlled with an Apple Watch or iPhone, giving users virtual house keys as part of their mobile smart wallet.

Security concerns are increased by the fact that more data of a personal nature are stored online, most particularly with the use of AI and machine learning in enhancing service delivery. This gives rise to concerns among consumers over the possible exposure of their personal information.

A Synopsis study of the most downloaded Android apps revealed that 63% of them contain open-source components with known security vulnerabilities, which are presupposed to expose users to possible data breaches and leakage. This kind of incident might have serious consequences for user trust and satisfaction regarding an app.

Two emerging technologies are trying to solve these security problems:

1. **Biometric Authentication**: This technology identifies users through features such as eye scans, facial recognition, fingerprints, or voice recognition. The result is an opening line of defense against fraud and unauthorized access, and it provides a very user-friendly authentication method.

2. **Distributed Ledger Technology**: Principally known as blockchain, DLT strengthens the security in IoT devices by having multiple layers of encryption on mobile/smart devices, which creates a much stronger safeguard against cyber risks and unauthorized access to data.

The future of mobile application development will be directed toward the evolution of existing and the invention of new technologies that holds the industry to further growth.

The predictions that mobile app development is going to yield revenue of more than $600 billion by 2025 are enough motivations for the developers working and contributing to this industry. This estimated growth definitely states the immense scope and continuous evolution of the mobile app development industry.