An Overview of Mobile App Development Industry

The mobile app development industry is booming and facilitates users to perform all daily activities through apps. The blog covers various effective aspects of this vibrant industry along with the insight about its social impact. Read on to see how the mobile app domain covers the modern generation:

What is Mobile App Development?

Mobile application development is a term used to denote the act or process by which application software is developed for handheld devices, such as personal digital assistants, enterprise digital assistants or mobile phones.

Mystery about App Development

By 1993, IBM attempted something new – a mobile device with a touchscreen. Simon, as it was named, included access to preinstalled apps for the tasks users wanted the most, such as a calendar, world time clock, and electronic notepad. Also, Simon was able to send and receive e-mails, faxes and cellular pages. This device had gained extreme popularity because of its easy to use functionality. In 2002, RIM released its first Blackberry devices with integrated phone functionality. At the same time Nokia came up with simple gaming apps like Tic-Tac-Toe, Snake and Pong. It was in the early 90s, when Psion EPOC introduced first mobile application for a PDA. Later EPOC became the backbone of the Symbian operating system.

Evolution in mobile app

Once the first mobile app was developed in early 90’s, it never looked back and grew by quantum jump. Then, the trend was started to build a communication purpose app. First text message was sent by Neil Papworth in 1992. Then, Nokia was the first manufacturer that developed the phone with a full keyboard to send and receive the SMS.

As increasing the demand of mobile services 2G phones were introduced to the capacity to transfer the data at the rate of 9.6 kB/s, approximately. And the first downloadable media content on mobile phones was sold as ringtones, launched by Elisa in 1998. In 1999, first time NTT DoCoMo integrated Internet with mobile phones in Japan.

As increasing the app demand, developers started providing more apps by using WAP technology. But, WAP was proved as a complex technology to receive an app. At the same time app development platforms came into the picture such as Windows and Linux and more mobile phone manufacturer came into the picture, that’s why the cost of phones reduced drastically.

Revolution in Mobile app

Steve Jobs – A person who brings revolution in mobile app development by launching an App store and iPhone 3G in 2008. A few months later, Google launched its Android market through HTC. HTC released HTC Dream – the first commercial available android smartphone. To beat the competition, Apple released its first iPad to provide a unique way to their users in 2010.

Demography

As technology is growing by leaps and bounds, smartphone become a vital part of our life. Below figure clearly indicates that the smartphone users are increasing day by day, rapidly.

Nowadays, people spend more time on apps rather than web because of apps are easy to access. In 2009, Apple app store got 1 Billion app downloads that increased drastically and become 10 Billion in 2010, Android took few more months to achieve it. According to Statista analytics, in July 2015, Google play store was the largest app store with 1.6 Million apps while Apple’s App Store remained the second largest app store with 1.5 million apps.

Social Influence

According to the data from flurry, the American people are spending an average 3hrs and 40 minutes per day on their mobile devices.

Among, people spend 90% of their time on mobile apps. Consumers spend maximum time with messaging and social apps for their daily activities, for instance net banking, weather report, mCommerce and many more which indicates that in this era smartphones and tablets are the most successful gadgets due to the mobile apps, only.

Because of the mobile app, enterprises have a great opportunity in their business activities such as quick communication, increase productivity, increase in the job vacancy, less power consumption, cost saving and entertainment.

App development training

As increasing the app demand, the gap between demand and supply is also increasing that create an opportunity for app development, that’s why the training institutes for app development are increasing rapidly. Some of the well-known universities in the world have started full-time courses for app development, such as B.E., B. Tech, MCA etc.

App developers

As increasing the app demand, the number of app developers is also increasing, rapidly. As per Evans Data Corporation, worldwide developer population will become 25 million by 2020.

Requirement of apps geographically varies because of cultural differences such as in China demands of action related apps are more. To remain competitive in the market, developers have to understand their end-users and competitors. Also, developers have to learn from the successful apps.

Moreover, to overcome the app demand and fulfil the user’s requirements, developers need to simplify the app development process. The best way to overcome the app demand is Cross-platform app development tools. These kind of platforms offer drag and drop features for rapid app development. Additionally, cross-platforms help to build an app for more than one OS.

Future

Now when the app market is reached at some form of maturity level, many have predicted that the app economy is declining. But this prediction is totally wrong. As IoT is the future, app demand will be surely increase in bulk.