We’re running a few articles about where the market will go in 2011, and this guest post is from Ed Thomas at App Developers UK who looks at where apps will be in 2011, take it away Ed.
Have you downloaded just about every free mobile app possible and spent a fair few pounds on premium application downloads too? Read on to find out exactly what mobile application features you can expect to see in the near future and how they will enhance your mobile user experience even further. Here’s the top three features to expect from up-coming app development:
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality is set to be the most exciting future app development, opening up endless new possibilities with regards to gaming, social networking and the way in which we understand the world around us. Visual-based augmented reality can combine real world environments with online data to provide the mobile user with information on their surroundings. For example, future apps will be able to provide the social networking details of any person by pointing your mobile camera at them. Applications already exist to layer on-screen signposts on real-life landscapes for direction to the nearest tube station, or provide information on historic landmarks – yet there is huge potential for future app development in this area. Augmented reality is mobile technology that will change everything and provide previously unthinkable new ways of interacting with the external world.
Super Smart Alerts
As if we don’t rely on our mobile phones enough, the future of mobile app development promising to focus on smart alert features that further enhance the mobile user experience. Using a variety of mobile sensors and personal network clouds which store a huge selection of personal preferences, mobile applications will be able to provide alerts with information based on your scenario. This might include warning you of travel problems or directing you to a parking space. Smart alerts have the potential to make the most simple things even easier!
Web Based Usage
Despite Apple’s popularity and 3+ billion native app downloads, app developers feel that web based applications is where the future is heading. Web app development will solve fragmentation issues that native applications and their operating systems restrict, browser based applications will open up the app arena for higher creativity and competition for developers, encouraging innovation for future apps – always a great thing for consumers. Although the Apple & Android applications receives a huge portion of media attention, the truth is that many mobile users are not yet using app ready handsets, but are accessing many forms of content directly via their mobile browser. Native based apps are not to disappear, in fact there is no doubt they will continue to flourish, however browser based applications should see a huge increase. The user experience of shopping and social networking apps in particular look to benefit from web-based development.
Author: Ed Thomas has a wide expertise in the field of apps development and website development and works with app developers UK.
What do you think? Has Ed got it right?
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