The 5 biggest app trends in 2022/2023

The metaverse is perhaps the biggest phenomenon of 2022. Since its announcement, it is not yet entirely clear to many what exactly it is. Some describe it as a digital world, but we're not getting any further than that. We now talk about the metaverse as how we talked about the internet in the 70s. We also do not yet know exactly how the metaverse will form. But we make an effort to explain. 

The metaverse is a 3D version of the internet made possible by information technology. This is actually two steps further than Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR). With AR you see the real world supplemented with fictional/technological applications. A good example of this is PokemonGO. With Virtual Reality you step into a completely new world by putting on VR glasses. This world is made realistic through sound, images and videos. 

If you combine AR and VR, you get MR (Mixed Reality). Here you step into a digital world where you see the reality that you can supplement with digital applications. This may sound very complicated, but a good example of this is in the clothing store where you can try on clothes without actually changing. 

These kinds of developments are of course interesting for large tech companies such as Facebook, Microsoft, Apple and Google. They compete to become the greatest within the metaverse. Facebook even changed its name to Meta. This just shows how eager companies are to conquer the metaverse. This is also not without reason, because according to vice.com will this market be worth more than 2024 billion in 800. 

This is a huge growth within the digital economy. But not only the big tech companies have to benefit from this. Also smaller players such as Roblox en battle infinity are already using this. It is also possible to create more educational apps for the metaverse. This makes it possible to follow digital classes while feeling like you're in a real class. Or a step further where doctors learn to operate within the virtual world. 

The IoT market is a trend that has been going on for years and is still growing very fast. According to financesonline the IoT market will consist of more than 450 billion in 2021. Nowadays it is no longer just the case that you can set your heating with your smartphone. Nowadays whole houses and buildings automated. 

When it comes to automation of buildings and houses, you should think of the heating that switches on automatically when it is cold or shutters that close automatically when the sun shines. This not only makes working or living a lot more pleasant, but also more efficient and sustainable. You will use too much energy to heat your home because it is all automatically regulated. 

It doesn't stop here. There are even now Smart cities built using information technology or IoT to manage the city. Parking lots, transport and public buildings such as libraries, hospitals and stations are being automated.

In addition, IoT is widely used in healthcare. You probably recognize this from the well-known image of the hospital bed. For example, the elderly are monitored at home via a smartwatch. This helps emergency responders know when to come to the rescue. Read more about this in our blog: home automation in healthcare.   

The trend 'IoT and Automation' is perhaps bigger than you would expect. According to Cisco there will be more than 2021 billion devices connected to the internet worldwide by 50. That is almost 7 times as many as there are people on earth. 

You can understand that with more than 50 billion devices and billions of daily app users, there must be a wealth of data. Of course, not all data is available to everyone, but it is becoming more and more accessible. 

With a huge amount of data it is possible to make very accurate estimates. This way (landing) pages can be optimized entirely for the individual person. Which can provide an extremely high return. But big data can also be important in other areas. Take the wearables. Today, more than one billion wearables are connected to the internet. With all this data, Apple has already made it possible to measure your health and communicate this to you or your caregiver. 

With a lot of data you can also develop self-learning robots. This is called machine learning or AI. You see this especially in the chatbots that you see appearing more and more. You can already have whole conversations with Billie; the Bol.com chatbot. This not only enables Bol.com to provide better service (on demand), but also to make considerable savings on staff. 

Here are some interesting facts about the use of big data and chatbots:

Many large companies also use Big Data to make targeted offers in their app. For example, McDonald's changes offers through a combination of time and weather and user behavior. A more specific example is from Walmart. They have seen that when a hurricane was announced on the news, sales of strawberry cookies increased by 700%. A connection that you would never find without big data.

With all these major developments such as the metaverse, big data and IoT, it is almost self-evident that Privacy & Cyber ​​Security is also one of the biggest app trends of this year and the coming years. For example, Apple has the iOS 16 privacy updates and Google is also busy with the privacy and data protection of users. 

With the enormous amount of data available today, advertisements can almost be (too) personalized. You also hear that large companies use user data for which no permission has been given at all. A well-known example is the sale of data via Facebook to Cambridge Analytica. 

In the latest updates from Apple and Android, users are gaining more and more power over their own data. This makes retrieving data and measuring conversions increasingly difficult. We as app developers also take this into account. We also think it is important that the data of our users is and remains well protected.

Marketing is the oldest profession in the world, or so they say. It is becoming increasingly important. Because those who have the best marketing sell the most and earn the most. But marketing is also increasingly being used as a revenue model and sometimes very subtly. 

Maybe you remember Squid Game. The wildly popular series on Netflix where participants in green suits and white sneakers participated in various games. What many people don't know is that the same sneakers were no longer available in stores. Everyone wanted to have the same white sneakers. 

Not much is known about this form of marketing yet, but expect on-demand streaming apps to add more of this type of surreptitious advertising. In addition to the subscription model, this is a completely new revenue model. 

But not only streaming apps will do more with marketing. Due to developments in the field of IoT and Big Data, advertising is becoming increasingly targeted. For example, with the beacon technology you can get pop-ups or specific advertisements when you walk through the shopping street. 

Chatbot marketing will soon also be indispensable. Thanks to smart ML and AI, chatbots are getting smarter and can also make targeted offers. For example, the visitor of an app is personally helped and can also make purchases in the app.

As an app developer, we expect enormous growth within the app market. Not only in terms of the number of apps, but also within the five different trends. Are you also curious about what these trends can mean for you? Then take contact without obligation.