What many believe would be the most well-liked mobile technology developments for 2021 have been shaped by 2020. Some are the outcome of organic progression, while others are more revolutionary.
Let’s examine 15 mobile technology trends for 2021 in more detail.
Connectivity 5G
Faster connectivity has been one of the enduring themes in mobile technologies, and 5G will redefine what is possible. We may anticipate that 5G will enable a variety of additional mobile technology trends like cloud-based gaming and business automation, just as 4G brought us a world of streaming entertainment. With much of the world dependent on quick, remote connectivity owing to COVID-19, Apple has revealed 5G support for its most recent flagship iPhone 12. 5G has undoubtedly arrived at the ideal time.
Geotargeting
Location-based technology, a mobile trend that is simple to take for granted, is expected to rise through 2021 and beyond. When foot traffic in our towns and cities is down, businesses will try everything in their power to attract customers to their goods and services. Through the use of geotargeting, local offers and promotions that would be of interest to onlookers who fit a particular gender, age, or other demographic are frequently delivered to people in a predetermined location and to a predefined demographic.
Geofencing
Most of our apps already have the authorization to utilize our real-time locations, which is important information that is frequently shared with third parties. As a result, we will receive more relevant notifications from companies and services that are aware of our precise location. Geofencing, as opposed to geotargeting, targets promotions to a significantly larger population of people within a specific area, distributing marketing and advertising content to anybody who enters it.
Artificial Reality
By superimposing computer-generated animations and other content onto the real world as seen through a mobile phone screen (using the device’s built-in camera), augmented reality (AR) mobile technology has gained popularity because of games like Pokémon Go. Utilizing filters to alter how individuals seem in the photos and videos they publish and share, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook have further popularized augmented reality. Expect companies to compete for a share of the profits that augmented reality can bring in by integrating it with cutting-edge mobile technologies. Customers can use AR mobile technology to try before they buy a variety of consumer goods, including fashion, kitchen appliances, and home décor. The retail industry has already taken the lead in this area. With AR, it’s simple to preview how a product will appear in the home or on a person. For instance, the paint manufacturer Dulux has introduced its Visualizer app, which enables users to visualize any color from their palette on the walls of their house. Similar to this, IKEA has created its own augmented reality app that enables prospective customers to virtually place any piece of furniture wherever they choose in their homes, and a variety of clothing companies have given customers the option to transform their phones into virtual changing rooms.
In 2021, more brands should join the AR party.
Technology for the BodyThe number of people trying to maintain their fitness and care for their health has increased exponentially in the year 2020. As a result, 2021 will see a further increase in the popularity of smartwatches, fitness bracelets, and health monitors. Wearable technology can even track our heart rates, oxygen levels, and sleep habits by syncing with our mobile devices. When integrated with the apps available on the most recent cell phone technologies, they may also track how physically active we are, bringing an interesting social component to our fitness regimens.
Home Internet Access
Anyone curious about the most recent mobile technologies merely needs to glance around their own house. Smart speakers from companies like Amazon and Google are now common fixtures in many homes, and they all depend on a connection to a mobile app. This tendency is predicted to continue till 2021. As individuals become increasingly accustomed to home connectivity and the convenience it may provide, smart plugs are appearing in more houses. Additionally, they offer the potential for connectivity with already installed devices like lighting, coffee makers, and TVs. With more cheap outdoor camera systems that can detect motion and sound and allow users to see and speak with callers before answering the door, increased home connectivity is making it possible for people to live in a safer environment at home.
Internet of Additional Things
The customer experience in the house today gives users the ability to control lights, air conditioning, and home security utilizing the most recent mobile technologies. We may view the contents of connected refrigerators from the grocery store. One significant reason why home connectivity is growing is that people who try it rarely go back to the way things were. With more and more of the technology used by organizations being connected, the influence on them is as important. In 2021, it is likely that trends like wireless inventory tracking, smart manufacturing, and autonomous farm equipment will become standard methods of operation.
Increasing Small Businesses
In the past, only large corporations could afford to develop mobile applications that embraced the most recent cell phone technologies. This will continue to evolve in 2021. The potential benefits for smaller businesses to engage users and boost income have never been more robust thanks to a large number of developers and increasingly adaptive mobile applications. Applications like cloud-based accounting systems, marketing hubs, which offer a comprehensive wraparound service for content management, sales, and advertising, and cloud-based telephone systems designed specifically for business services are all playing a key role in arming smaller businesses with the tools to work smarter.
Added Custom Apps
Many smaller firms believe they risk falling behind if they don’t advance in a world where every industry is changing. Keeping up with mobile technology advancements entails developing custom mobile applications to stay competitive, and 2021 will mark the year when app creation will be more broadly accessible than ever. This is especially true of hybrid apps, which enable businesses to launch on both Apple and Android platforms at a fraction of the price of creating a native app for either one or the other forum.
mCommerce and contactless payments
Contactless mobile payments and mCommerce, two mobile technology innovations that maintained a steady climb until spring 2020, saw enormous increases in popularity during the Coronavirus epidemic. Many people utilized their mobile devices to browse and buy consumer products, having them delivered to their front door, as they tried to avoid going to stores and limit physical interaction. They also learned how simple and convenient it is to pay for items using payment apps like Apply Pay, Google Pay, and Venmo while doing. Contactless payments were more than merely convenient for individuals who did visit physical businesses to make purchases. Numerous people were counseled against carrying cash. Due to this, many merchants were compelled to implement mobile contactless payment technology at their registers, and this trend will likely continue until 2021.
Using the Edge
Even if lockdown limitations are relaxed, many people are anticipated to continue working from home throughout significant portions of 2021. However, it frequently turned out to be a technique of working around restrictions for individuals who relied on highly centralized cloud-based technologies. Edge computing will put a welcome end to WFH limitations including latency problems when combined with 5G. Edge computing allows users to perform activities locally regardless of their location by operating at the very edge of the cloud, thereby turning the device they are using into a component of the cloud itself. Edge computing’s inherent capacity for super-rapid data processing and archiving can have a significant influence on businesses and the effectiveness of their vital real-time applications.
Service Applications for On-Demand
There are countless apps that link customers with service providers without the need for an administrator or other support staff to manually complete the request. They enable users to purchase groceries, takeout, cabs, and more. They also enable users to book the accommodations they require when traveling as well as the transportation to get there. These on-demand services are anticipated to grow into other spheres of society, such as humanitarian help and services in remote areas, with the most recent cell phone technology paired with a 5G connection, owing to satellite-based 5G networks.
Chatbots
With new degrees of progress anticipated in 2021, automation is predicted to revolutionize regular operations for organizations and save them even more money. One example is chatbots, which are revolutionizing how companies interact with their customers through cutting-edge mobile technology. Practically every industry, including travel, hotels, and online shopping, can use chatbots to answer typical client inquiries quickly. If a chatbot is unable to handle the inquiry, it will instantly transfer the customer to a suitable human agent. As a result, they will keep automating customer service, reducing the number of employees that companies need to maintain on the payroll.
A Wider Range of Apps
Regardless of the niche, there is probably an app for it. However, in the past, deploying them across many platforms has been expensive. Now that there are tools for cross-platform mobile app development, creating apps is made simpler and more feasible. This will promote innovation in a market that is becoming more profitable and competitive through 2021. In 2021, more businesses will have the resources to create applications to provide their users with higher standards of service, thus increasing the adaptability of mobile technology.
Personalization
As we head into 2021, the long-standing mobile technology trend of personalization will become more widespread thanks to a wider selection of apps, geofencing, and constantly-improving location-based services. Because there will be more personal data kept on our profiles and devices in 2021 than ever before, the logical evolution of this will be more individualized and hyper-targeted mobile marketing and advertising material.
