Magora Systems Blog iOS and Android Mobile App Development Trends in 2024

Table of contents Introduction iOS Native Development Trends in 2024 Apple’s AR and VR progression Apple’s Vision Pro Voice User Interfaces Wearable Mobile App Development The Rise of AI-Powered Apps Android Native Development Trends in 2024 Cross-Platform Development Trends in 2024 How much does it cost to develop an app in 2024 Conclusion   Introduction  With the number of smartphone owners expected to climb to almost eight billion by 2028 – at the end of 2022 there were ‘an estimated 6.5 billion smartphone subscriptions’ – there has never been a better time to enlist the services of an app development company or software development company. The App market’s total revenue is ‘expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2022-2027) of 8.83%, resulting in a projected market volume of $673.80 billion by 2027’ and with ‘total combined Apple App Store and Google Play app downloads [amounting] to an estimated 35 billion’ in the first quarter of 2023 alone, it’s easy to imagine this projection becoming reality. In 2024, the landscape of iOS and Android mobile app development continues to evolve with a focus on optimising the application development life cycle. Developers and mobile application development services are increasingly emphasising efficient mobile application architecture, a pivotal component in the overall app development life cycle. This strategic approach ensures a streamlined and effective process, from conceptualization to deployment. As the demand for innovative and user-centric mobile solutions grows, meticulous consideration of the app development life cycle becomes paramount. Staying abreast of the latest trends involves not only the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies but also a keen understanding of how mobile application architecture and the broader application development life cycle contribute to the success of modern apps on both iOS and Android platforms. This article explores the key trends, challenges, and innovations in the world of mobile app development for iOS and Android platforms in 2024. We’ll look at how today’s tech market leaders are answering the world’s want to innovate, how a mobile application development company contends with these technological progressions, and what the expected mobile application development cost is. Let’s first look at Apple.   iOS Native Development Trends in 2024 Swift, Apple’s programming language, ‘is the result of the latest research on programming languages, combined with decades of experience building Apple platforms.’ Apple's recent advancements in Swift have significantly impacted iOS app development, introducing key enhancements that elevate the language's capabilities. The incorporation of Macros in Swift adds a new dimension of expressiveness and flexibility, allowing Swift developers to create concise and highly readable code with custom functionality. This newfound versatility is complemented by Swift's seamless interoperability with C++, enabling the integration of both languages within the same project and optimising performance-critical operations. Another noteworthy enhancement by Apple, Result Builders enhance compiler performance for complex types, contributing to a smoother and faster development process. The expanded support for generics in Swift promotes greater type safety and code efficiency, notably improving tasks like JSON encoding/decoding for faster app loading and efficient data processing. These Swift language improvements have a profound impact on an iOS app developer and iOS app development company. Developers can now create more expressive, concise, and powerful code, enhancing both code maintainability and readability. The performance enhancements, including faster compilation and improved JSON processing, contribute to a streamlined app development experience, potentially reducing overall development time. The introduction of Macros also paves the way for innovative features and custom tools, expanding the capabilities of iOS apps. Swift's reinforced role in multi-platform projects, facilitated by enhanced C++ interoperability, broadens cross-platform development possibilities, including integration with existing desktop applications. Additionally, the improved type safety provided by enhanced generics acts as a robust shield against runtime errors and code crashes, ensuring overall code reliability. SwiftUI In addition to the core Swift enhancements, SwiftUI, a crucial component of custom iOS app development provided by an iOS app development agency or a company that offers iOS app development services, has undergone significant improvements. These include but are not limited to more robust animation tools, simplified data flow with Observable, spatial app builds, and interactive widgets in new locations, collectively enhancing user interfaces with richness and dynamism. The infusion of new design resources, such as Figma and Sketch templates, additions to SF Symbols, and updated Human Interface Guidelines, empowers developers to craft aesthetically pleasing and consistent app experiences. More SwiftUI updates can be found here. Apple’s AR and VR progression LEGO AR City uses ARKit 2 features including shared experiences, persistent AR and 3D object detection to bring LEGO creations and characters to life. Source: Apple LEGO AR City uses ARKit 2 features including shared experiences, persistent AR and 3D object detection to bring LEGO creations and characters to life. ‘AR and VR have the ability to transform ordinary mobile apps into extraordinary and immersive experiences.’ Apple continues to make strides in the field of AR and VR development. Launched in 2017, ARKit, a powerful platform that includes accessible augmented reality (AR) creation tools and AR Quick Look – ‘place 3D objects in the real world’ – democratises the ability to bring 3D ideas to life, even for users with minimal prior experience. With its recent launch of ARKit 6, offering additional features including 4K video, depth API, people occlusion, instant AR, motion capture, simultaneous front and back camera, and scene geometry, ARKit is a source of ongoing investment for Apple. ARKit's suite of AR creation tools includes: USDZ Tools Python-based resources designed for generating, validating, and inspecting USDZ files. Accompanied by sample scripts, the suite leverages Pixar's USD library. Reality Composer Pro An easy way to ‘preview and prepare 3D content for your visionOS apps… import and organise assets, such as 3D models, materials, and sounds…available with Xcode.’   Reality Converter beta Use Reality Converter to ‘convert, view, and customise USDZ 3D objects on Mac’ adding your own textures and previewing under various ‘lighting and environment conditions.’ RealityKit (sits alongside ARKit) RealityKit enables the user to control and customise ‘the AR experiences’ they create. APIs such as ‘custom rendering’ and ‘metal shaders’ gives scope to develop ‘entirely new worlds in AR’ while object capturing ‘using state-of-the-art photogrammetry algorithms’ allows the creation of ‘unique 3D objects.’ usdz is based on Pixar’s Universal Scene Description and makes it easy to experience AR nearly anywhere in iOS. Source: Apple Apple’s Vision Pro Apple Vision Pro, controlled by the ‘user’s eyes, hands, and voice’, is ‘a revolutionary spatial computer that transforms how people work, collaborate, connect, relive memories, and enjoy entertainment… seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world.’ Set for release on 2 February 2024, the device is ‘Apple's first-ever virtual reality headset’ and comes complete with ‘a 4K display for each eye, allowing users to switch between augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) with a side-mounted dial.’ Apple Vision Pro operates with Unity, leveraging ‘familiar workflows and powerful tools to build and bring your games and apps into a new frontier of spatial computing.’ Voice User Interfaces (VUIs) ‘Voice feature is one of the most used latest features in mobile apps. It is more relevant and will be the centre of source for the apps.’ Increasingly ‘common in our daily lives as a result of the growth of voice-activated virtual assistants such as Siri and Alexa’ VUIs ‘enable users to engage with devices by speaking to them, making technology more accessible and convenient.’ Allowing ‘consumers to communicate with technology through natural language’, VUIs can perform a multitude of tasks from answering questions and creating reminders to operating smart home devices.’ The technology is transforming the way we interact; however, challenges are noted, with users concerned about ‘interactions being captured’ and developers acutely aware that various accents, speech patterns and background noise can hinder the app’s ability to interpret commands. Wearable Mobile App Development Apple Watch. Source: Apple The wearables market is projected to grow to USD 380.5 billion by 2028. watchOS has announced its ‘biggest update since the introduction of Apple Watch.’ The update promises a ‘fresh’ app look, ‘new ways to navigate’, and ‘a new Smart Stack to display the information you need’. Furthermore, five software updates have been released: Note: descriptions copied verbatim from source. -   Access and log Health app data with Siri -   Automatically view Now Playing when in proximity of HomePod (2nd generation) or HomePod mini playing me