作者：Puneet Yamparala

这是来自MoveoApps（一家iPhone和应用开发公司）的Jaykishan Panchal的文章。

他喜欢写一些关于技术，市场营销和产业趋势的文章。他非常热衷研究技术并喜欢探索一些新事物。

不可否认的是整个手机应用领域正在经历一次巨大的改变；我们并不需要开发者的提醒。当我们停下片刻并经历一些开发者在不远的未来将遇到的重要手机应用趋势时，一切将会变得更加明朗。以下便是5大重要的手机应用趋势，这能够为你呈现更清楚的视角：

趋势1：云端应用将更加普及

基于手机应用的云端将不断带给用户更多利益并因此拥有可观的发展前景。一开始，这些应用将让用户在任何位置和任何时间都能够访问数据。这意味着像一些企业等终端用户便能够使用该应用进行实时合作；他们还可以使用应用进行实时数据加工，同时还可以做出一些最重要的业务决定。

硬件和软件独立性也是云端应用所带来的另一大益处，这能够作用于多个平台并同时提供统一的UI和UX。这也让用户能够添加包括处理器，额外的内存和带宽等计算机资源去满足自己特定的需求。此外，这些灵活且可扩展的解决方法还能够帮助企业们最大化地得到投资回报。

趋势2：跨平台工具正不断发展

跨平台手机应用开发工具在市场中的存在感越来越强烈。人们对于跨平台工具的接纳度也不断提升，越来越多开发者接纳了这些工具，即使用该工具的开发者数量在过去几个月里从23%增加到了30%。

越来越多人能够接受这些工具，特别是那些为大众业务创造应用的人们。这些业务包含但并不限于媒体和娱乐公司，小型，中型和大型公司，以及任何想要接触到自己的潜在用户并提供给他们公平竞争环境的人。

随着今天大量这类型工具的出现，更多开发者开始使用这些应用为自己的终端用户创造与平台无关的应用。这些工具能够解决许多应用开发公司所面临的种种问题。

在这些问题中最主要的便是现金流问题；使用这些工具他们便能够无需投入过多成本而轻松地创造出一款应用，并且无需重头开始编写代码而面向不同的平台发行应用。

同时，全新的跨平台工具也更加有趣，因为它们能够提供更出色的性能与功能。尽管它们仍处于早期发展阶段，但是这些工具能够降低高质量与多功能应用开发所伴随的复杂性。跨平台工具与面向特定平台创建不同开发团队一样有用（游戏邦注：因此还能为你节省下不少成本）。

cross-platform(from gamasutra)

趋势3：企业应用将比消费者应用更赚钱

根据Developer Economics的研究，“43%的企业应用开发商每个月的收益比19%的消费者应用开发商多出1万美元。”而引起这种情况的原因有很多。举个例子来说吧，企业总是更愿意花钱去购买应用，因为这能够推动他们的生产力并提高他们的利润率。

大多数企业应用都是针对于不同公司的特殊需求而进行定制化创造。其中便包括为了提高公司销量而开发的应用以及为了不同客户而宣传产品与服务的应用。甚至连公司内部的社交应用也和各种生产应用一同快速发展着。

enterprisevsconsumer(from gamasutra)

趋势4：Android将赶超iOS

一直以来Android都与iOS展开着激烈的竞争，在短时间内这种情况仍旧不会发生变化。相反地，这一竞争将出现全新的变化。现在，Android正凭借其不断的发展与变化而逐渐赶超iOS。我们可以从这两大手机平台的市场份额中看出这一变化。所以Android的游戏计划到底是怎样的呢？

Android正不断努力降低分裂性，这应该是他们当前所面临的最大挑战之一。这么做能够让他们收集到更多数据并获得更多收益。据推测，之后世界各地的手机用户在Android和iOS设备的使用率将会是4:1。这意味着关于该平台的应用开发必须不断满足逐渐提升的用户基础的需求。同时开发者也不断致力于为Android Wear创造更多应用—-这款基于Android的智能手表早于Apple Watch问世，并且已经获得了一定的收益。

趋势5：可佩戴式应用

对于开发者来说，可佩戴式应用不再是一个未知领域；从Google Glasses和Fitness Bands开始，现在更转向Android Wear和Apple Watch等智能手表。现在的智能手表仍是依赖于智能手机发挥功效。但在不远的未来，我们一定能够看到独立运行的智能手表，这也将基于各种方式推动应用开发的发展。

面向手腕设备设计应用与面向手持设备设计应用是截然不同的。开发者和设计师需要考虑这些设备的额外功能与作用，特别是考虑如何在小屏幕中创造出足够吸引人的应用。

结论

基于云端的应用，企业应用，跨平台工具，Android赶超iOS以及面向可佩戴式设备创造应用等趋势都是开发者不容忽视的。他们同时仍要像以往那样重视技术的进步并专注于用户粘性去创造具有创新性的手机应用。

（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转发，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

5 Mobile App Trends Developers Need To Look Out For

by Puneet Yamparala

Guest post Jaykishan Panchal from MoveoApps, an iphone and app development company.

He enjoys writing about Technology, marketing & industry trends. He is tech enthusiast and love to explore new stuff.

There is no denying the fact that the entire mobile app landscape is headed towards a major change; we don’t need developers to remind us of the same. The whole scenario becomes more evident when we pause for a moment and go through some of the top mobile app trends that developers need to look out for, in the near future. Here is a list of some of the top mobile app trends, which will give you a better perspective:

Trend #1 – Cloud Applications Will Gain Ground

Cloud based mobile apps hold a promising future for the users by bringing forth a number of benefits for them. To begin with, these apps offer improved access to data from any location and at any time. This means that end-users such as enterprises, can aptly use the apps for real-time collaboration; they can use an app for real-time data crunching and also, use it to take some of the most important business- centric decisions.

Hardware and software independence is another benefit of cloud apps as these can work on multiple platforms and provide uniform UI and UX on the same. These also allow users to add various computing resources that include processors, additional memory or storage and bandwidth so that it meets their specific requirements aptly. Additionally, these are immensely flexible and scalable solutions, which help companies avail maximum returns on their investment.

Trend #2 – Cross Platform Tools Are on the Rise

Cross Platform mobile app development tools are on the market. Cross- platform tool adoption is steadily increasing and the number of developers who have adopted these tools, have grown from – 23% to 30% over the last few months.

There are many takers of these tools, especially to create apps for businesses that need to target masses. These businesses include but are not limited to media and entertainment firms, small, mid and large enterprises or just about anyone else who want to reach out to their potential customers and provide them a level playing field.

With scores of such tools available nowadays, more developers are utilizing them to build platform-agnostic apps for the end-users. These tools address a number of issues that are otherwise faced by an app development company.

The most significant of these issues is the flow of cash; using these tools they can easily create an app without investing much and launch the same on various platforms without the need to re-code it right from the scratch.

Also, new age cross platform tools are interesting because they easily offer better performance and functionality. Although they are still at a nascent stage, these tools help diminish the complexity that usually accompanies the development of high quality and feature-rich apps. Cross platform tools are immensely beneficial as compared to setting up of different development teams for specific platforms (thereby saving the costs).

Trend #3 – Enterprise Apps Will Make More Money than Consumer Apps

According to a research by Developer Economics, “43% of enterprise app developers make more than $10K per month versus 19% of consumer app developers reaching the same revenue level.” This can be attributed to many factors. For instance, businesses are willing to pay for apps, which make their workplaces more productive and increase their profitability.

Most of these enterprise apps are customized to suit the specific requirements of various firms. These include apps that are developed with the sole intention of enhancing the sales for a company and also, to advertising the products and services to various clients. Even communications and social networking apps for use within an enterprise are on the rise along with numerous productivity apps.

Trend #4 – Android to Overhaul iOS

Android has always locked horns with iOS and this situation is not going to change any sooner. On the contrary, the rivalry seems to be taking a new turn. Right now, Android is on an all-time high as a mobile platform to overhaul iOS in the long run with its constant evolution and numerous changes. This is clear from the market shares of these two top mobile platforms. So, what exactly is Android’s game plan?

Android is working towards reducing fragmentation, which is perhaps one of its biggest challenges at present. This will allow it to collect more data and revenue. It is speculated that soon, there will be about 4 Android devices per 1 Windows or iOS device for mobile users around the world. This hints at development of apps for the platform to meet the demands of the rapidly increasing user-base. Also, developers are working on creating more apps for a wide range of Android Wear – a range of smartwatches from Android, which have been around much before the Apple Watch and gaining revenues from apps developed specifically for the wrist.

Trend #5 – Applications for wearables

Wearables are no longer unknown territories for developers; what started with Google Glasses and Fitness Bands has now taken a turn towards smartwatches such as Android Wear and Apple Watch, which we mentioned in the point above. As of now, smartwatches are dependent on smartphones to function. But in the near future, we can very well see standalone smartwatches as well, which can boost the development of apps in variety of industry verticals.

Designing for the wrist is completely different from that of designing for handhelds. Developers and designers need to take into consideration the exceptional features and functionalities of these devices, especially the small screen real estate to develop outstanding apps rich in terms of their quality.

To sum up

Cloud based apps, enterprise apps, cross platform tools, exponential growth of Android over iOS and creating innovative apps for wearables are some of the trends, which developers need to look out for. As always, they also need to strive to make the most of the advancement in technology and focus on user engagement for creating innovative mobile apps. Do you know of any other app trend to be added to this list? Do share your thoughts with us via your comments.(source:gamasutra)