Native apps over web
If you ask a designer or developer what they would rather deliver, they will almost always say “native.” In reality, there are a lot of questions to answer before deciding between native or web apps (or both). However, futurists agree on one thing: the web is the future. Until mobile browsers can deliver the same user experience as a native app, it will continue to exist, and probably beyond that. HTML5 adoption will reach new heights this year, but it is unlikely that web app adoption will overtake native app adoption.
This does not conflict with the responsive design trend, as every self-respecting company nowadays has at least one site that can also be accessed with a smartphone. For this, responsive is probably still the best option.
Gestures (gestures)
Clear. An app with a simple design and gestures.
Clear. An app with a simple design and gestures.
This is a trend that is debatable. Although technically and graphically a lot is possible with apps that use list to data gestures such as swipe, pinch or rotate, 2013 does not seem to be the year for this. Although they are meant to be intuitive, there is a considerable learning curve for new smartphone users, especially for more advanced gestures. At the moment, many apps are appearing that implement gestures in their own way, which means that there is no standardization of the functions for the different gestures. Without an introduction or tutorial, users have no idea what the gestures do or which ones are supported.
New Mobile User Behaviors
You could say that 2012 was the year of the tablet, but since the market really exploded at the end of the year, that automatically makes 2013 the year of the tablet user. The behavior of this user is already somewhat known, but now that the market penetration of tablets is steadily continuing, we will discover much more about it. Windows 8/RT tablets in particular will bring some new behaviors with them, but there is little to say about that yet since tablets have not been on the market for that long.
Mobile Marketing Trends: Short-Term Vision
In late February, Forrester published its mobile marketing trends report . Analyst Thomas Husson summarized the short-term vision:
Forrester's Mobile Marketing Trends for 2013
Forrester's Mobile Marketing Trends for 2013
Given my limited knowledge of mobile marketing, I can't say much about the viability of this vision. I do think it's important to understand that mobile will play a bigger role than ever this year. The points in the table above tie into that, but I fear that an implementation is so big that it will take several years before they reach a maturity stage.
Technical trends breakthroughs in mobile technology. Yet, it has not yet reached its full potential. One thing is for sure: the mobile order is established and will only grow.
Big data
Large corporations are collecting more and more data. This is a goldmine and although Big Data is a technological trend in itself, it also has significance for mobile. Think about how much data one person with a smartphone generates and consumes in a day. Sensors such as GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, microphone, camera or Bluetooth are used in more and more apps. This fits perfectly with the Quantified Self movement, which basically means that we can now use all this data ourselves to become better. Apps such as RunKeeper and Nike+ are an example of this, but in theory the possibilities are endless and we will certainly see more of these types of applications this year.
The home of the future is here, the Internet of Things already exists. We see more and more devices around us that are connected to a network, with or without a wire. One of the best examples is Nest , an advanced thermostat that is controlled via an app. This allows the heating to be controlled and operated very efficiently. Another example: cars that calculate the most optimal route via a 3G connection and at the same time take into account the current traffic. And then the Philips Hue lamps that are controlled via an app on your phone; the possibilities for the future are endless here too. The technology and the consumer are ready for it now.
Bigger screens
The American saying “everything is bigger in Texas” is no longer just true for Texas. Smartphone screen sizes are getting bigger, while tablet screens are getting smaller. Many sources believe that 2013 will be the year of the phablet. The only manufacturer that has not yet fully embraced this trend is Apple. The iPhone screen is now slightly larger and the iPad slightly smaller. Almost every high-end smartphone in 2013 has a 5-inch full-HD screen. This will not change anytime soon – if only we had bigger hands and fingers.