In the ever-developing world of tech that we live and operate in, its hard to predict what the next big change will be. Everyday new tech is being developed, refined or created from scratch and as consumers we only ever tend to see the end results. I compiled some interesting tech predictions and explored how I believe they will impact our evolving world.
Apple culling low quality apps
For the past few years we have seen an overwhelming increase in the number of apps available on the Apple App Store. This has proven to be a bit of a double-edged sword. While it has been fantastic to see the number of available apps sky rocket and see the ability of what is possible with an app have the same trajectory, we have also seen a vast increase in ‘template’ apps. What this is, is an app that is created from a set template or system and tends to be a ‘one size fits all’ type of deal. This means that companies and online platforms can pump out countless apps that all look and feel the same.
The biggest issue with these apps is that they are taking up valuable app store space from the high quality, bespoke apps and so the effort of these developers are lost in the sea of low quality apps. With all this happening, Apple has put into action plans to cull a lot of these lower quality apps and focus on providing space within the App Store for the higher quality apps to reward those working hard on their apps and bringing better experiences to the customers. This plan has been in motion since January however we predict that it will be stepped up in the coming months, and more and more apps will be buried.
This is good news for us as here at NN4M we pride ourselves on throwing the ‘one size fits all’ mantra out the window and creating custom apps for all our clients. This means that for both us and some of our competitors, our apps will rise to the surface and get more attention on the app store. This will mean more traffic for our apps and a greater user base.
Re-surge in VR
VR has been at the forefront of the news and media for a little while now and with the recent release of the Ready Player One (2018) film adaptation, VR is having a large influence. VR sales were healthy on first launch however they have dipped over the past 12-18 months, even though there was lots of content being released for the systems. One of the reasons the tech sales never hit consoles levels was due to the price, and the surrounding price of being able to fully utilise the headset. Both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive sit at £499 but that is just the tip of the iceberg. To run the systems efficiently you need top of the line components for your PC or Laptop which will set you back somewhere in the realm of £1000 (for a budget set up). This means you are easily looking at £1700 – £2000 for a good VR set up.
As I said, this price tag has driven many customers away, however with the release of Samsung VR and Oculus GO (a $199 VR standalone, wireless alternative) means that it wouldn’t be too wrong to say that VR is ready to make a comeback. These entry level devices provide a good showcase of what VR can do but have had to trade off with low quality experiences to provide an affordable price tag. One of the biggest impacts that this could have could be that they are showing people how good VR is and that they may want to trade up to a Vive or Oculus Rift and give the market the boost that it needs.
You may be saying to yourself ‘but wait, NN4M doesn’t release VR apps’ and while that is true, this possible surge in VR tech could very well mean that our clients may be wanting to support VR features in their apps, and if not VR then most likely AR. We could be seeing virtual store for all your favourite retailers soon meaning you can walk down the aisle of any store without leaving your house, personalise the aisle and then order everything you need without using a website. This combined with Drone Delivery testing means that in 50 years’ time, tangible stores could be all gone.
Retailers to quicken, tighten and improve apps
People in the modern world have less and less time to themselves. The little time they do have to themselves tends to be travelling to work, having lunch and then maybe a couple hours a night, and in this time, they tend to spend it on their phones. Whether its scrolling through social media or looking for things to buy, it’s all spent in an app. With app tech coming on in leaps and bounds, this means that retailers are wanting to make the app experience far slicker.
This biggest element that retailers are battling is ‘Cart Abandonment’, which is users filling up their carts then never checking out, or just deleting the cart. One of the things that causes cart abandonment is having a complex payment system that requires the user to put in all their details. People tend to see this then think ‘its not worth the time’ and thus the cart is abandoned. This obviously means the company is missing out on valuable revenue and if the process is particularly bad, then the user may delete the app all together. So many retailers are wanting to tidy up their apps to make a faster and more secure experience that allows them to complete their tasks as fast as possible but with the creation of Apple Pay, this has successfully balanced security and efficiency fantastically.
For us this means business as usual. We will continue to work on our apps and develop them to the high quality we pride ourselves on with our regular updates to security and app flow that we provide. However, it could also mean more clients coming our way!