App development for iOS is one of the most promising and popular fields in IT. It’s no surprise that experts predict global mobile app revenue will surpass $935 billion by 2023.
People’s needs shift, and businesses strive to keep up. Furthermore, over 25,000 new iOS apps are released each month, giving users a wide range of options. If you want to stay at the top of your industry, you need to be aware of the latest trends in iOS app development. Otherwise, you risk becoming not only a second-tier player but also being pushed out of the market entirely by your competitors.
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We have prepared the eight latest trends in iOS development that are worth your attention and will make your apps competitive and compelling to consumers in 2023.
- Swift 6
It all starts with selecting an appropriate programming language. Swift has established itself as a minimalistic tool for iOS app developers, making it simple to learn and use. It is widely used by iOS app development teams in large corporations such as Apple, LinkedIn, Slack, SkyGuide, and others.
So, what makes Swift iOS app development so easy and productive? Its compatibility, API and module stability, clear syntax, and many other features enable iOS developers to concentrate on code logic and quality.
Because of the potential for major changes with this release, experts cannot provide a specific timeline for Swift 6. Developers anticipate a significant increase in the language’s capabilities, and Swift 6 is said to place a greater emphasis on supporting platforms other than iOS.
Furthermore, developers should anticipate advancements in diagnostics, code completion, debugging, and other features to enhance the coding experience.
- Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence
Machine learning and artificial intelligence are not new concepts in iOS mobile development. We can’t imagine an iOS app being successful without face and speech recognition, search recommendations, Siri, text and image classification, and other related features.
All of these features are now required for custom iOS app development and can significantly improve the quality of your product. As a result, ML and AI implementation will continue to be a key iOS future trend in 2023 and beyond.
Siri is well-known among Apple users as an intelligent voice assistant that responds to voice commands. Since 2016, iOS developers have integrated their apps with Siri to use its voice control features. Siri operates in domains, which are collections of user intents. Lists, visual codes, ride booking, messaging, photo search, payments, VoIP calling, workouts, weather and radio, and restaurant reservation domains are all available to developers. If this scope is insufficient, you can create custom intents to provide your app with unique features.
Apple introduced Core ML, a new technology for enhanced iOS mobile development, in 2017. It is a framework for integrating ML models (text, image, video, sound, or tabular) into iOS apps to make predictions based on new input data. This technology harnesses the power of machine learning in the development of applications for all Apple products.
- Augmented Reality
One of the most successfully implemented recent iOS development trends is augmented reality. It has become a true AR-mania on iOS platforms of almost any human activity in recent years. It is extremely popular in the entertainment industry; for example, consider Pokemon Go or animated masks and stickers on Instagram or Snapchat.
However, augmented reality is finding its way into other fields such as marketing, healthcare, design, etc. IKEA and L’Oreal followed this iOS app development trend to allow customers to see how their products will look in the environment where they will be placed, making their decisions more efficient and convenient.
The ARKit 5 framework expands the opportunities and experiences available to iOS developers and users. When combined with machine learning, this technology allows you to place AR objects in a specific location by using a Location Anchor.
Aside from that, users can now use their devices’ front and back cameras simultaneously or even place AR content behind or in front of people to experience green-screen effects in a real-life setting. ARKit 5 also includes expanded Face tracking support, a depth API, instant AR placement, and motion capture, among other new features.
- IoT and HomeKit
The Internet of Things is a great example of how important it is to tie iPhone app development services to change in consumers’ daily lives. It is a technology that allows users to connect and use all their devices in one system.
Apple launched HomeKit, a specialized home automation platform, in June 2014. It enables the integration of devices from various vendors into a single IoT ecosystem and the control of those devices via an iPhone or Apple Watch. Siri, a voice-controlled personal assistant, can even control these devices: lights, garage doors, safes, locks, thermostats, fans, shades, coffee machines, and much more can now be voice-controlled.
With the most recent updates, HomeKit Secure Video now allows users to receive notifications about important activity in their homes and view footage (including footage from the doorbell camera) directly from the Lock Screen. Secure Video does not require any additional fees because it works with the existing iCloud plan. People, pets, cars, and packages can all be detected by HomeKit cameras.
Given the advancement of smart home devices, HomeKit will be among the iOS app development trends in 2023. On the other hand, IoT implementation goes far beyond routine convenience and adapts to pandemic threats. Recent examples include health tech companies that create apps for iOS that allow users to track their health conditions and communicate with their doctors from the comfort of their own homes.
- App Clips
How do you create an iOS app that users can use without downloading it? App Clips is the solution and one of the most recent iOS app trends. This technology enables users to evaluate a portion of an application before purchasing the full version.
App Clips are typically simple and serve a single purpose, such as paying a bill, booking a hotel room, renting a bike, or performing similar tasks. These functional miniversions of apps are lightweight (less than 10 MB), so users can install lightning-fast after scanning a certain QR code, following a link, or getting to a certain location.
If an AppClip is not used for 30 days, it is automatically deleted from the iPhone. They are as safe to use as regular apps because App Store moderators review them, so users should not be concerned about privacy.
Creating app clips is an important stage in developing an iOS app, and its success is a watershed moment for the overall success of your application. Make it eye-catching and comprehensively informative for your users.
- CloudKit
Cloud-based iOS apps deserve to be listed separately among the top iOS app development trends for 2023. They can store, organize, and manage massive amounts of data while maintaining a positive user experience.
CloudKit is a data storage and transfer tool that expands the possibilities for developing an iOS app. There are fewer constraints in completing complex tasks and meeting the app’s users’ expectations.
- iBeacon
Businesses, particularly those in the retail industry, can now benefit from iBeacon, a new BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) technology that can be used to improve any shopping experience. It is far more accurate than GPS and can be used inside buildings.
When potential customers walk nearby, iBeacon can send highly targeted marketing messages such as special offers, coupons, advertisements, reminders, etc. This technology will fundamentally alter how businesses communicate with their customers.
iBeacon technology is not just for retail; it can also be used in hotels, airports, museums, restaurants, stadiums, theme parks, hospitals, schools, etc. Beacons are quickly gaining popularity as a new marketing tool, and developing apps powered by this technology will be in high demand.
- Security
Although privacy is always at the bottom of the list of current iOS trends, it is important to consider when developing an iOS app. A modern smartphone stores passwords for websites such as banking and social networks, app data, chat history, search queries, and so on. Given the increased number of hackers, users’ sensitive data must be safeguarded.
Businesses suffer significant losses as a result of cybersecurity issues. The average cost of a data breach in 2021 will be $4.24 million. Furthermore, high levels of security encourage more consumers to download the app because they are confident in the security of their data.
Apple is well-known for its various features that contribute to an excellent security system. For example, creating an iOS app will include App Transport Security (ATS) by default. It was introduced in iOS 9 and provided a higher level of privacy for all newly published iOS apps while also strengthening secure connections. TLS pinning and end-to-end encryption are two other features that protect data transmission.
Another vulnerable aspect that app developers must pay close attention to is data storage. Apple employs sandboxing, key chains, and data protection API to ensure that apps store user data securely.
Hopefully, in the coming years, the commitment to impenetrable security will become standard routine practice for developers across platforms, rather than just one of the iOS app development trends.
Final Thoughts
Modern tools and solutions open up new avenues for iOS app development. They make the development process easier, the technical quality of the applications better, and the user experiences better.
Building an iOS app may be a time- and energy-intensive endeavor. After all, it’s difficult to keep track of all the current trends, let alone the organic manifestations of those ideas. Hiring an iOS app development company in the UK may be the most cost-effective option.