5 Mobile Trends To Lookout For in a Post-COVID-19 World
There is no denying the fact that global pandemic COVID-19 has resulted in huge financial loss to all the industries having a direct impact on the economy of the countries. Even if we get rid of the COVID-19 threat, it will take time for the economy to regain its strength and stability. While many sectors are reducing or closing down their operations in the wake of current crises, some are going up the ladder of progress and those are virtual technologies that are responsible for reducing human interaction, automating the tasks without human intervention and increasing productivity.
So clearly companies are adapting to the new and advanced business trends as it is the need of the hour and soon these trends are expected to overpower the traditional business standards.
So here are the five emerging mobile trends that businesses must keep an eye on in order to adjust to post-COVID-19 market situation:
Emerging Mobile Trends
5G Internet Connectivity -
Since last year there is an echo of 5G technology and its impact on the internet connectivity and services. 5G is not a single level ahead of 4G but it is the entirely new network infrastructure. Now you must be thinking that despite 5G connectivity being so potent why is it not yet in the flow? It is because the telecom companies were not sure of its demand from the consumer's side.
Because of COVID-19 and the immediate need for businesses to shift to digital platforms, 5G connectivity is expected to arrive in the market sooner than it was expected. People are now forced to isolate themselves and work/study from home that is burdening the networks resulting in an increase in demand for higher frequency.
However, now the need for change in the frequency of internet connectivity can be felt, it is quite possible to have 5G connectivity soon in the market which will not only enhance the speed but also help us eliminate the current challenges we are facing due to existing technologies.
Cloud-based Working -
Just like 5G connectivity, cloud computing is likely to gain a hike in terms of demand. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were cloud-based mobile applications that went on-air and were widely adopted by people. In the post-COVID-19 scenario, many mobile applications will be using cloud-based technology, like cloud-based video conferencing (for online work and classes), gaming, etc.
Several cloud service providers including Zoom and Microsoft have upgraded their systems to meet the demand.
Countries like China have initiated cloud-based Online Classroom Function (free) for students of schools and universities so that their studies are not hindered amid the COVID-19 crises. To support millions, online sessions are being broadcasted and anyone with the internet and desktop can benefit from the online classes.
However, with the education and businesses shifting to digital platforms (as the patterns are now changing) the demand for the technology will grow leading to more and more mobile applications acquiring the utility.
Artificial Intelligence -
Technological changes that are accepted by the consumers amid COVID-19 are not going back to traditional methods. Like, if a consumer is shopping online and is comfortable then he/she is likely to continue online shopping post-COVID 19 also. As the economy will slowly revive after companies especially supply and retail chains will have to adopt AI technologies.
Through machine learning and advanced data analytics, AI will let these companies explore new purchasing patterns and accordingly work to give a personalized experience to customers.
Letting the computer systems make decisions, predict human behavior, identify human speech and images, AI will help companies to analyze huge data and this functionality will be extremely valuable for the companies while they will make a place in the post-pandemic market. This is surely going to be a next-level technological reform.
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) -
Virtual Reality has become a new trend this pandemic more and more people are attracted to VR as they are isolated at homes. People are diverted towards playing VR games, exploring travel destinations through VR and using VR social platforms as the medium for human interaction (like Rec Room, AltspaceVR, Bigscreen, and VRChat). According to eMarketer, VR headset maker, HTC held its first virtual “VIVE Ecosystem Conference” completely in VR.
Not only that businesses are also using VR technology to set up virtual meetings, conferences, project discussions and connecting employees virtually. The March 2020 event, which had around 2,000 registrants from more than 55 countries, had their first physical industry event completely replaced by extended reality (XR), an umbrella term that includes VR, augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR).
So now that businesses are aware and adapting to the usage of VR technology, it is highly expected to find more virtual conferences and online human interaction than normal meetings.
Voice Technology for Mobile Apps -
As consumers are becoming a bit extra conscious about the spread of coronavirus germs (especially through mobile surfaces as it is the most touched device) will adopt the voice technology to reduce the number of times one touches his smartphone.
A survey in 2019 conveyed that US smart speaker owners have started using mobile devices to ask general questions, play music, get sports or news updates and a lot more.
The voice technology is expected to extend to other smart-home components that have a threat of being major germ hubs. Like TVs, lights, switches, plumbing fixtures, appliances and other components will use the technology to reduce the times we need to touch them.
Conclusion
So as we noticed above, COVID-19 has brought many digital technologies to the limelight that were earlier unrecognized and the trends that are currently being adopted by the businesses are likely to remain in the post-COVID-19 market. By staying up to date with the emerging technologies and side by side investing in the correct technology will not only help businesses with progress but will mitigate the risks that are associated with the corona pandemic and keep moving without any hindrance.