How to find a reliable app developer?

Once you have done your research and chosen the type of app developer you want to work with for your project, it is important to find a reliable person or company. The best way to do this is by checking out their previous work and getting feedback from others who may have used them in the past.

By choosing the right candidate or company, you will get someone with experience who knows how to present their work to compete for downloads and sales. They will also be able to provide all the necessary technical know-how along with marketing skills such as SEO (Search Engine Optimization), pay-per-click campaigns and social media marketing.

In addition to knowing how to market your app online, they should also be aware of offline strategies like press releases, direct mail, and events. After all, you want the world to know about your product, but it’s important that they do their research to determine which channels are likely to yield the best results.

If your app developer or company understands how today’s market works, they should also be able to break down costs into hourly rates, flat rates, or even performance-based fees if unexpected issues arise during the development of your app. Not only will they know what types of apps are most popular with the public right now, but they will also have experience working on similar projects.

The bottom line is that hiring an excellent app developer can save you time, money, and headaches because they have one goal – to get your product developed quickly while getting it noticed by the public. In addition to knowing how to market their products, they should also know what makes a successful app and how to take it from concept all the way through to launch events.

There are many benefits to hiring an app developer or company, so keep looking until you find one that can meet your requirements while staying within your budget.

Benefits of hiring an app developer

If you’re looking to hire an app developer, keep reading because we’ll tell you why it’s worth searching for one who can meet all your requirements and stay within your budget. By understanding what makes a successful product and how to best market it to get noticed, they should also be able to provide you with some great ideas along with the technical know-how needed to turn them into reality.

Once you have chosen an app developer or company, ask them if they can provide references from past clients who were satisfied with their work. This will give you an idea of ​​the quality of their service as well as whether they were able to complete projects on time, stay within budget, and fulfill all promises. If they can’t provide references, they may not be willing to give up some potential business to provide contacts. So keep looking until you find someone who is willing to do everything they can to ensure your product is successful from the start.

While many app developers and companies work on an hourly rate, there are others who charge a flat fee for their services, so make sure you know what types of payment methods they accept before you give them your contact information or send any money. You don’t want to hire someone and only find out later that they’re going to cost more than you expected because they use different rates for different types of contracts.

Anyone who has experience creating apps will understand how difficult it can be, especially when you’re starting from scratch and aren’t even sure what type of app you want to create. If that’s the case, it’s up to your app developer or company to come up with ideas that can be translated into a product that’s well-received by the public. Not only do they need to understand how apps work, but they also need to know what makes a successful product and how to best market it to get noticed.

In addition to having experience in creating apps, an app developer or company should also be able to know what makes a good app, along with understanding market developments, which means they already have some good ideas for new products. It may take longer than usual, but sometimes you have to put quality of service ahead of a quick turnaround time.

Any good app developer and company should have a portfolio showing some of the apps they’ve created to give you an idea of ​​the type of work they do. If not, ask yourself why not, because it’s important for potential clients to get a sense of your ability before parting with their cash. Additionally, any company that promises the world but can’t back up its promises with real-world examples will only disappoint you in the end.

Don’t expect all freelance app developers and companies to charge by the hour, as there are others who prefer flat rates or even contingent fees when things take longer than expected. With flat rates, both parties know what the total cost is going to be before you agree to a contract, while contingent fees usually depend on how successful your product is. Of course, this also means you’ll have to pay more if it turns out to be a failure, so make sure all terms and conditions are explained in detail before you sign a contract.

Regardless of the type of payment methods an app developer or company uses, it’s always worth checking to see if they include all costs up front, even when there may not seem to be any hidden costs. This is because some developers and companies add extras that may be difficult for you to discover until after the contract has been accepted. Always make sure that everything covered by their services is included in the price, along with getting a copy of all terms and conditions, just in case something is missing.

Hiring an app developer or company can be one of the best decisions you ever make, but only if they provide the service you need. The most important thing to remember is that there are plenty of options out there, so don’t rush your decision because you won’t get a second chance. Take your time to find someone who is deserving, while also finding a price that fits your budget, that way neither of you will end up disappointed.

How much does it cost to develop an app?

If you are wondering how much it costs to develop an app, you should consider your options when looking for the right person or company. This involves finding someone who has a proven track record of creating successful apps, while also getting a feel for their pricing structure to determine whether or not they are affordable. One of the most important things you need to know is that there will be hidden costs, and while this may not seem like the case at first, it will become more noticeable once you enter into a contract with them. Always make sure that nothing is lost because it could end up costing you more than you expected if the terms and conditions are not clear.

Mobile app developers and companies offer all kinds of services such as design, app development, testing, and maintenance, so you need to make sure that they can do what you want before you part with your money. In this regard, having a portfolio of apps they have created is a great way for them to showcase their skills while also giving potential clients an idea of ​​the type of services they provide. With this in mind, it is always worth asking if they include any additional charges, just in case something has been overlooked from the price or if there are any hidden costs. Their terms and conditions should also be explained clearly so that you understand everything from start to finish.

A common misconception among most people is that when hiring app developers, companies charge by the hour because some prefer flat rates. This method works both ways because you know exactly what the final cost will be, while also being combined with a guarantee that all services are included. This means that there are no unexpected fees, which can occur when things take longer than expected because it is an agreement between the developer or company and the client. However, some companies prefer to use contingent fees in case your product is not as successful as it could have been, so make sure to read all their terms and conditions.

For most people, hiring a freelance app developer or company sounds like a daunting task, but if they deliver on everything, this is one of the best decisions you could ever make. The most important thing to remember before parting with your money is that there are plenty of different options out there, so don’t rush your decision because you won’t get a second chance. Their terms and conditions should also be fully explained, which is why it’s always worth asking if they include any additional fees, just in case something has been overlooked from the price or if there are any hidden costs.

In conclusion, how much it costs to develop an app will depend on the service you need from the developer or company, as well as your budget. This involves finding someone who can do everything you want while ensuring that nothing is lost from their services. Their terms and conditions should also be fully explained so that there are no misunderstandings when you contract with them. With this in mind, how much it costs to develop an app will vary depending on the service you need, so make sure that nothing is lost before you part with your money.

Price of a Small App

Cost: R45,000 – R90,000

Time: 100 – 200 hours @ R950/hour
Features: The app contains few screens where some content is presented. It uses few or none of the phone’s functions (Bluetooth, camera, GPS, etc.). There is no control panel from which to control the app, and no integrations to other systems.

Price of a Medium App

Cost: R95,000 – R375,000

Time: 250 – 1,000 hours @ R950/hour
Features: The app contains several screens where content is presented. It uses multiple phone functions (Bluetooth, camera, GPS, etc.), includes a moderately advanced control panel, and may integrate with other systems.
In local terms, these are typically apps for businesses seeking to streamline operations or deliver richer customer experiences.

Price of a Large App

Cost: R390,000 – R750,000

Time: 1,300 – 2,500 hours @ R900/hour
Features: The app contains many screens with content and uses several of the phone’s functions. It has a comprehensive control panel and system integrations.

Price of a Very Large App

Cost: R800,000 – R1,250,000+

Time: 3,200+ hours @ R750/hour
Features: This type of app includes numerous advanced content screens, uses many phone functions, features a complex control panel, and requires advanced integrations to external systems. Such apps might include platforms with real-time data sync, offline support, advanced user roles, or integrations into legacy systems.

What Affects an App Development Price?

Many factors influence the cost of an app, but in general, the more hours development takes, the more expensive the app. To answer the question “how much does an app cost,” you must look at the number of hours required.

There are four primary elements that affect app pricing:

• The design of the app
• The app features
• The devices the app must support
• The technology in which the app is developed

Businesses should also consider:

• Number of platforms (iOS, Android, web)
• Type of app (static, dynamic, database-driven, or game)
• Number of screens required
• Backend requirements and third-party integrations
• Post-launch costs (support, hosting, updates, marketing)

Fixed Price on App Development

While a prototype cannot access mobile features like the camera or GPS, it can mimic those interactions using predefined visuals to illustrate intended behaviour. This realistic user journey helps clarify the app’s structure and functionality.

Once the prototype is complete, we can accurately estimate the required development hours and provide a 100% fixed price and delivery timeline. It also ensures stakeholder alignment, reduces costly revisions, and enables more efficient project planning and budgeting.

Requirement Specification

Traditionally, requirement specifications were lengthy, technical documents filled with abstract descriptions and basic screen illustrations that were not pixel perfect. This made them difficult to understand without an IT background or prior experience in software projects.

We’ve adopted a more user-friendly approach. Our requirement specifications are designed to be clear and accessible to everyone, including those with no technical expertise. They consist of two key components: a pixel-perfect, clickable prototype that visually represents every screen of the app, and a short, illustrated text document that explains any technical aspects not visible in the prototype.

Prototype

The prototype is the core component of our requirement specification. It includes all the screens your app will contain and is fully clickable, allowing you to experience the app’s structure and flow. Each screen is designed in pixel-perfect detail, so you’ll know exactly what you’re getting before development begins. This visual format ensures clarity and accessibility for everyone—without the need for complex technical documentation.

Text Document with Accompanying Illustrations

Alongside the prototype, we provide a short text document that explains aspects of the app not visible in the visual design—for example, the type of database used. This document is supported by relevant illustrations and written in plain, non-technical language so that anyone can understand it, regardless of their technical background.

The Overall Requirement Specification

Our complete requirement specification consists of two components: a pixel-perfect, clickable prototype and a concise text document with supporting illustrations. This approach ensures that the specification is easy to understand—even for clients with no prior experience in app development.
We create the specification in close collaboration with you. In the initial phase, you share your app’s purpose, goals, desired features, and functionality. From there, we combine your business insight, industry knowledge, and audience understanding with our app development expertise to shape the requirements.
As the specification evolves, we present you with tangible outputs at each stage. You can provide feedback, suggest changes, and request additions—which we incorporate until the final version fully meets your expectations.

Once approved, the requirement specification clearly defines what will—and will not—be delivered. This clarity allows us to provide a precise fixed-price quote and an accurate project timeline.

What Is the Cost of Native App Development Compared to Cross-Platform App Development?

What Is Native App Development?

When developing a native app, it is only compatible with the operating system for which it was developed. It can either be iOS or Android. If you want the app to work on both iOS and Android, you need to develop two separate apps.

When developing native apps, there are no limitations and anything is possible.

When we develop the iOS app, we do it in the programming language Swift (we can also develop in Objective C if you wish). When we make apps for Android, we do it in Kotlin (we can also develop in Java if you wish).

What Is Cross-Platform App Development?

Cross-platform app development is a modern approach that allows a single codebase to run on both iOS and Android. Instead of building two separate apps, you develop and maintain just one—saving both time and cost.

To explain how this works, think of it like Google Translate: you write text in Danish, press a button, and instantly get a version in English, Spanish, or German. Similarly, with cross-platform frameworks, your development tool can generate both Android and iOS versions of the app from a single source code.

Popular technologies for cross-platform development include Microsoft MAUI (previously Xamarin), React Native, and Flutter. At iSolve Mobility, we have extensive experience with MAUI/Xamarin and also offer development in React Native and Flutter, depending on your needs and preferences.

What Is the Price Difference?

Cross-platform apps are generally much more cost-effective to develop than building two separate native apps for iOS and Android. However, there are certain limitations. Cross-platform technologies are less suited for performance-intensive applications like mobile games, or apps that require advanced features such as virtual or augmented reality. In such cases, native development typically delivers better performance and deeper hardware integration.

When a project is suitable for cross-platform development, we usually recommend it because it’s more affordable to build and maintain. However, we always conduct a detailed assessment to determine the best approach. If native development is the better fit based on your app’s goals and technical requirements, we will recommend that route instead.
The choice between native and cross-platform should be guided by the specific needs of your project. For example, apps like Facebook and Instagram use cross-platform frameworks, while performance-driven apps like Spotify and Pokémon Go are developed natively.

The decision often comes down to available resources and long-term objectives. Cross-platform development provides a faster, more affordable route to market—especially ideal for MVPs or internal tools. Native development, while more costly, remains the best option for feature-rich apps

How Much Does an MVP App Cost?

Many respected business strategists advocate starting with an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) when developing an app. One of the most prominent proponents is Eric Ries, who outlines the value of MVPs in his bestselling book The Lean Startup. At iSolve Mobility, we strongly support this approach.

An MVP is a strategic way to minimise risk and maximise learning. It allows you to build only the most essential features needed to test your app’s core concept with real users—before investing time and money into full-scale development. This avoids the common pitfall of developing features that seem valuable in theory but are ultimately not used or needed.
By launching a simplified version of your app, you can gather actionable feedback early and use it to iteratively improve your product. This process not only speeds up time to market but also helps confirm whether there’s genuine demand for your app.
Developing an MVP also reduces costs. With fewer features to build, development hours—and expenses—are significantly lower. This is especially important for start-ups or companies with limited budgets.

An MVP is not the final product, but rather a starting point for learning and validation. It helps answer critical questions such as: Is there a real market for this app? Will users engage with it? Which features do they value most?

Once user feedback is collected and analysed, you can refine and scale your app based on real-world insights—ensuring better alignment with user needs and greater long-term success.

In short, an MVP offers a cost-effective, low-risk pathway to launching a functional product while gaining valuable data from your target audience.

The Price of an MVP App

The cost of your MVP app depends entirely on how many hours are required for development. For instance, if it takes between 100 and 200 hours to build, the total cost will range from R45,000 to R90,000.

In the South African market, MVP development typically ranges from R0 to R225,000, depending on the complexity of the app and the number of essential features included. This makes MVPs an ideal option for start-ups and innovators working within limited budgets who still want to validate their ideas and enter the market quickly.

If you’d like a customised estimate for developing your MVP, feel free to get in touch with us.

Pricing Models for App Development

Fixed Project Price

90% of our clients choose a fixed-price agreement for their app development projects. This approach gives you full cost certainty before development begins. To provide an accurate fixed quote, we first need to understand your app vision—such as the desired features, target devices (phones, tablets, smartwatches, etc.), and design requirements. For larger or more complex apps, creating a prototype is often necessary before we can offer a precise quote.

With a fixed-price agreement, the effective hourly rate is significantly lower—often well below R750 per hour.
In the South African market, fixed-pricing is especially valuable for budget-conscious organisations that need to control costs and avoid overruns. However, achieving this clarity requires a clearly defined scope and, ideally, a detailed prototype.

Hourly Rate

While we generally recommend fixed-price agreements for app development, we also offer hourly rate models for clients who prefer flexibility. Our standard hourly rate is capped at R1,200, with discounted rates available for larger volumes of hours.

This pricing model is ideal for ongoing maintenance, support, or incremental feature updates—particularly when the project scope is fluid or subject to change.

App Development with Low Budget
If you’re working with a limited budget, we offer flexible solutions to help you get started. One option is to begin with an MVP (Minimum Viable Product), focusing only on the most essential features to test your idea and gather user feedback before committing to full-scale development.
Let us know your budget, and we’ll help outline what’s possible within it. Thanks to our streamlined processes and competitive pricing, we can deliver more value for your investment than many other app development agencies—both in Denmark and abroad.

In South Africa, where cost-efficiency is often a priority, aligning the app’s scope to your available resources is key. By prioritising high-impact features and using efficient technologies like cross-platform frameworks or reusable components, we help you launch a quality product without exceeding your budget.

We’re always happy to consult with you and tailor a development plan that fits your goals and financial constraints.

FAQ’s

Improve team communication in the business through mobile apps.

The spread of COVID-19 has led to unprecedented measures, first by governments and then businesses, trying to limit the spread of the corona virus. In addition to restricting travel and cancelling large events across South Africa and the world, countless people were actively encouraged to work from home.

Working remotely under these circumstances meant adapting to a new environment, with the result; a growing number of companies needing to rethink their ways of working and communicating.

In order to continue working efficiently and creating value under these new circumstances, organizations need to understand, accept, and support their employees’ specific situations and needs.

One factor that can influence all of these things is your employee’s mobile apps.

Why is team communication important?

According to a survey by Salesforce, 86% of people attribute workplace failures to lack of collaboration. When working with a remote team, having the right hardware – such as an interactive whiteboard alternative for example, and effective communication applications are of utmost importance.

Now consider the fact that 83% of the world’s workforce is mobile and does not use company email. These workers don’t work primarily at a desk or computer, either––leaving ample room for miscommunication, and missed communication.

Yet it can be safely assumed to have their phones on them at all times.

Whether your company has 50 employees or 5,000, a focused internal communication strategy is a key ingredient for success. From frontline workers to management, a team communication app provides equal access to information, which builds teamwork and drives productivity.

Overall, team chat apps are used by organisations for three key reasons — they save time, encourage collaboration, and increase productivity. Team communication apps allow you to keep all your businesses’ communications in one place which makes it easier for everyone to keep open team communication going, to stay on top of work, check progress and share files.

As a communicator, that means that every time you forgo utilizing employee communications apps on mobile devices as a part of your strategy, you’re throwing your resources in with a declining trend and forcing your employees to change habits.

Your time and budgets aren’t endless — so why not use them to take advantage of a growing opportunity?

What are team-based messaging applications?

To start, let’s look at a definition of team-based messaging applications.

Team based messaging applications is software that can be used on any electronic device – mobile phone, laptop, tablet, or interactive display – that focus on instant messaging and voice and video call, but with the crucial element that they are centred on team chat.

This means that IM groups and remote conferencing can all feature in these team-based messaging applications.

Why should you use mobile applications to improve workplace communication?

As a centrepiece of our modern lives, mobile devices have made personal and business communication easier than ever. Communicating with friends or even potential new clients hundreds of kilometres way is as simple as sending a text or chatting via video apps like Snapchat and FaceTime.

Here are a few keyways that an internal mobile app will overhaul and enhance a company’s communication in the workplace.

1. Real time communication

Time is a company’s most valuable resource. When a company needs to communicate effectively, time is of the essence. It can also be said that adequate time is the hardest resource to obtain.

With a mobile messaging app, communication is significantly improved in real time, by providing information in an easily accessible manner. Team members can send short snippets of information back and forth without clogging up their inboxes. For example, thanks to push notifications, which can be either user-specific or companywide, all employees will be aware of the latest updates and important news.

Examples of real-time information that apps help distribute in a more efficient way include:

• Essential company news and updates
• Company safety and security announcement
• Parking and shuttle bus information
• Corporate directories
• Workforce-Wide Unified Communications
• And more

2. More Efficient Workflows

Consider Domino’s Pizza for example with over 14,000 storefronts worldwide. Human Resource used to handle all communication to managers and frontline staff, such as food delivery information and scheduling via email, which proved time-consuming.

By utilising Beekeeper, an internal communication platform and app Domino’s delegated much its communication through this, allowing HR to focus on other people management priorities.

3. Task Management Features

A work messaging app should provide more than text messaging does. Sharing information through a team communication app empowers employees with the ability to answer customer questions, set up a recurring to-do list, and track progress towards long-term targets, develop new task lists and assign action items to co-workers and tag them so they get an instant notification, making it easy to track the overall progress in any project.

This improves employee experience, leading to better customer service and ultimately, better customer loyalty.

4. Employee feedback and engagement.

With an internal app, companies may wish to include modules that can be added for special events or communication initiatives. For example, a mobile app is a great way to collect employee feedback and/or have them take surveys. In this way, apps can be used to collect valuable information, not just disseminate “need to know” info.

This valuable feedback allows a company to improve policies and procedures to keep employee engagement a priority.

5. Centralised information resource

Keeping track of company data and correspondence is overwhelming when internal communication is spread out across an information highway of email, paper, and verbal correspondence.

A team app can centralize internal communication and information such as schedules and pay slips, or general company news, in a user-friendly, secure team communication app and portal where employees can access it easily.

6. Eliminate the Hierarchy Gap

Without an internal communications strategy, the relationship between management and their frontline workforce suffers. The vast majority of mobile workers say they hear from the corporate office only a few times a year, and only when big announcements are made.

A team communication app provides multiple paths, such as activity streams, chatbots, and group chats, to ensure your entire workforce has access to the same information.

When a previously non-digitized segment of the workforce is suddenly given access to information they can access at will, they feel more like a valued member of the team. Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that satisfied employees engage more with their colleagues and work harder.

7. Automatic Reporting Features

Who wants to go through stacks of unorganised data to get the reports they need?

The best work messaging apps automatically records individual and team performance and generates the necessary numbers and customisable reports, about your most important goals that anyone can easily understand.

Intuitive business applications let team members customise what types of reports they receive and determine how often they receive them. Leaders can automatically get emails that outline the progress towards individual team members’ tasks and departmental targets providing them with the ability to make good business decisions, anytime, anywhere by providing insights regarding how to reach those goals.

When choosing a team communication app what should you look for?

There is an ever-growing number of team communication apps to choose from — and for good reason.
Real-time communication is an essential business tool for collaboration, team productivity and knowledge sharing, especially as workforces become more dispersed across cities and even countries.

How do you choose?

Companies should choose software that meets their individual needs. To help you find the right app for your team, we’ve put together 5 five key factors to consider when evaluating your options.

1. Ease of Use

Ease of use on mobile is particularly important for frontline workers who rely on mobile devices on the job and don’t have the time to deal with complicated apps. Also consider the various age-groups of your employees, each comes with their own technology comfort levels and work habits.

Navigating these differences means finding an app that is familiar and easy to use. Without high adoption, you won’t be able to leverage the true value of real-time communication.

2. Multiple Modes of Communication

Not every app supports every mode of communication. There are intranets, video conferencing apps, employee alert systems; instant messaging apps, the list goes on.

The problem? Teams need to communicate in a variety of modes and it’s frustrating when you have to juggle multiple apps, especially if you are on the road or client facing.

When choosing a team communication app or software product look for one that combines multiple modes of communication into one platform.

3. Powerful Group Capabilities

An effective team communication app will allow you and your employees to organize conversations into manageable groups, based on task, departments, and job functions.

Groups allow you to keep conversations focused on a specific topic with all the right people. Typically, each team or department will have its own group, as well as groups for specific projects and events as well as a few fun social groups.

Key group features to look for are the ability to:

• Create open groups that anyone can join, as well as closed groups.
• Provide access to the company directory to generate groups that match your company structure/functions.
• Mute conversations that aren’t critical.
• Share files and start conference calls between groups.
• Search for old conversations and files, on all the groups.
• All users to create short-term ad-hoc conversations.

4. Administration

It’s crucial for your team communication app to provide central administration so you can easily manage groups, provision users, and set data management policies.

Administrative power is a significant differentiator between enterprise apps and consumer apps.

With proper administration, you have control over your data, can ensure the platform is configured to meet your needs and most importantly, you can immediately remove all access to the app and its data when employees leave the company.

5. Workflow Integrations

The best team communication apps must allow you to communicate in the context of work being done. Integrations into key workflow systems must allow for a seamless experience that doesn’t require users to bounce between platforms while collaborating.

6. Pay attention to privacy options

Collaborating with teams doesn’t mean all conversations and files should be public.

Sometimes, you’ll want team members to have private conversations or work on sensitive projects. Make sure you look at privacy options before you choose a service.

7. Opt for the cloud

Cloud-based technology has many advantages.

Most notably are version control headaches, by allowing you to see recent edits and activity. All information is stored online so everyone can be on the same page, no matter where they are.

8. integrations and compatibility

Integrations are key. Compatibility is also important.

Look for tools that seamlessly integrate with other apps or backend software. For example, your tools should support all the file types your team normally uses.

Conclusion

Managing virtual teams is fundamentally different from regular work teams. It needs planning, coordination, and intentional management.

And while remote communication can be tricky, with the right tools, it becomes a piece-of-cake!

What is the future of mobile app development and communication?

Fifty years ago, the communication tools we rely on today were only science fiction. Today, on even the most basic smartphone you can make calls, watch video’s, listen to music, surf the Web, play games, run applications and accomplish more than most speculative science fiction writers dared to dream.

We’ve become accustomed to using our smartphones for everything from listening to music, taking pictures, reading news and posting on social media to shopping and making financial transactions. For many people, smartphones have taken the place of once common everyday implements like tape measures, flashlights and wristwatches.

But with technological progress moving at breakneck speed these days, it’s strange to think that the smartphone, and how we communicate as we know it has a limited life expectancy.

So, what’s next?

Smartphones and mobile devices will look different

In the short term, we’ll likely see basic cell phones slowly fade away. As smartphones become more common and less expensive, more people will adopt them. In the future your smartphones will also look and serve you in a much different way than it does now.

Which leads to the big question; what’s going to replace the smartphone? Advances in technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, flexible frames, holographic displays and wearable electronics will spawn a new generation of devices that could change our everyday existence even more than the smartphone did.

It’s a pretty safe bet to say that they won’t be palm-sized rectangles with glass screens — or any screen at all, for that matter. And they may not even be a single gadget. Some futurologists predict that the smartphone will give way to personal area networks — clusters of tiny gadgets concealed in beads in a necklace or built into eyeglasses or contact lenses.

The fact is clear, the transition we’re about to experience is that we’re going to go from accessing the internet to living in the internet.

5G Technology

It’s been nearly a decade in the making, but 5G is finally becoming a reality in South Africa. Vodacom started rolling out its 5G network to Johannesburg, Cape Town and Pretoria in early May 2020.

5G is the 5th generation of mobile networks, a significant evolution of today’s 4G LTE networks. 5G has been designed to meet the need for faster connections, greater capacity due to the very large growth in data and connectivity of today’s modern society, the internet of things with billions of connected devices, and tomorrow’s innovations.

So, what will 5G enable? There are three major categories of use case for 5G:

• A basic app an application with simple functionality that requires approximately 350-700 hours on development.
• A medium complexity app takes from 700 to 1,000 hours.
• A sophisticated app, with a backend and api integrations in most cases, exceeds 1,200 hours on development.

Cost:

• Massive machine to machine communications – also called the Internet of Things (IoT) 5G, has the potential to impact various industries and revolutionise modern industrial processes and applications including agriculture, automotive, healthcare manufacturing and business communications.
• Ultra-reliable low latency communications – Low latency communications also opens up a new world where remote medical care, procedures, and treatment are all possible. It will allow for the mission critical control of devices, industrial robotics, vehicle to vehicle communications and safety systems, autonomous driving and safer transport networks in real-time.
• Enhanced mobile broadband – providing significantly faster data speeds and greater capacity keeping the world connected.
• New revenue streams – It has been observed that the 5G network has the possibility to unlock up to $12.3 trillion of revenue, crosswise a broad range of telecom industries.
• Creating new growth and jobs – It is predictable that by the year 2035, the output from the global value chain of 5G (network operators) will be superior to what the entire mobile value chain is at present.

What will the benefits be?

• For communities – 5G will enable the connection of billions of devices for our smart cities, smart schools and smart homes, smart and safer vehicles, enhance health care and education, and provide a safer and more efficient place to live.
• For businesses and industry – 5G and IoT will pave the way for cost savings, better customer experience and long-term growth, as a result off a wealth of data allowing them to gain insights into their operations like never before. Businesses will operate and make key decisions driven by data, innovate in agriculture, smart farms and manufacturing.
• New and emerging technologies – Virtual and augmented reality will be accessible by everyone, providing shared and connected experiences that were not possible before.

Trends that will define the Future of Mobile Application Development

It is an undeniable fact that data is the future of mobile communications. While most of today’s services are already based on this premise, even voice calling, as we know it today, is guaranteed to become obsolete in the coming years. This means that no matter what people do on their device, businesses will need to create an app for that.

Moreover, since this transformation brings convenience for users and a whole set of benefits for businesses, to capitalize on these opportunities, executives must take bold action to transform their businesses.

So, what can we expect?

1. Artificial intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence has penetrated our mobile world, and everyday we are seeing more advancements in mobile AI. You may be familiar with some of these:

• Alexa
• Siri
• Cortana
• Google Assistant

Not only can and will AI software help developers and marketers learn more about the user, ultimately, they will use this technology to extract insights about your users for attaining the output you desire.

2. Wearable Devices

Wearable devices connected with smartphones will open up new opportunities for vendors, app developers, and accessory makers.

These gadgets will communicate with mobile applications to deliver information in new ways, it also means that the smartphone will become the hub of a personal-area network consisting of wearable gadgets such as on-body healthcare sensors, smart jewellery, smart watches, display devices and a variety of sensors embedded in clothes and shoes.

This in turn will enable a wide range of products and services in areas such as sport, fitness, fashion, hobbies and healthcare.

Take Fitbit as an example. All the movements of a person wearing it can be tracked through an app. Users can check their heart rates and how many miles they walked in a day, among other things.

By syncing with mobile devices, these apps can be used socially as well. People can compare their progress with their friends and make it a competition.

3. The Internet of Things (IoT) and mobile connect smart devices

Gartner says there will be 26 billion connected devices by 2020 which includes several hundred smart objects that will all form part of the Internet of Things and will communicate through an App on a smartphone or tablet.

These domestic smart objects, such as LED light bulbs, toys, domestic appliances, sports equipment, medical devices and controllable power sockets etc. will all be remote controlled by smartphones and tablets, displaying and analyzing information, interfacing with social networks to monitor “things” that can tweet or post, paying for subscription services, ordering replacement consumables and updating object firmware.

4. M-Commerce

Increasing popularity of Tap and Go, SnapScan and other mobile payment gateways will facilitate purchases using the mobile phones instead of debit or credit cards. This will require developers to build a mobile application that can process transactions without the need of physical debit/credit cards or cash.

Coupled with wearables that can process payments m-commerce will take a different shape. Beyond data collection and predictive analytics, wearables will also play a key role in the future of mobile payments and customer loyalty.

5. Motion and location sensing and tracking

Knowing an individual’s location to within a few meters is useful for providing highly relevant contextual information and services such as games, vehicle navigation, and fitness apps, not to mention for security and emergency medical assistance services.

Most mobile phones have location sensor capabilities which use multiple positioning methods to provide different granularities of location data. In the future technologies such as smart lighting will also become important. Precise indoor location sensing, combined with mobile applications, will enable a new generation of extremely personalized services and information.

A very topical example would be the Covid-19 pandemic, and how the Chinese government is using tracking apps to try and keep the spread of Covid-19 in check while the country moves toward lifting the lockdown.

For the full explanation on how they are doing it please see here.

6. Innovative mobile user experience design

Remember when everyone was going crazy about Pokemon Go? The entire premise of that game was based on augmented reality on a mobile device.
We found some mind-blowing statistics about the game and how successful it was:

• over 800 million downloads
• more than 5 million daily active users
• $1.2 billion total revenue

Those numbers speak for themselves. Based on the success of apps such as Pokemon Go, Snapchat, and Instagram, more businesses have been trying to incorporate augmented reality into their mobile technology.

On the other end of the spectrum you will find virtual reality, which is not quite the same as augmented reality. You’ll need more than just a smartphone to experience virtual reality.

Typically, a helmet or some type of goggles gets used simultaneously with your mobile device. This technology may even come with a joystick or controller.

It is a given that effective display of data and content on your mobile user interface will gain increased importance for a sound user experience. This means that all organizations will have to master new skills and work with new partners to meet growing user expectations

7. Enterprise mobile management and mobility

Enterprise mobile management (EMM) is a set of people, processes, and technology using mobile computing for streamlining businesses. The main dimensions of EMM are security, application management, workflows and financial management.

We predict; the market for Enterprise Ready apps and mobile services will grow hugely in a few years to come. Such tools will mature, grow in scope and eventually address a wide range of mobile management needs across all popular Operating Systems on smartphones, tablets, and PCs.

The skills required in building enterprise apps are in greater demand than ever now compelling businesses to take mobility seriously. Businesses should keep an eye on these trends to align their mobile application development strategies.