If you’re reading this, the chances are that you also have a smartphone. And with 70% of the world’s population expected to be using smartphones by 2020, it looks like the hugely-profitable app market will continue to grow.
Already there are a bewildering array of apps for seemingly every task, and here are a few of the most popular app genres.
Social media apps
We’re already familiar with the likes of Facebook and Twitter, but the Facebook Messenger app looks like it could soon be the app to revolutionise the social media world thanks to its increasing dominance of the rapidly-growing messaging realm.
Other developments in the social media sphere include the rise of visual-based apps such as Instagram, as well as the likes of self-destructive social apps such as Snapchat that are introducing a new generation to the concepts of ‘phubbing’.
Entertainment apps
The music industry has been revolutionised through streaming apps such as Spotify and Apple Music, and film and television look to be going the same way with the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime competing to provide a 21st century viewing experience.
The gaming sphere is no less dynamic as manufacturers of overnight success video games like Candy Crush Saga have become the subject of multi-billion dollar bidding wars. Even gambling has been given a modern makeover with Coral’s live casino experience providing a much more convenient way to visit the gaming tables, all from the comfort of your mobile device.
Navigation apps
One of the more revolutionary ways that apps have changed our lives is in the realm of navigation. Apps like Google Maps and Apple Maps now mean that getting lost is now a thing of the past – provided you have a Wi-Fi signal. And user-enhanced mapping tools such as Waze now even allow you have C3PO from Star Wars as your co-pilot.
Even if you’re out in the middle of nowhere, an app can come to your aid. The Compass 360 Pro app should be able to find your bearings in any country in the world, and the Fun Torch app means that you can now use your phone as a multi-coloured light display.
Retail apps
Most major retailers now have their own app with brands such as Amazon keen to provide users with a more mobile-friendly experience. And this convenience has also extended to smaller shops with eBay and Etsy having a range of apps dedicated to sellers and customers alike that can be easily tied into user’s social media accounts to provide an evermore immersive mobile experience.
