Mobile Trends in 2022: Why the Future Will Fit in Your Pocket

Mobile technology trends are driving us towards exciting new places. This blog highlights some key mobile trends according to 100+ IT leaders.

Mobile trends are creating a new future, one where businesses can reach customers in new ways and in new places. In fact, SMEs now have the ability to create their own affordable no-code or low-code apps. It’s now easier than ever to fit into customer’s lives and pockets.

We’re living in a time when nearly everyone is carrying a super-computer at all times throughout the day. Consumers are carrying a tool that allows for instantaneous collaboration and enables spontaneous meetings from anywhere in the world.

In other words, we’re carrying a powerful world in our pocket – a world we could have only dreamed of a few decades ago. But how are today’s businesses making the most out of the nearly limitless possibilities of mobile technology? And where might mobile trends ultimately take us? Learn how to build apps on the Salesforce Platform.

What IT leaders are saying about mobile technology trends

There’s no question about it; today’s businesses have to develop mobile technology to survive. Customers pay attention to mobile technology trends, and IT leaders are starting to as well.

We surveyed over 100 IT leaders from around the world to find out what mobile trends they’re paying attention to, and how they see the future. The results are compiled in our Enterprise Technology Trends report.

Let’s have a look at some numbers surrounding mobile trends:

• 74% of IT leaders say that a lack of mobile access to business apps, data and content will slow business productivity in 2025, yet only 44% see mobile technology as a high priority.
• Only 20% of IT leaders have a completely defined mobile strategy.
• Only 29% of IT leaders have advanced mobile tech skills.
• 100% of IT leaders say that future workplaces will be spread across locations and time zones, and 99% say that businesses must be mobile-enabled to survive in the future.

The report shows that there’s a startling contrast between the number of IT leaders who realise the importance of mobile technology and the number who are actively addressing it. In an increasingly decentralised, post-COVID-19 world, developing mobile technology will only become more of a priority. There’s never been a more important time to pay attention to mobile trends and adapt accordingly.

How mobile trends are shaping the future of business

Perhaps IT leaders are struggling with mobile tech skillsets, as the battle for tech talent is fierce, and not all businesses have leveraged on-demand training platforms to skill up their workforce. Or perhaps SMEs think that developing mobile apps requires significant resources or robust IT departments, and aren’t aware that they can create no-code apps by simply dragging and dropping components. IT leaders can even use AppExchange to find the perfect pre-built solution and then just customise it for their business.

Whatever the roadblock is, they need to find a way to overcome it. After all, one of the most important benefits of following mobile trends is that they can reveal new ways for smaller businesses to keep up with – or get ahead of – their larger counterparts.

Digital transformation is upending the landscape and new benchmarks are set every day. Businesses that can’t keep up with mobile trends will face getting left behind. Many forward-thinking organisations have already untethered their workforces and are reaping the results. And that’s just the start of mobile’s game-changing potential. Let’s take a quick look at a few mobile trends that promise to change the way we live, work and do business.

4 mobile trends reimagining the future

1. Mobile-empowered workforces are collaborating from anywhere

The workforce looks much different than it did a few short years ago. We’re now in an age of remote or hybrid work. Limits of the office are nonexistent and untethered workforces need to stay connected.

IT leaders are developing custom applications that drive efficiency, productivity, and collaboration. Moreover, in the future these apps will be able to use machine-learning in order to adapt to each employee’s unique needs, creating optimal experiences on both an individual and team level.

2. Mobile artificial intelligence promises limitless possibilities

AI is changing the game for businesses and their customers. It’s possible that the future may include:

• AI-powered virtual assistants that do everything from measuring us for a suit to booking the perfect trip.
• Having our financial portfolio is managed by intelligent algorithms trained to anticipate every market fluctuation based on the news cycle.
• Medical software that allows us to have a doctor with us 24/7, accumulating and analysing masses of data to identify any warning signs.

This future isn’t far away, as AI is one of the mobile trends that’s already impacting our everyday lives. Just ask Alexa.

3. The rise of augmented reality means that information is always in the air

Imagine that it’s 3 a.m. and you have a plumbing emergency. Instead of having to wait for the morning or calling out an expensive plumber, you just turn on your mobile’s video camera and let an app perform object measurement, scan relevant manuals, and guide you through the process of fixing it yourself by using augmented reality (AR).

AR is a mobile trend that will change how we interact with the world. For businesses in all industries, the possibilities for showcasing products and experiences using AR are endless.

4. Mobile payments are helping businesses improve their buying experiences

As we move towards a cashless society, mobile payments have become increasingly important. Mobile payment apps like Apple Pay and Google Pay let users leave home without their wallets; they simply tap their phones to pay at the terminal.

Even better, vendors and individuals who can’t process debit or credit cards can use mobile payments to serve their cashless customers. In fact, it’s likely that everything carried in the typical wallet will one day simply be stored on mobiles.

Mobile trends are putting businesses on the road to success

Following mobile trends will help IT leaders:

• Keep up with competitors
• Empower their workforce
• Connect with customers
• Prepare for the future

We found that 83% of IT leaders predict that successful businesses will have transitioned to mobile-first technology by 2025!

For more insights into mobile technology trends — and to see how IT leaders are preparing for the future — check out our Enterprise Technology Trends report.