2021 may have just begun, but it’s already shaping up to be a promising year for Dogtown Media. We were recently recognized as one of the best iPhone app developers by Digital.com! Thanks to our clients, team, and community for your support — we couldn’t have done this without you!

iPhone App Development to Meet Your Unique Needs

Mobile app development is a fast-growing and rapidly-changing industry. Whether they’re trying to reach new customers, improve user experience, or engage with an existing audience, businesses from a variety of sectors turn to iPhone app developers to deliver a product that lets them stand out from the crowd.

Since Apple’s App Store launched in 2008, development companies have sprung up all over the world. Each offer their own unique features and services. With such stiff competition, it’s an absolute honor for us to be featured as the best of the best by Digital.com. Let’s take a moment to learn more about their meticulous evaluation process for this prestigious award.

How Digital.com Digs Deep for Insights

Originally founded in 2015 as Review Squirrel, Digital.com has quickly become a trusted source of information for small businesses to find the best tools and services to solve their needs. By analyzing public sentiment through social media and scoring companies’ products and services, the website has established a solid reputation for finding unique insights into what would work best for small businesses across a multitude of industries.

Digital.com’s list of 2021’s best iPhone app developers originally had 160 candidates for consideration! To narrow it down to the top 15 companies, Digital.com’s team spent 40 hours researching and analyzing companies with gleaming reviews on the internet. During this time, Digital.com evaluated three criteria: the service lines offered by each company, the sizes of firms they’ve worked with, and the industries they focused on.

Each candidate had to be capable of providing a wide range of services such as mobile app development, marketing, and design. Candidates also had to demonstrate a consistent track record of successfully helping both large and small businesses. Last but not least, each development firm had to be versatile — that is, could they help businesses in a variety of sectors? With Dogtown’s previous work ranging from machine learning to the Internet of Things (IoT), Digital.com knew that we were a top contender.

Above all else, Digital.com emphasized firms who made the complex capabilities of emerging technologies easily accessible: “Making your service or software accessible to iPhone users requires an efficient and expert iPhone app developer,” says Christelle Feniza, Communications Manager of Digital.com. “This review guide was designed to help small business owners find top firms that can tailor services to meet their industry and needs.”

Thank You for Your Support!

Besides being recognized as one of the best iPhone app developers of 2021, we’re also grateful to have been recognized as a top mobile app developer in Los Angeles by Digital.com! These awards come off the tail of recently being featured as one of the Clutch 1000 List of Best B2B Service Providers for the third year in a row, so we couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come in this new year.

Thanks so much to Digital.com for awarding Dogtown Media with this prestigious honor. And we’d also like to take a moment to thank our clients, team, and community again. We’ll continue to work our hardest to make you proud!

ABOUT DIGITAL.COM

Founded in 2015, Digital.com reviews and compares the best products, services, and software for running or growing a small business website or online shop. The platform collects twitter comments and uses sentiment analysis to score companies and their products.

The companies stressed that users’ privacy would be protected in the use of this technology, but epidemiologists are concerned about other factors involved in this ambitious plan: inadequate testing in the U.S., users’ voluntary participation, and constraints of the technology itself.

How the Tracing Tech Works

The two tech giants are offering to develop a custom mobile application that changes your phone into a broadcaster of a unique cryptographically-generated code through Bluetooth. The code itself wouldn’t include any name data or location data, and because it’s cryptographically-generated, it wouldn’t be possible to back-calculate which person had which code.

When another person comes in close contact (meaning within 10 to 15 feet), their phone would record your unique code and store it for 14 days. When someone tests positive for COVID-19, they’d upload this information to their phone, and their code would be uploaded to the main database. If another person recorded an encounter near the COVID-19 patient, they’d be alerted that they were in close proximity to someone who tested positive for the infection.

This plan automates contact tracing of people, and it could help the public control the spread of the disease by recommending isolation and testing to those who were near an infected person. Public health officials could follow along with the tracing map and even be alerted when their region hits a certain number of cases.

The proposed digital contact tracing concept isn’t a novel idea: over the past few weeks, dozens of third-party research teams and cybersecurity experts had the idea to leverage Bluetooth and cryptography to create a map of infected, close contacts, and possibly infected people.

COVID-19 Presents Some Unique Challenges

On March 31st, researchers published an analysis in the journal Science that showed that the COVID-19 virus spreads so quickly through contagious patients who aren’t sick that it would be extremely difficult to contain the virus through regular manual contact tracing alone.

Michael Mina is an assistant professor at the Harvard Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics. Mina says Google and Apple’s plan is “the way of the future.”

But epidemiologists warn that digital contact tracing alone isn’t a good enough solution for the virus outbreak. In most parts of the world, tests are given to patients who are exhibiting clear symptoms. And the numbers show that many people already have the virus but are completely asymptomatic.

In the U.S., less than 3 million Americans have been tested, which is less than 1% of the country. Many more Americans must be infected but asymptomatic, and unless they’re tested, they’re not going to be helpful for this type of digital tracing project.

Sham Kakade is a computer scientist at Seattle-based University of Washington. He’s also a co-author of PACT (Private Automated Contact Tracing), an initiative that’s similar to contact tracing protocols.

Kakade says, “The only way that these [sorts] of things can be effective is if you test far more cases than come up positive. This kind of alert also needs to be adjusted to how many tests we can give.” That means, in the U.S., with our current testing numbers, this type of technology is basically useless.

Additionally, with Bluetooth, it’s impossible to know if the person 15 feet away is behind a glass wall, over in the next aisle of the grocery store, in their car at a stoplight, or right behind you.

User Concerns

The two tech giants are no stranger to user privacy concerns. In this case, the companies say, users will have to install an app to become a part of the contact tracing system. Actually, to be truly effective, the app needs to be downloaded by 50% to 70% of the population, according to an analysis by third-party researchers. This would help symptomatic patients figure out where they contracted the disease, and it would reduce the number of people that asymptomatic patients unknowingly infect.

Singapore, a country with more disciplined citizens and fewer privacy issues than the U.S., created this type of app on March 20. It’s been a month since then, and less than one-fourth of the population has downloaded the app.

Since the Google-Apple app requires people to self-report a positive test result, some experts are concerned that the system will show too many contacts. This could overwhelm public health officials, create distrust in users, and cause users to question the value and efficacy of the system.

Lastly, getting users to participate is another huge issue for this digital contact tracing plan. Google and Apple want to create an API (application programming interface) that public health officials could use to create their own custom apps.

A Tool for Future Pandemics?

Although the challenges and user concerns are seemingly enormous, they don’t necessarily outweigh the benefits that this type of technology offers. There’s no doubt that there will be another pandemic in the future, and now is the time to fix bugs, make changes, and optimize the technology and its applications. If we can do this now, then we’ll be a lot more prepared when the next infectious disease starts spreading globally.

Would you download the Google-Apple app onto your mobile phone? Do you think it could be useful for future crises? Let us know in the comments below!

When it comes to technology, maintenance is always better than repair. This is especially true with iPhone app development; failing to stay up-to-date means you risk losing your user base and becoming obsolete.

On the other hand, updating your mobile app pays off in spades. By delivering a faster, optimized experience, you’ll keep your audience coming back for more and future-proof your initial investment so more users can discover your product.

Apple recently released iOS 13 for iPhone and iPod touch. With a plethora of new features and capabilities, this iOS update has something to offer everyone, whether they’re a consumer or enterprise. Read on to see why you should upgrade to iOS 13 as soon as possible.

iOS 13 Is Already Taking Over the World

If there’s one thing to know about iOS users, it’s that they love embracing new technology. Each iOS update sees faster adoption rates than the previous iteration. Case in point: By September 3rd, 2018, 85% of active Apple devices were using iOS 11. Less than a year later, on August 6th, 2019, Apple revealed that 88% of users were running iOS 12.

iOS 13 is no exception to this rule. Although it was only released on September 19th this year, it has taken over the lion’s share of iPhone users: 50% of all iPhone devices are already using iOS 13!

While this ratio is certainly impressive, it’s really just the beginning for iOS 13. This update is compatible with 15 Apple devices (iPhone 6S or iPhone SE or newer). On top of this, Apple’s reach has been consistently growing across both consumers and enterprise organizations. So you can expect to see iOS 13’s adoption metrics grow rapidly over the next few months.

New Features, Limitless Possibilities

We’ve been tinkering with iOS 13’s new features at our Los Angeles-based development HQ for quite some time leading up to its release. Here are some of our favorite features!

Faster Speed, Better Battery Life

Perhaps the first thing you’ll notice after installing iOS 13 is how fast it is. Apps should launch approximately twice as fast as before! That’s due to app downloads and updates being optimized to become 50% and 60% smaller, respectively.

Unlocking with Face ID is also roughly 30% faster and more seamless. This feature’s field of view is now wider, so you can even unlock your iPhone while it’s on your desk without ever having to lift it up.

Because the new iOS 13 platform is smarter at charging (it curtails power input at the right times), you should also notice better battery life for your phone.

“Picture Perfect” Is the Standard for iOS 13

Apple’s Camera and Photos apps both received a ton of new features in iOS 13.

Portrait mode in the Camera app now offers more customizable lighting effects so you can increase or decrease lighting intensity. There’s also a new “High Key Mono” mode available.

The Photos app upgrade brings a mix of robust editing tools that allow you to tweak aspects like contrast, noise reduction, and shadows. These editing capabilities also work for video (which you can now rotate!), and you can even edit photos without replacing or destroying your Live Photo properties.

iOS 13 makes it easier to navigate through your photos. By leveraging machine learning, the Photos app can automatically declutter your photos and remove duplicates. The Photos app also has a new “Photos” tab which gives you a new way to browse your images. You can scrub by years, months, and days to find thumbnails of your images and videos organized by events and time.

iOS 13 is Easy on the Eyes with Dark Mode

Dark Mode has finally arrived with iOS 13. By inverting white and light colors for black and dark grays, it’s much less eye-straining than the standard presentation. Dynamic Dark Mode allows you to change between light and dark in accordance with the sun rising and setting.

Not only can dynamic wallpapers change according to the time of day, but widgets do as well. Native iOS apps like Messages, Photos, and Notes all come with built-in support for this new feature.

Reminders Gets a Revamp

Reminders received a huge overhaul with iOS 13. Now, as you type reminders, it will try to guess when to remind you. Siri will also try to identify which words you want to make actionable. If your reminders contain any names, it will remind you about these in Messages. Lastly, Reminders now allows for attachments and can sort much better than before.

Prioritizing Privacy and Rock-Solid Security

Numerous new privacy and security features come with iOS 13. Users with the new update can now employ system-wide location tracking protection. You also now have the capability to give an app permission to use location “just once.” Alternatively, if you permit an app to always use location, iOS will now provide detailed reports on this activity.

Apple also added “Sign in with Apple,” which utilizes Face ID to start a new account with revealing personal information. You can now hide information like email thanks to this feature. Apple will create a random email that forwards any received messages to your actual email address. Of course, you can always disable these random emails if need be.

Shortcuts to Automation

Instead of having you download the Shortcuts app, it now comes built-in to every device running iOS 13. The Shortcuts app now has an Automation tab which allows you to create both personal and home automation sequences based on triggers. For example, you can set up an Automation to tell you the day’s weather when you turn off your alarm after waking up.

Adapt and Get Ahead With iOS 13

We hope you’ve enjoyed this rundown of some of our favorite iOS 13 features. Don’t let your app languish and fall behind. Business is all about adaptability. At Dogtown Media, we pride ourselves on building the mobile future. Work with us to make your iOS app a part of it!

This list of new features barely scratches the surface of iOS 13’s potential — covering all of the new capabilities ranging from a smoother-sounding Siri to new Memojis would take quite a few more blog posts. If you have questions about specific aspects or benefits, contact our team of hardened techies today for a free consultation!

Design is daunting and difficult; it takes a lot of effort to make something look and feel seamless. And in the current (and competitive) mobile app landscape, you can’t afford to skimp out on a beautiful user interface and experience. At this point, a seamless UI and UX is the minimum needed for mobile app success. Don’t disappoint users who download your app – design your mobile app right the first time.

If you’re not sure how to effectively and correctly design a mobile app, we’ve compiled a list of tips from the mobile app developers and designers in our Los Angeles-based office. Check it out!

#1: Plan ahead

Take the extra time and effort to wireframe, write rough copy, and revise everything in iterative steps. When you think you’re done, go back and minimize areas where users can get confused, frustrated, or cornered into a part of the app with no way of going back.

This is a great time to plan for what (if any) animations and gestures you want to incorporate into the design. Starting this conversation early can lead to many follow-up discussions with the rest of the team. It’s important to remember that any extra features, like animations, should remain intuitive for the user, both in their placement and their purpose.

Including a member from every team involved can also speed things up; if a developer is able to confirm whether something is possible on the back-end, the wireframe iterations will move along faster.

Visualizing the “big picture” ahead of time can be difficult and sound daunting, but it ultimately saves more time, budget, and effort for everyone. A project that may take six months without proper planning can take half the time when developers are given exact instructions to build upon. This also reduces internal back-and-forth and the risk of miscommunication between teams.

Lastly, does your client already have established brand guidelines and a style guide? This can take care of a lot of the initial legwork for you in helping define styles, color palettes, icon sets, fonts, and much more.

For all of this planning, your users will thank you by reporting fewer bugs and more compliments.

#2: Stick to a proven formula

But don’t be afraid to improve on that formula with each project you take on. Did your last mobile app require an extra side-step off of your current checklist? Add it in for future projects so you’re not doing any work twice!

Start with goals for your app, its users, and the business. List them out explicitly. You’ll want to return to these later when the project is getting more complex and involved. Use this list to keep yourself and the rest of the stakeholders and teams aligned.

When you think things are straying, remind everyone what was agreed upon at the beginning of the project. If needed, revise this list moving forward, but you will find that this list stays concrete for most projects. Goals do not usually change, but be prepared for small tweaks.

Remember, your proven formula will not be exactly the same as your competitors’ proven formulas. And that’s okay – you’re bringing a unique twist to this project, so don’t be afraid to let it show.

#3: Think of your users at every step

Does the client have their current user base and ideal user base mapped out? Who are you designing for and who might use the app in the future? User stories, complete with their problems, how your client helps solve their problem, how the user is acquired, and more, flesh out several users for you to envision throughout the design process.

The design process isn’t straight-forward, but neither are your users’ needs. If you can imagine yourself as the user of your new app, you’ll avoid most major pitfalls and areas of frustration from the get-go. Anything remaining (and minor) can be adjusted after launch. Doing this throughout the design and development process shows in the final product — often, these mobile apps are very obviously thoughtful and fun to interact with.

Move up your project’s timeline for all teams by a few weeks. Then ask everyone to spend the last few weeks interacting with the app, submitting bugs, adding more hand-holding instructions, and cleaning up anything left behind in the rush to launch. Go through the goals you wrote out at the beginning of the design process — are they being met? If not, how can you meet them?

Research shows that humans love positive reinforcement (come on, did we really need to do official research on that?). Did the user successfully check out their cart? Let them know with a small celebratory animation. Did the user clear their whole cart? Give them a way to undo that action, and let them know it’s okay. Meanwhile, maybe it’s a good time to check out how many users are clearing their carts and undoing the action; perhaps the “clear cart” button is in an area that’s too easily accessible?

Keep it up

As we mentioned many times, designing is an iterative process. By the end of the project, you might be completely bored of staring at the same wireframes. But the fire will come back when the wireframes are transformed into a real app. And that’s what keeps us going as mobile developers and designers.

Keep up your design eye by following your competitors, and leave some room in your design process for creativity and ideation. You’ll be surprised at what you’re capable of creating!

When a design is good, you barely notice it. But when the design is bad, lacking, or unfriendly to users, it’s impossible not to.

So are there certain rules all good designers know? Can you design a beautiful app without a graphic design background? Fortunately, the answer is yes. Just learning the basic principles of good design and applying them throughout your app development process should yield substantial improvements.

#1: The Integral Roles of UI & UX

App design relies on UI and UX design; UI design involves aesthetics, colors, graphics, and animations. A strong UI design attracts new users and can help retain existing ones.

UX design is geared more toward the overall app experience. What is the app trying to accomplish or solve for the user? Who is primarily using this app, and why? Does the current flow ensure the user’s needs are met seamlessly and efficiently? What can we do to enhance their experience with our app?

Because UX design involves big-picture thinking, it requires research, testing, mockup creation, prototyping, and above all else, time.

A lot of design involves how you make your users feel. It’s the reason why most fast food restaurants use yellow, red, and orange in their branding. When colors, a basic component of every design, can invoke psychological responses in users, you must heed the necessity of choosing the right color palette.

At the end of the day, all of the effort and budget that goes into app design is all for the user and their experience with your app. Make it count.

#2: Sustainable Designs

Designing a gradient-filled, shadow-littered app could be a bad decision if you’re trying to be trendy. Good designs stand the test of time, and it’s better to have a more classic, slightly trendy design with a smooth user experience than a beautiful app that glitches every two minutes.

Another design consideration is planning ahead; if the app layout needs to be reorganized during development to add a major feature, what can you do to prevent that timesink next time? When an app changes its flow, design, or purpose, a new UX evaluation is required.

For an app to remain a constant, dependable application for a user, it cannot make drastic changes in layout and design at the same time. Many issues from poor planning arise when your app needs a major makeover alongside a major code refactoring.

Doing your due diligence ahead of design implementation can save a ton of time and headaches. And employing a sustainable design that not only stands out but allows you to be versatile when other unexpected dilemmas occur is priceless.

#3: Don’t Try to Reinvent the Wheel

Good design principles are evergreen; they never lead you wrong, and they’re always applicable, no matter what the current trend is. So when you’re trying to design a beautiful, user-friendly app, try to stick to the tried-and-true basics.

Good designs:

• Have a simple layout that you can understand at-a-glance
• Take advantage of white space and above-the-fold content
• Walk first-time users through a quick tutorial
• Gift users some control
• Present clear choices and exit options on every screen
• Show data if, and when, needed

Bad designs:

• Are plagued with cluttered UI that is difficult to quickly process
• Lack padding and space to let content breathe
• Push users straight into their app without any handholding
• Don’t give users any control
• Don’t give exit options or clear choices to follow
• Show data all at once or show data that isn’t contextually relevant

Don’t underestimate the importance of a strong, simple, and sharp-looking UI. You should go through five or ten of the top apps in the app stores, compare their designs and new user orientations, and take a fresh look at your design. This method helps us when we’re experiencing designer’s block here at our mobile app studio in Los Angeles. If you can take what is useful and discard what is unnecessary, you’ll be one step closer to capturing a substantial amount of users.

#4: Assumptions and Risks

Most UX designers don’t have 24/7 access to the app’s ideal customers for quick questions, so they have to make a degree of assumptions. Whenever you assume you know the user and their thought processes while designing, you’re taking a risk.

If your competition’s already landed on the app stores, check out what users are saying in their feedback and reviews. Ask yourself how this feedback informs your own app’s design. Staying ahead of user’s complaints isn’t always possible, and you should be ready to adjust your app as more user feedback rolls in.

#5: The User is King

When you get a bunch of experts in one room to talk about the advancement and improvement of one product, it’s difficult to put aside egos and know-how to work together.

But if we can unite over the simple fact that the app, and as a result, we, serves the user first, designing and developing a successful app doesn’t sound so difficult anymore. And when you’re able to work together to create a beautiful end-product for the user, they’ll thank you for it by telling all of their friends.

The Bottom Line

You probably already have a great design sense, and you might be feeling a little nervous to use your intuition in designing. But the best designs are borne out of creativity, some persistence, and a strong cup of coffee.

So don’t settle for the unexceptional. Keep pushing yourself. Eventually, with a little effort, you’ll produce a design you’re proud of.

Ready for a revolution? AI is going to change the world in unprecedented ways. See how it could benefit your business right now. Check out our Free Machine Learning Whitepaper!

In order for China to accomplish its goal of becoming a world leader in AI (artificial intelligence) by 2030, it must manufacture its own microchips to fuel its innovation in the field. Historically, the country has never been a strong leader in the global semiconductor industry.

This will have to change if they want to accelerate AI application development and outpace competitors.

A Unique Opportunity

Although AI developers in China are creating their own AI algorithms, the hardware was designed and manufactured on foreign soil. Microchip manufacturing has always been a problem for China, causing it to rely on integrated circuits from other countries. But when considering variables like shipping time and back-and-forth on design specs, the costs of doing so are starting to greatly outweigh the benefits.

Enter AI. This new technology has undoubtedly opened up a plethora of opportunities. And for China, there’s one, in particular, that’s simply too good to pass up. AI requires microchips that vastly differ from regular computing microchips. If China can develop an expertise in manufacturing these, it will not only become an industry leader in AI algorithms and software but hardware as well.

On top of this, China’s probably the country in the best position to design AI-optimized chips because of its rapid progress in AI development. It would also allow the country to become more economically independent and competitive, something that has become more valuable in recent times thanks to increasing trade tensions.

A New Age for Semiconductors

Some Chinese companies aren’t waiting for a cue from the industry or other companies. Tsinghua Unigroup is a government-backed chip manufacturer that has a new factory the size of several football fields. The factory will start producing silicon wafers by the end of 2019.

The company’s vision is to expand the factory to triple its current size. Tsinghua Unigroup will also create two more factories, with each costing about $24 billion. This is a huge step in the right direction; the Chinese government has been pushing hard for domestic chipmaking in general since 2014. But pivoting these efforts more to AI could prove to be infinitely more fruitful for the country’s future.

There’s still a lot of work to be done. China’s market for semiconductors is the largest and fastest-growing in the world; yet,  no Chinese chipmakers have ever taken the Top 15 spot for sales. These top spots are held by companies in the U.S., Taiwan, Japan, Western Europe, and South Korea. The U.S. alone takes half of all global sales and accounts for half of China’s imported chips.

A Colorful History With Microchips

Mark Li is an analyst at Bernstein, a research firm headquartered in New York City. He tracks Asia’s chip industry, and he thinks even the most advanced Chinese chip manufacturers are behind the rest of the world by five years. With Moore’s Law stating that chip performance doubles every two years, China stands to fall behind even more in the next few years if it doesn’t change its strategy fast.

Although China was beginning to join the microchip race in the 80s, the government and civil unrest prevented progress for more than two decades. In those two decades, microchips advanced rapidly, and the newest chips have billions of transistors. It’s impossible to take apart a chip to reconstruct it; this would be a challenging task even for the most seasoned of experts.

Even if the chips were replicable, knowing how to improve and optimize the current generation of chips would be impossible without years of experience and knowledge. “Manufacturing involves hundreds, even thousands, of technical challenges. It will take a long time to catch up,” said Yungang Bao. Bao is the director of the Center for Advanced Computer Systems at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Besides academia and government-backed entities, other Chinese organizations are also putting in effort into this endeavor. Baidu is working on microchips made for deep-learning algorithms. Alibaba created a new company called Pingtouge, the Chinese name for the honey badger, dedicated to designing and manufacturing AI chips. These companies will help lead the way for China to become a true AI leader by 2030.

AI Is the Future of Computing

Kai Yu is an expert in neural networks. He studied AI in China and Germany before founding Baidu’s Institute of Deep Learning in 2013. He’s a vocal supporter of domestic chip hardware manufacturing, and even more so after working at Baidu on deep learning algorithms. In 2015, he recommended that Baidu start manufacturing their own chips specialized for AI.

Later in 2015, he left Baidu to start his own company, called Horizon Robotics. His new company focuses on “application-specific” microchips that can robustly run deep learning algorithms. Some applications include autonomous cars and smarter robots.

He’s very optimistic about AI-specific hardware: “If we look back in 10 years, more than half of the computations on a device will be AI-related.”

A Hopeful Industry

In the past, China’s chip-making goals have resulted in aggressive tactics and espionage. Consequently, the U.S. and other Western countries have tried to counteract any such attempts by actively blocking China from using their chips.

But a trade war is not the clear-cut answer everyone is looking for. Previously, when China faced a trade war, Bao says, “People in China realized that the US can easily stop their progress. It will probably speed things up.”

The truth is that China cannot become a true superpower or a real leader in AI without manufacturing their own hardware. It’s unknown how China’s hardware industry will evolve, but they’re on the right path to hardware independence with domestic companies building their own factories and developing their own chips.

What do you think of China’s AI ambitions? How can a country today secure themselves a spot as an AI leader in the future? Let us know in the comments!

2018 was a great year for mobile app development. But it was really just getting us ready for 2019. What’s in store for 2019? Well, we’re glad you asked! Let’s take a look at the biggest trends coming up in the new year.

Send in the Chatbots

At our Los Angeles development HQ, we’re always excited to take on new projects in the chatbot market. Chatbots are forecasted to grow to $1.25 billion by 2025. It’s easy to see why: They’re great virtual assistants that satisfy modern business needs.

Studies show that up to 50% of B2B buyers prefer self-help options. And thanks to AI, integrating a chatbot into your app isn’t a tedious programming chore anymore. In 2019, chatbot personalization will become more sophisticated and streamlined.

An Accelerated Mobile Experience

Google’s AMP (Application Performance Management) pages result in faster, better experiences for mobile browser users (and as a result, better retention). In 2019, this technology will be central to better speeds and performance in apps.

2016 introduced instant apps, native mobile applications that don’t need to be downloaded; they’re smaller than regular apps, and they lower waiting times when first setting up a new phone. This convenient way to simplify installation will be a welcome trend in 2019.

The Convergence of IoT, Wearables, and Location-Based Technology

Wearables are forecasted to expand market penetration; experts say the fitness wearables market is projected to rise 64% by 2019.

Combining wearable devices and mobile apps with IoT and location-based tech will help to create a more holistic health and fitness experience. Expanding this field to IoT can bring in additional sensors and trackers to feed more multivariate data into the existing model.

And although most wearables are focused on health and fitness, developers have the freedom to create a solution for any problem they deem solvable with wearables. Beacon Technology uses GPS to get a user’s location and send them an automated, customized message. For example, when you walk into a store, your phone will vibrate and show you a coupon you can use at the register.

We look forward to seeing how location-based technology is implemented around us in the near future, whether it be at airports, during mobile payments, or custom beacons for your own home.

Augmented and Virtual Reality

AR and VR are projected to generate $200 billion in revenue by 2020. In 2019, we can expect to see these emerging technologies exert more influence over mobile strategies.

Hardware is getting better; more smartphone manufacturers are integrating dedicated AR and VR platforms into their devices. And with more intuitive development kits to navigate and utilize, software is getting better too. So it’s no surprise that developers are set to create unique, beautiful user experiences with AR and VR in 2019.

As in recent years, AR will most likely steal most of the spotlight due to its practical applicability to various scenarios that VR is not suitable for.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Perhaps no other disruptive technology is impacting mobile app development more than AI. Today, integrating your app with machine learning (ML) has never been easier. And the benefits it offers are almost immediately realized.

ML and AI will particularly impact conversational agents like chatbots and virtual assistants in 2019. But that honestly doesn’t even touch the tip of the iceberg for the potential AI offers for business and consumers. Expect to see AI and ML implemented in novel ways this coming year.

Payments on the Go

Seamless and flexible payment systems are now expected by consumers from institutions; digital wallets and cryptocurrencies will continue to impact mobile app development in 2019.

There is a lot of potential for mobile blockchain applications in the next five years. And with e-commerce continually growing, mobile payment gateways will absolutely need to be secure, reliable, and convenient.

Integrating with the Cloud

If your mobile app developers don’t utilize the cloud to offload device wear and tear, you’ll want to make sure you’re including the cloud in your apps moving forward. With better storage options, loading times, and reduced hosting costs, the cloud can streamline the customer’s experience and the business’s operational workflow.

Research also shows that users are more likely to return to your app when an app uses the cloud.

Stronger Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity will become a big topic of discussion for many technologies and the industries in which they’re operating. In particular, mobile app data security is generally weak. Uber recently admitted to getting hacked, Facebook gave away user information without their explicit permission, and the EU recently fined Google $5 billion for Android anti-trust practices.

There’s clearly room for improvement. Hopefully, 2019 is the year industry leaders make it a priority.

Investing in cybersecurity can cost a lot up front, but it (obviously) costs more to replace your codebase and apologize to customers for losing their information. As consumers start prioritizing cybersecurity in their devices and software, mobile app developers cannot afford to fall behind in cybersecurity in 2019.

Predictive Analytics

Predictive analytics are being used to improve the user experience in apps for Facebook, Apple, and Google. A mobile app’s UI or UX can change depending on what predictions are made about your browsing behavior and interests.

This field will only get stronger with more data, so implementing predictive analytics, whether in your development workflow or in your actual app, can win you incremental improvements over time — which can become substantial, fast.

On-Demand Apps

The on-demand business model is growing beyond Uber, Postmates, and Seamless. In 2019, apps in this space will be enhanced by better UX/UI designs, predictive analytics, chatbots, and other technologies, like machine learning.

Even though it doesn’t seem like it can expand any further, this field will continue to grow and innovate new ways to bring us new services. And users will find that their feedback matters most for developers creating on-demand apps.

Your Imagination Is Your Only Limitation

2019 is the year for innovation in mobile apps. Many emerging technologies have evolved to the point that they’re ready for effective implementation. So this new year, creativity will be the name of the game for all involved with mobile apps.

What do you think is the most interesting mobile app development trend for 2019? Let us know in the comments below!

Siri is steadily becoming more prominent each day, meaning iPhone app developers will want to keep Siri in mind when developing their apps. By doing so, developers can potentially increase their app’s retention and discoverability. Two ways of doing this are through Siri Shortcuts and deep linking.

1. Siri Shortcuts & SiriKit
2. Deep Linking
3. Getting Started with Siri Shortcuts & Deep Linking

Siri Shortcuts & SiriKit

Included in the iOS 12 release was Siri Shortcuts, which gives users the ability to create custom Siri voice commands. Siri Shortcuts present a slew of new opportunities for developers that can lead to increased retention, usage and rediscovery. With Siri Shortcuts, users can speed up common tasks like searching for music, booking an Uber and ordering a custom Starbucks coffee.

Using SiriKit, developers can build an extension within their app that integrates with the Shortcuts App, enabling custom shortcut capabilities. This is key for developers, as shortcuts increase ease of app usage and creates an overall better user experience. If they receive an improved experience, users are more likely to continue using an app. Finally, once a shortcut is enabled, users have the ability to quickly and constantly come back to the app by simply saying “Hey Siri…”

By integrating SiriKit and enabling Siri Shortcuts, developers can strengthen their app’s use. In addition to using Siri to grow an app’s usage, developers can also work with Siri to increase their app’s discoverability through deep linking.

Deep Linking, Spotlight Search & App Packs

Deep linking is the process of specifying keywords within an app’s content. When users are searching via Siri Search Suggestions (Spotlight), links to relevant apps appear. For example, searching “coupon” yields apps that are targeting “coupon” in their build. Apps already installed on users’ phones containing relevant deep linked keywords appear as well.

In addition to this, deep linked apps can also appear in Google Search within App Packs, which is a content block containing apps relevant to the search query in Google’s online search results.

This is important to note because when users are searching via Siri, it provides both an opportunity to discover and rediscover your app. To ensure that developers are maximizing their discoverability potential and App Store Optimization strategy, deep linking is highly recommended.

Getting Started with Siri Shortcuts & Deep Linking

As Siri becomes further prominent in the Apple ecosystem, so will it in users’ lives. It is important that developers take this into consideration when developing their apps, as Siri can potentially increase app discoverability and usage. With Siri Shortcuts, developers are able to create extensions that make their app’s functions easier to navigate via Siri. Additionally, by deep linking searchable keywords in an app’s build, they are made easier to discover via Siri. Overall, iOS 12 and Apple present new methods for developers to create better experiences for their users. By taking advantage of Siri’s integration, developers will be increasing their user retention and discoverability.

For information on how Dogtown Media can help with designing and developing your app, talk with their mobile app development team. To learn more about app store optimization and Gummicube visit https://www.gummicube.com.

In this fourth and final feature of our special series about Apple’s broadest iOS update yet, we’ll talk about why enterprises everywhere should update to iOS 12.

Why Does it Matter?

Apple’s iOS 12 update is coming to 23 Apple devices, making it the most backward-compatible upgrade yet. This means you’ll be able to reach more users than ever before. Updating to the newest API and removing deprecated code will make your app bug-free and faster.

If you still haven’t updated from iOS 10 to iOS 11, your app may not work anymore when iOS 12 rolls around. iOS 11 required an update from 32-bit to 64-bit apps, and if you put this on hold, you can’t afford to wait any longer! Any app still running on iOS 10 code desperately needs a codebase update, and it will certainly eventually lead to user count stagnating or decreasing.

Keeping code quality optimized and up-to-date with industry and Apple standards is the best measure your enterprise can take to remain trustworthy to consumers. Keep your initial investment working for you; update your app’s code ASAP to avoid Apple threatening to retire your app.

If your app uses augmented reality, machine learning, or artificial intelligence, you’ll especially want to upgrade your codebase because Apple is giving those development toolkits some serious revamping.

Users Adopt Quickly

Users take only a few months to reach high adoption rates for the newest iOS version, so updating your app to comply with iOS 12 code will avoid any hiccups and keep things running smoothly. For example, here are Apple’s official stats of iOS distributions in December 2017:

And here it is again in May 2018:

In less than half a year, the number of iOS 11 users grew by nearly 25%!

In 2016, of 300 IT professionals interviewed, 91% said their organization is using Macs, and 99% said their organization uses iPhones or iPads. In Q1 of 2017, 72% of all enterprise smartphones activated were iPhones, and iPads were activated in 81% of all enterprise tablet activations.

Apple’s reach is undoubtedly huge across consumers and enterprises alike, and you’ll increase your app’s reach when you take care to upgrade to iOS 12.

Maintenance Is Better Than Repair!

Prioritize maintenance over repair; don’t let your app have any downtime, risking user loss or customer frustration. It’s a similar situation to car maintenance. If you don’t update to iOS 12, will your car still run? Probably. But will it run with the highest efficiency and performance? Definitely not. And it will eventually stop working if it’s not taken care of!

If you wouldn’t skimp out on improving operations, updating cybersecurity protocols, or investing in salesmen, why miss a huge opportunity to grow your user base, reach more consumers, and deliver a superior user experience?

Don’t fall behind. Business is all about adaptability. We want you to be more than ready when September rolls around. Reach out to Dogtown Media today through this link for a free tech consultation! Our main iPhone app development HQ is in Los Angeles, but we’ve got offices in NYC, Toronto, Dallas, and even London — wherever you are, let’s make your app dreams come true by partnering with one of the top enterprise software development companies worldwide!

Want to know how to update your app to iOS 12? Click here for a Free Consultation.

In our third entry of our special series about iOS 12, Apple’s newest and biggest operating system update ever, we’ll talk about the benefits that it brings to enterprises.

Higher Compatibility

Since the OS update is coming to over 20 devices, there is better backward compatibility for even older iPhones, iPads, and the last iPod Touch. This makes the new upgrade the broadest yet, and it’ll bring speed and higher performance to even the slowest Apple devices. Every device that supports a 64-bit chip will receive the update sometime in September this year.

Updating your app’s codebase to iOS 12’s newest API additions and removing deprecated code will help your app run bug-free and faster for users. And if you’ve still not upgraded from iOS 10 to iOS 11, don’t fall behind — your app may not work at all already since iOS 11 required an update from 32-bit to 64-bit apps.

Any app still running on iOS 10 code desperately needs a codebase update, and this may explain why your app’s user count has stagnated or gone down. Keeping code quality high, optimized, and up-to-date with industry and Apple standards will ensure your app is set up for success.

Solid Security

Of course, the update in operating systems means an update in security protocols. This is a huge benefit for consumers and app developers alike. Between streamlined two-factor authentication, end-to-end encryption on FaceTime, and better password manager features, Apple’s focusing on cybersecurity for every user.

At our Los Angeles iPhone app development studio, we ensure your app’s secure and protected from the get-go; our co-founder, Rob Pope, is a cybersecurity expert and ethical hacker, so you can rest assured that we’ll take every measure available to keep your app safe.

Reach More Users Than Ever Before

With the update coming to the widest range of Apple devices yet, your app will reach more users than ever. At this year’s Apple WWDC (World Wide Developer Conference), the company said it doesn’t intend to combine MacOS and iOS, but it later released a iOS 12 beta feature that easily allows app developers to create a MacOS version of their app. Although most Apple customers are repeat buyers for other devices in their household, your app can now reach MacBook users who don’t have iPhones, greatly broadening your ability to get more customers.

Apple’s revenues hit an all-time high in Q1 of 2018 when it reported its iPhone X was highly profitable. Apple’s stock has increased by 240% since Steve Jobs passed away. More consumers are buying iPhones, especially iPhone X, and most of them will be upgrading to iOS 12 after September. Make sure you are reaching everyone you can to boost your app downloads.

More Updates = More Possibilities

Apple’s augmented reality development toolkit, ARKit, is still growing and expanding. If your app uses AR technology, you’ll want to update your app quite often, since Apple is rapidly releasing updates to ARKit. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg — iOS 12 is also bringing a plethora of updates to machine learning, MedTech, device connectivity, and much more.

After Jobs left Apple in 2011, iOS has been getting updated 50% more often. This means the iOS landscape is always changing, improving, and being patched up. And while all users don’t update their phones immediately, the month-over-month adoption rates are high.

Set Yourself Up for Success!

If you wait too long, your app could be unusable, unstable, and unsecured, driving consumers to your competitors. Updating your app sooner, rather than later, ensures you’ll stay ahead of the curve (and your competition) from iOS 12’s Day 1 release.

Don’t know where to begin? Have no fear; Dogtown Media is here! Reach out today for a free tech consultation through this link — we respond to 99% of messages the same day!