April 5, 2019 // By Kevin Ford
Over the past few years, we’ve grown pretty accustomed to mobile technology moving fast and furious, disrupting the way software is used and made. Leaders in this space combined viewed mobile as an enabler – they changed how software was delivered, created, and interacted with. It became more than technology – it became a camera, a GPS, a computer in your pocket.
Since then, we’ve seen the iPhone enter the marketplace, forcing Blackberry to rethink their software strategy. Uber entered the mix and not only disrupted all taxi services, but food delivery as well. Niche companies like travel airlines and entertainment have used mobile to their advantage, to reach customers where they couldn’t before.
Although mobile has been with us for more than a decade, you might notice that the pace of development on the platform has slowed down significantly. While there have been two versions of the iPhone X in the last two years, the biggest updates have been the cameras and the shape of the screen.
So why has development for mobile slowed down? This white paper dives into not only why the pace has slowed down, but why the innovation has stalled out. The biggest factor is that as the platform ages and existing technologies are played out, many of the newer technologies implemented on mobile weren’t designed for that platform, and therefore aren’t operating to their full potential.
AUGMENTED REALITY
This is probably one of the best examples that clearly shows the limitations mobile brings to technology. Augmented Reality (AR) is taking a look at the real world and overlaying another on top of it. The problem is companies are deploying this application on mobile, and the phone isn’t built to deliver AR for a number of reasons. The phone screen and camera doesn’t give the user a wide field of vision, so the user doesn’t feel truly immersed into the AR world.
While Google Glasses is probably the closest a company has come to solving this problem, they ran into their own limitations. The design itself couldn’t come through in a way that could support the AR processing, without carrying around a battery pack to recharge the glasses with.
INDOOR NAVIGATION
While mobile definitely comes with its challenges, companies are making the most of the software they can successfully implement on these small devices. While indoor navigation is a great concept, the biggest roadblock is when users are inside a building, that building is blocking the view of the satellite that it’s trying to get location information from.
Indoor Atlas Company has found that if they use the unique geomagnetic feature of the building to track where users are, they can mimic the job of the satellites. This is just one of many examples of the creative solutions tech companies are executing in order to keep a foot in the industry.
MOBILE HAS POTENTIAL
There’s a lot we can expect from the mobile software development world – and there’s some aspects that are just on hold until the next big disrupter enters the marketplace. While we wait, it’s important to stay sharp and understand the limitations so you can make the most of the technology as it stands.
For a more in-depth read on mobile limitations and developments to keep your eye on, read the whitepaper.
If you’re new to exploring mobile software or want to put some polish on an existing app, Magenic is here to help. Our services include digital product consulting, experience design, digital development and more. Contact us to get started today.