How mobile apps impact IoT

The Internet is smoothly becoming a common feature in modern home appliances, electronics, and vehicles. The global base of devices that use the Internet of Things (or IoT) will reach 30.9 billion units by 2025, indicating a sharp rise from the 13.8 billion expected in 2021. They track information, transfer it to mobile applications, and provide coordination on the network. Examples are Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa that act as communication channels between people and devices that help solve everyday tasks. 

The IoT is rapidly evolving and becoming indispensable for companies looking to optimize their current operations, services, or products. Global spending on IoT is projected to reach $1.1 trillion by 2023. App development based on the Internet of Things offers comprehensive solutions for most industries. Our experts are often approached not to develop mobile apps but to introduce them into a set of IoT technologies. We’ve gathered everything you need to know and understand before ordering the development of a solution.

How are mobile apps connected with the IoT?

The spread of the Internet of Things leads to innovations such as smart grids, machine learning, and 5G. They increase efficiency, allowing you to control more and more home and work processes. According to a Statista survey, the main reasons for implementing IoT are improving security and reducing operating costs. 

Mobile applications belong to a large-scale IoT system. These are feature-rich programs that provide users with points of interaction with IoT devices. They display the received data and manage the related services on the network. Mobile development expands the capabilities of IoT technologies, creating new ways to use them in all areas. The IoT system provides benefits for both app users and developers: 

• Cost savings. IoT involves integrating new technologies, so introducing an app does not require much time and financial resources.  
• Availability of the necessary data. The IoT system includes a large amount of information from various devices, so you do not need to look for additional sources to create an app for a smartphone. 
• Advanced interactivity and personalization in the app. Users can monitor the operation and technical condition of their devices. 
• Optimization of internal processes. Using specific software, company employees control equipment and plan the purchase of office supplies. 

Mobile applications based on IoT are the key to effective management of many aspects of users’ lives. Easy development and fast data transfer make it the primary way to distribute IoT devices. 

Examples of the impact of mobile applications on the IoT

IoT increases the value of mobile apps that use its technologies. Various fields adopt such digital innovations by improving core processes. Just look, almost every solution we have developed was adapted for mobile devices or got an additional mobile version. 

Yes, applications impact the Internet of Things, making technologies flexible, adaptable, and pervasive in all areas of life. 

Home Automation 

Smart home devices are in great demand among users. In 2020, the total volume of world supplies amounted to about 801 million units. Smartphone software allows you to control connected systems from a single source. Users of mobile applications can perform the following actions: 

• Control thermostats, light bulbs, locks, windows, and other household items. 
• Configure the transmission of data from utility meters. 
• Monitor the operation of refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines. 
• Turn on smart speakers, TVs, voice-activated displays.

Home surveillance and security devices are the most popular: according to forecasts, about $ 1.4 billion will be spent on them by 2023.

Wearable technologies

Worldwide shipments of wearable devices totaled 444.7 million units in 2021, i.e., 28.4% more than the previous year. These include headphones, smartwatches, fitness trackers, and smart glasses. They track the biometric data of users and display it in mobile applications. The most popular are fitness bracelets that count steps and measure the heart rate or stress level. 

Smart clothing is a new trend in wearable technology. Now its market is estimated at $ 1-2 billion. and will develop rapidly for the next 3-6 years. Smart clothes have built-in compact sensors that transmit data to the installed program. 

Source: gadgetsandwearables.com

Telemedicine 

The Internet of things is widely used in hospitals and medical centers. According to Deloitte, The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) will reach $158 billion by 2022, compared to $41 billion in 2020. Smartphone software based on IoT provides the following functions:

• Patient health monitoring. 
• Monitoring of medical equipment.
• Tracking staff, patients, and inventory.
• Controlling prescription drugs with built-in sensors. 

New ideas are emerging to make life easier for patients with chronic diseases. For example, an international group of scientists is working on smart contact lenses for people with diabetes. Technology can control blood sugar levels and treat retinopathy. App development aims to display the results of checking the health status of the user.

Retail

In 2020, IoT was valued at $31.99 billion in the retail market. It is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.0% from 2021 to 2028. IoT is rapidly evolving in e-commerce, providing merchants with new technologies:

• Smart shelves and RFID tags identify stock shortages and track the movement of goods. 
• Near Field Communication (NFC) allows you to carry out payment transactions without bank cards.
• Edge Computing and 5G improves network performance and connectivity.
• Mobile banking, POS terminals, and payment aggregators provide multi-channel reception and processing of transactions. 
• Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) simplifies the registration in the store and intelligent interaction.
• ZigBee Protocol allows smart devices to work together. 

Source: grandviewresearch.com 

In the retail segment, IoT-based mobile software analyzes the customer’s needs, tracks the supply chain, and manages online stores. Smart shelves, BLE-enabled apps, robotic employees, automated checkouts, and personalized offers are elements of modern e-commerce entities. Innovative solutions of the Internet of Things allow brands to control online sales, reduce abandoned baskets, and plan the demand for specific products. 

Agriculture 

It includes IoT-based mobile apps for farmers that help analyze data on climate, animal health, stocks, irrigation, and fertilization. For example, platforms related to smart collars for livestock check the body temperature of animals by transmitting information to the owner’s mobile device.  

There are also mobile programs for fish farms. They work with sensors in the reservoir that measure temperature, acidity, water level, and other indicators. Users can analyze the data in smartphones, monitoring the frequency of fish feeding. Mobile applications require insignificant investments and allow farmers of any level to use the Internet of Things in their work. 

Automotive industry

It includes the software for monitoring various vehicle parameters: fuel, speed, location, etc. Created with IoT, the system analyzes a driving situation, allowing users to:

• Get the coordinates of the car. 
• Open/close or lock the doors. 
• Start the engine.
• Turn on the air conditioner, camera, etc. 

Opportunities are growing, as are smart cars: by 2023, about 70% of vehicles will access the Internet. Drivers use remote control and metrics analysis features in mobile applications. The next step is the proliferation of self-driving cars. 

Source: xevo.com

A New Generation City

A typical smart city is a place where mobile programs help solve many everyday tasks. For example, they warn drivers about accidents and holes on the road or suggest avoiding traffic jams and finding a parking place. In urban conditions, mobile apps help you:

• Create an emergency plan;
• warn citizens about the danger;
• control city lighting.

Smart city technologies raise living standards, increase jobs, and save energy. Global spending on smart city technologies reached $104 billion in 2019, and this number keeps growing. Most of the investments are aimed at mobile development. Amsterdam became the first smart city back in 2009, thanks to the proliferation and implementation of IoT.

Source:: smartercommunities.media

IoT and Mobile Apps: Talking about the Future

Popular IoT applications

We are sure that Consumer Internet and multimedia devices will become the most numerous in terms of IoT connection. In 2030, they will account for a third of devices worldwide. Next, the most common will be smart grids (for example, smart meters) and connected vehicles. Demand for home automation security systems is expected to increase as well. For example, video doorbell spending could reach $1.4 billion by 2023. 

Our practice shows that enterprise software is becoming more popular due to the introduction of IoT technologies. Companies can optimize employee performance, monitor equipment health, and improve operational productivity. 

New requirements for app development 

The IoT system involves the interaction of devices via NFC, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth signals. Mobile applications should provide different connection modes. When developing software, we consider:

• Minimum design to manage.
• Optimized interface to fit any screen. 
• Initial memory requirements. 
• Hardware capabilities. 

Mobile users increasingly want the latest smartphones with unique features. Therefore, innovative software developers are improving methods of protecting personal information and confidential data on a single network. And yes, we don’t miss such innovations.

5G and IoT

5G connectivity will expand the Internet of Things over the next few years, as it transfers significant amounts of data faster and connects more devices than 4G. 5G saves more energy, reducing costs and increasing the use of IoT. The number of 5G mobile subscriptions worldwide is expected to surpass 2.7 billion by 2025. CCTV cameras, connected vehicles, and telematics platforms will operate on 5G. 

The Internet of Things (IoT)  is an innovative framework that connects people, processes, and equipment in a single network. Globally, IoT connections will grow 2.4 times: from 6.1 billion in 2018 to 14.7 billion by 2023. As a result, mobile applications for a smart home that manage internal security, video surveillance cameras, and household equipment will become indispensable in the daily life of users. 

Now you know everything about the connection of mobile solutions and IoT technologies. What direction will you choose? What technologies? If you have any questions about what and how you should do, our experts will help you understand complicated chains and offer the best solution for your problems!