With all my ideas and thoughts about the future of technology, I’m going to focus on Android applications because I believe it’s a huge player in the future of the mobile world. Since the market is really starting to pick up for Android, I’m guessing we’ll see a lot of developers step up to fill the increasing demand for applications. With innovative developers stepping to the plate and the new powerful handsets coming out, I’m sure the applications will really start to stand out compared to other mobile devices.
The first major component we’ll see will be application integration. Beyond integrating with basic features too, I’m confident we’ll start seeing more applications that act as compliments to others including extensions of current applications. One application, Twidroid, is already offering tools for third party developers to do write applications that integrate with the powerful Twitter application. I’d imagine as newer devices become more popular, we’ll begin to see a lot more powerful applications integrating with each other to create a stronger user experiences (thanks to the multitasking ability of Android).
The next development, which we’re already seeing in applications like Gowalla and FourSquare, will be location based interaction. For some, maybe most, there seems to be the concern of personal privacy with applications knowing and reporting their locations. I think as the year goes on, we’ll start seeing people loosen up and location based interaction becoming more popular. A big part of what’s leading into this has been the progress already made by applications like Layar (Reality Browser) and Sherpa, that use your location to inform you about your surroundings. While I was questionable about this premise at first, the idea started to grow on me as I read more about Gowalla and Foursquare and how they’re being used. A huge upside of applications like these, is that it is opening up a completely new type of marketing environment where companies will be able to reach nearby potential customers. I think it will be huge.
More entertainment applications! I think 2010 will bring a lot of new entertainment to Android devices, beyond games I think there will be new media outlets for the platform. Already, we have a wide variety of options for media types on Android. While I personally don’t use my phone for music/movies, I think the ability to have a media marketplace on the phone will encourage healthy competition.
Last but not least, I think we’ll really see a whole slew of niche applications coming to Android. While other platforms have their own niche applications, the versatility of Android and ease of publication, will bring a lot of interest from companies trying to get more in touch with their audience/customers.
