The History and Evolution of Mobile Apps

Have you noticed the evolution of mobile apps or was it just us? Technology has this interesting trait of changing itself every fortnight. Impressive, huh? Yes, it is. Every bit of technology is evolving and will continue to do so. With the launch of new apps and new processes, there is no doubt to the fact that this trend will be a natural phenomenon in the virtual world.

In fact, if you observe what was once a trend around 5 years back has been replaced with something really new today, which means that this will keep on evolving. Futurists and researchers are of the opinion that technology, including mobile apps, will evolve – based on the inferences from past trends.

Innovation is one of the driving factors that has contributed to this change. It is too fast and this has led to the launch of many new apps that we are using today. Also, if you strike a comparison between the apps that we use today and those that were used by us years back, the difference is poles apart, just like the sun and the moon differ from each other.

Remember the time when apps only displayed what they had to offer, instead of tailoring content to what users actually wanted? But today the scenario is different. It brings content based on intuition, which never deviates from what the user was expecting. The tools, such as gyroscopes and location data are experiencing an enhancement when it comes to the functionality and innovation that runs behind it and the user experience as well. Also, interestingly these apps are not executing on a single idea, which makes it a better choice for tech-savvy users.

People are looking for an app experience that is seamless and unboundedly out of the world. If you think about technology, it is mobile apps that come to our mind. We are all using a number of different apps every day and each of these apps makes life a lot easier for us. With the arrival of the ‘internet of things’, this has migrated to another level, wherein everything is focused at the tip of your finger.

From this point, we have today reached a point where the futurists say that the future of mobile app is bright and there is no looking back for five years from now. Of course, when we have been utilizing user data to identify their traits and demographics, and research on what they like and do not like and their preferences, as well – we have been collecting all this information to customize our services in line with their expectations. All this is happening automatically. Just think about all those times when Amazon has surprised you with products that you had initially browsed for and then, when you returned later, was bringing up recommendations based on your previous searches.

User satisfaction and user experience are the two key factors around which the app development revolves. Analytics tones these factors by pipelining a coding process in synch with app development, all ready to provide a seemingly great user experience. Very soon, we will witness a scenario where computers will design what you have been looking for as per your preferences into an app that will fit into the screen of your mobile as an icon.

If we take a look at the trend that these apps have been following in the past five years, the excitement is beyond imagination as technology has traveled far away from what it used to be years back.

We all love apps and our lives are dependent on these. Regardless of whether those are a utility or commercial apps or the gaming apps on our mobile devices, we have never had enough of these as we still crave for more and more.

Defining Mobile Applications

A software application – as simple as that – we do not know whether there exists a better definition for this. This computer-designed program is fit to run on mobile devices – including iOS and Android tablets and various other devices. Apps have made our lives easier for us and we have reached a point where we cannot imagine our lives without these apps. Let us take a dive into how it all began – the evolution of mobile apps – a sneak peek.

The History of the Development of Mobile Apps

If we stride back into the traditional days of mobile app design and development, then, we can probably find that the first used apps were mostly the monthly calendars, calculators and even games that were developed in the Java framework. But, interestingly, the first-ever known smartphone was launched by IBM in the year 1993. And, it came with features such as the contact book, calendar, world clock and calculator.

A few years later, in the year 2002, the next smartphone, i.e., the BlackBerry smartphone, was launched. This was one of the major accomplishments in the field of mobile app development, marking the significance of Blackberry Limited, also known as Research in Motion Limited (RIM). This was what brought about the integration of the concept known as wireless email.

Interesting facts about the mobile phones that were used at first:

The Beginning of Mobile Phones

On 3rd April 1973, Martin Cooper of Motorola made the first call on the mobile phone to Dr.Joel S. Engel of the Bell Labs. This instrument weighed around 1.1 kg.

The portable devices or PDAs had their first operating system, known as EPOC developed by Psion. Released in the early 90s, this was first of the recognizable apps. The exciting app or the 16-bit systems that executed the EPOC’s user programs could run apps such as diaries, databases, spreadsheets, and word processors. But, the future models were capable of accommodating 32-bit OS and were integrated with 2MB RAM, allowing users to add extra apps through their software packs.

Then, came the time of Palm OSes.

Developed by Palm Inc. in the year 1996, these were mainly designed for personal digital assistants and were known as Garnet OS. This came with a touchscreen graphical user interface along with a number of basic apps and other third-party apps that were programmed in C/C++. Later on, the wireless application protocol (WAP) browsers were introduced as an extension for these.

Wireless Markup Language

But, over the next two decades, researchers were on a spree to get mobile apps ready for these devices. The R&D department of IBM Simon came up with the first mobile app for Smartphones in 1993, exactly two decades after the first call was made.

Developed by the WAP Forum, the wireless markup language was specifically designed for devices that were dependent on XML and could be run across wireless application protocols. Light in weight and would work on low bandwidths for the mobile devices that would work in the late 90s and tore apart the existing strategies of HTML or hypertext mark-up language, which was dependent for processing power. This was closely followed by the Java ME or J2ME or JME – it was first introduced as JSR 68. Later on replaced by personalized Java, which was the favorite of many, no wonder why it still exists in the programming field. It was given various shapes and forms for use via Phones, embedded devices, and even PDAs.

The mobile information device profile, which comes with subset configurations, including the connected limited device configuration was used for the device, implemented profiles. Apart from this, CLDC was able to run for devices with a memory of 160KB to 512 KB and came with Java-class libraries that are capable of operating for virtual machines.

Symbian is the next in line. Developed by Symbian Ltd, which was a joint venture from Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia and PSION, this was a further developed version of PSION EPOC OS. Until the year 2008, this interesting venture had an omnipresent operating system that was capable of running around 250 million devices. Nokia further worked on improvising the Symbian OS and you would find that this S60 platform was implemented across different Nokia handsets including Samsung and LG.

The App Store Revolution

It was around this time, the meaning of a mobile app truly changed. Everything suddenly felt different when the App Store was launched by Apple in 2008 with slightly over 500 apps. People downloaded it just out of curiosity. And then came Android, slowly shaping its own pace, until the Android Market eventually turned into Google Play in 2012. Developers were working with better SDKs, improved touchscreen responses and better sensors. Even Amazon stepped in with its own store in 2011 and smaller platforms like GetJar kept experimenting with ways to distribute apps. It was a time, “mobile software” was still forming. Looking back, most of these seem very basic, but together they completely changed what we expected from a phone.

The Smartphone Era

Somewhere along the way, phones became the place people spent most of their time. In 2011, the word “App” was awarded as “Word of the Year”. And with 4G spreading everywhere gradually, apps handled the tasks we never imagined it could do. Streaming didn’t buffer endlessly. Maps became more reliable. Everything just felt quicker. Behind all this, iOS and Android were constantly refining themselves.  Android moved to a faster runtime, tightened permissions and made battery management more sensible. iOS pushed better graphics performance, predictable multitasking, strong security and more polished system updates. Developers had access to better tools, and app stores improved their own systems too. Google strengthened Play Store reviews with automated scans and human checks in 2015 and introduced features like  Instant Apps, letting users try apps without installing them in the following years. Wear OS also came into the picture, extending apps to smartwatches and turning mobile ecosystems into something larger than just phones.

Later on, the smartphones and iPhones that we use today evolved, making lives a lot easier for people. The apps are easier to access and our lives much better. Think about how life would have been without those millions of apps around us – including social media, banking, health and fitness, games, travel and leisure, shopping, news, and whatnot.

The AI-Powered Age

Phones started behaving differently after 2020, almost like they had quietly grown more aware of the people using them. With the spread of 5G, apps stopped struggling with heavy data work. Video calls held clarity, large uploads didn’t feel endless and daily tasks became smoother than ever. In the past few years, AI tools became a part of everyday life. Apps got better at understanding the patterns and adjusting content to match a user’s habits. Keyboards learned tone, cameras analysed scenes before taking photos and even simple tasks like searching felt more intuitive. But at the same time, privacy became one of the biggest concerns in recent years.

Apps introduced clear disclaimers and permissions to make sure the users knew what they were signing up for. Another shift was the rise of unified apps. Communication, payments, updates and smaller services became available inside single spaces instead of being scattered across multiple apps. With AI being integrated into most apps, they feel smoother and more responsive, blending well with everyday life. The arrival tools like ChatGPT pushed this even further, because suddenly people weren’t just using apps, they were interacting with systems that could understand questions, draft ideas or explain things in simple language. It didn’t take long for similar AI powered tools to appear across websites, productivity apps and even social platforms.

From helping students with quick summaries to assisting professionals with planning, writing, editing or analysing information, AI slipped into everyday routines without much effort. Many apps now quietly rely on these models to offer suggestions, organise tasks or generate content in real time. It feels less like a separate feature and more like another layer of support built into the things people already use each day. It’s almost impossible to keep up with how quickly new tools and ideas appear, because the pace at which apps are being created today is nothing like what it used to be

Some app stores add around 20,000 apps every month. Don’t you think that is amazing?

As per the recent data, Google Play Store has over 139 billion downloads, followed by Apple App Store with close to 35 billion downloads.

Now, we stand somewhere where we can’t even imagine how our ancestors survived without the luxury of these apps. Yes, life existed long before we were introduced to these.

List of Applications to Try

Here we will take you through some of the apps that you would like to try:

Telegram

Telegram started as a messaging app but has gradually grown into a platform with much broader uses.  It allows you to create large groups and channels, share files without heavy compression and stay updated through broadcasts and communities. Telegram is the best alternative to WhatsApp, which is the most popular messenger app in the world. Its focus on privacy, speed and cloud-based storage are some of the reasons to choose Telegram.

X (formerly Twitter)

X is no longer just a social media platform. It is real-time information hub where news, opinions and conversations move fast. From niche interests to global updates, the platform lets followers follow topics creators and discussions as they unfold. Elon Musk, the owner of X has positioned X as “A Legitimate Source For News” through multiple posts from his official account on the platform. Although the traditional media doesn’t quite agree with this, X has become a space  where trends form quickly and public conversations shape digital culture.

Notion

Notion is the most trending productivity app at the moment. It’s not just another note-taking app. It is a platform that can be used for task management and structured planning. From creating a simple to-do list to tracking detailed projects, it is useful to students, professionals and creators. Instead of following a fixed layout, Notion lets users set up their own pages and sections that match with their workflow. This freedom to arrange information makes Notion feel more like a personal workspace than a standard productivity tool.

ChatGPT

AI has been around for a while now. But it’s ChatGPT that made AI a part of our daily lives. This chatbot has completely changed how people interact with technology. ChatGPT helps with brainstorming ideas, writing, summarising information and so much more. ChatGPT, the catalyst of the recent AI revolution, is still the most used AI tool in the world, despite numerous competitors emerging. Because the conversational setup has made it less like a tool and more like a digital assistant that fits into everyday tasks.

TOR Browser

Tor Browser is for those who want more privacy online. It works by passing the internet traffic through multiple layers of encryption, which helps in reducing the tracking and monitoring that happens otherwise. This makes it harder for websites and third parties to identify your activity on the internet. Because it adds an extra layer of anonymity. This is one of the best option for those who want greater control over their online privacy.

Abstruct

Would you like to find an easy way to get an excellent quality 4K wallpapers for your phone? This you can achieve using Abstruct. The award- winning wallpaper artist Hampus Olsson created this. It provides access to more than  300 wallpapers. 

Curator

Would you like to organize your photo library? Then Curator is the best choice for you. It will help you to tag photos and search through these photos on the basis of these tags. It will make it easier for you to search through many photos that are present on your device. This app can help you to intelligently tag photos on the basis of the image’s compositions, which is an important feature.

Lens Distortion

This helps to add high-quality effects to your images. Some of the effects include fog, rain, snow, and natural sunlight, and it can be seen simultaneously in a gallery view. This will make it easier to choose the photo that suits your preferences. In the free app, you will find five filters, but if you need more, you can always subscribe to the paid Lens Distortion Unlimited.

DINGGO

When you subscribe to too many streaming services, have you ever been in confusion about what to watch? Then, you should choose Dinggo. It is perfect. It will help you to choose the streaming services which you are part of. Then, you can choose a genre of more than one TV show or a movie which you might be interested in.

This app will help you scroll through a wide range of options from a number of different streaming services, which will help you to stay stuck with more than one service’s recommendations.

Conclusion

Looking at mobile technology today compared to what it used to be feels almost unreal. Those old chunky phones? They were basically just for calls. Now we’ve got smartphones that listen and respond when we talk to them. The whole journey from simple calculators and calendars to what we have today happened through years of people constantly trying to make things better.

Apps today do things we couldn’t imagine before. Messaging someone halfway across the globe, teaching ourselves something we never knew, tackling whatever’s next on the list. We use them without even realizing it half the time.

AI is everywhere now. Technology moves fast because of it. Our phones might start knowing what we need before we do. Sounds weird, but it could happen.

Mobile apps have changed a lot about how we live. That’s not stopping anytime soon.

Looking at mobile technology today compared to what it used to be feels almost unreal. Those old chunky phones? They were basically just for calls. Now we’ve got smartphones that listen and respond when we talk to them. The whole journey from simple calculators and calendars to what we have today happened through years of people constantly trying to make things better.

Apps today do things we couldn’t imagine before. Messaging someone halfway across the globe, teaching ourselves something we never knew, tackling whatever’s next on the list. We use them without even realizing it half the time.

AI is everywhere now. Technology moves fast because of it. Our phones might start knowing what we need before we do. Sounds weird, but it could happen.

Mobile apps have changed a lot about how we live. That’s not stopping anytime soon.

Acodez is a mobile app development company in India. We offer all kinds of web development and web design services as well. We are also a digital marketing agency offering SEO, SMM, SMO services to boost your online business. 

FAQ