The latest smartphone features all app developers should know about

The rising number of mobile phone users, which is projected to be at 2.87 billion by 2020, has led to a series of technological advancements that have changed the world. The smartphone revolution has also put the power of a computer in our pockets. With so many new innovations hitting the mobile market every year, it can be hard for software developers to keep up. To help you stay on trend, we’ve put together a list of the most promising features to be aware of.

While the ability to render augmented reality with your mobile phone has been around for a few years, 2017 has seen a big push from developers to take the technology to the next level. Apple, in particular, has made huge leaps forward with improved chipsets in the recently announced iPhone 8 and iPhone X that allow app developers more creative freedom and diversity when developing augmented reality programs.

After the huge success of Google’s Pixel Phone, which was widely acclaimed for having one of the best cameras on the market, the tech giant is back with a second iteration. Among the new features, the gestures are particularly intriguing. With a rear-mounted sensor and the new Android 8.0 OS which allows for new combinations of gestures, the Pixel 2 offers a lot of opportunity for mobile game and app developers looking to add new levels and dimensions to their products.

One of the most promising features to hit the smartphone market this year is object recognition. Essential the idea is as simple as it sounds; you point your smartphone camera at an object and it will recognise what it is. Behind the scenes, the software uses a series of algorithms to identify colours, logos and iconic features. This feature has been confirmed on the latest IOS version as well as Android 8.0 and while there is still a lot of progress to be made, the software offers so much potential for innovation amongst app developers.

SCiO is a new type of sensor which uses light rays to scan organic produce to identify how fresh your food is, whether your medicine is legitimate and even your body fat percentage. This may sound like something from a Sci-Fi film but it is real and will be hitting the market for the first time this year integrated into Changhong’s new H2 model. The ability to interact and identify organic objects opens all kinds of creative doors for developers everywhere.