Apps make life easier – there are no two ways about it. Right from calling a cab for our journeys, to shopping for groceries, and from banking to enjoying salon services at home – the proverbial ‘there’s an app for that’ phrase holds true across practically all phases of our lives. By the end of 2019 Q2, there were ~1.98 million apps available for download in the Apple App Store, while Google Play Store had just a shade under 2.49 million apps (add another 1.1 million apps in the Windows Store and the Amazon Appstore combined). While it might seem that the app market is already overcrowded and past maturity – leaving little room for further innovation – the fact remains that the latest software tools, futuristic technologies and connectivity solutions are disrupting this market on an ongoing basis. Over here, we present a set of new mobile app ideas that might work wonders in 2020 and beyond:
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App for truth detection
This one will be working on the lines of a lie detector machine, and will be powered by voice technology. There can be a ‘General’ mode to record conversations, declarations and other things (for future reference), while the special ‘Verification’ mode can factor in things like voice intonation, volume, delays in answering and a set of facial/neural gestures to determine whether a person is telling a lie or not. For best results with this app, questions should start on a very simple level, and gradually become trickier. It will be very difficult – if not impossible – to ensure fully error-free lie detection, but with this app, getting an idea will become easier.
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App for paper evaluation assistance
The role of technology in education is already big, and growing bigger. Teachers – at all levels – have to evaluate and grade papers – and things can get monotonous after a point of time. In this mobile edtech app, teachers will be able to store a set of common remarks (“Incomplete”, “Give more details”, “Poor”, “Good job”, etc.). While evaluating a paper, a teacher can simply tap on a remark (stored as a tag), to insert it on the paper (of course, this app will be usable only while evaluating answer papers submitted electronically). The app will do away with the need for typing the same remarks again and again, and make the task of evaluating less time-consuming and more efficient.
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App for understanding precision agriculture requirements
Smart farming is growing increasingly popular. Crop-growers are increasingly adopting IoT-powered agri-sensors, platforms and LoRaWAN-powered gateways to maximise soil productivity levels and reduce crop wastage. It would be really handy if there was a mobile app that could neatly summarise: a) the resource requirements and b) the resource availability for a farmer (for optimising yields from a particular piece of cultivable land). This would give the crop-growers a definite target to work towards, while smart city planners and people from urban areas would also get a feel of the challenge ahead. If things are left as it is, the world will face severe food scarcity in the foreseeable future – and apps like this one would make rural production all the more systematic.
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App for live interior decor suggestions
There is no dearth of apps which you can use to purchase furniture and other interior decoration items. But, are you absolutely sure that the chandelier or the photo frame that looks absolutely fabulous on the mobile shopping app would actually go well with your overall room decor? To remove this element of uncertainty, this app will use powerful augmented reality (AR) features to showcase how a newly bought item would look in your room. All that the user will have to do is pick a piece of furniture or an interior decoration accessory, and point his/her device at the spot where it would be kept – and the app will show how well the item has blended in with the room decor. There will be an in-app assistant as well, who will be guiding users regarding choice of interior decor products. Of course, people will able to buy the decoration items directly from the app as well. A great idea for decorating your home ‘intelligently’!
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App for new startup entrepreneurs
On average, 9 out of every new and ambitious startup fail. A big reason for this is lack of proper planning, inappropriate scaling, and not understanding the nuances of doing business correctly. This app will come to the aid of all the wannabe entrepreneurs out there. Depending on the particular niche of any startup (say, software development) – the app will suggest the ideal ways to do everything – right from purchasing and hosting a business domain, to fund requirements, logo designing, initial marketing & invoicing, scaling, and client interactions. There can be a built-in ‘Fund Calculator Assistant’ – that will calculate the revenues and spendings, and alert the user if the ledger is in the negative for consecutive months/quarters. In addition, the app can also have a discussion forum, where people can discuss ideas, view success stories, and share their growth strategies/hacks.
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App for learning foreign languages
Yes, there are many language learning apps on the App Store and the Play Store. However, most of these apps only teach a set of words or phrases to the learner – instead of providing assistance on how a newbie can actually speak and converse in a new language. This is the problem that this new language tutor app will look to solve. There will be volunteers at the backend, who will guide the new learners on different languages and correct the spoken/written mistakes being made. Also, there can be special sessions where users can have discussions with the locals/volunteers on mutually agreed upon topics. The main point of learning a new language is not just mugging up a few words, but being able to communicate in that language. This new app will help users do precisely that.
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App for getting criminal alerts
The idea of having an app that displays data on crime rates in different neighbourhoods (thereby helping users choose safe neighbourhoods to live in) has already been floated. How about having an app that helps you stay at an arm’s length from wanted criminals? This app will display real-time data on the presence of people with criminal records in the locality – with a built-in alarm system to alert users in case there is a criminal on the run nearby. A special tab for informing the police and/or sending out SOS requirements should also be ideally present. For the app to function as desired, it will need to store updated criminal records, and use GPS technology to track criminals (wherever and whenever possible).
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App for cloud presentations
At offices, meetings can take up a significant chunk of the overall work-hours. What’s more, a lot of the meeting times are wasted – with people indulging in casual conversations and stuff, with discussions of actual value taking place only during a fraction of the total time. A mobile app for sharing ideas and presentations real-time can enhance office productivity levels and minimise the need for time-wasting meetings. Team-members can easily start sharing their presentations, ideas, feedback, and opinions on the app – and check the things shared by others (the app will serve as a virtual meeting room). Media content, like HQ images and videos will also be sharable – and the app can also have direct connectivity with Dropbox. In addition, a user will also be able to control who will be able to view the files/chats shared by him/her. Since this app will be doubling up as a mobile intranet tool, there can be provisions for 1-on-1 messaging as well.
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App for smart shopping
Daily shopping is a headache for many. Our lives are busy, and forgetting to buy some essential stuff while we are out for work (for instance, on our way home) is far from being uncommon. To help us with our daily shopping needs, this app can prove to be really handy. With powerful GPS, it will store every shop or store or mall or shopping center in our locality – and depending on where a user is present at a time, will remind him/her about the thing(s) (s)he needs to purchase from the nearest store(s). People will also have the option of setting reminders in the app, so that they do not forget anything. From the backend, the app will need to pull updated stock and price information from stores – so that users can access updated information all the time.
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App for mental issues
Stress is an unavoidable part of day-to-day lives. Too much of suppressed stress can have seriously adverse effects on mental health. To tackle this problem, we can have a self-help app – where people can either write about the problems they are facing, or simply record audio messages (basically, the app will serve as a digital medium where users will be able to express themselves and blow off steam). Users will also have the option to activate the ‘Advice Mode’, where they can talk with a backend support staff (mental health expert) and discuss their problems and causes of stress. For people with acute stress/panic attacks, there will be a special ‘Distress’ tab. Tapping that will connect the user with a qualified psychoanalyst on a priority basis. Mental issues and stress are often neglected by us – but with this app, that no longer needs to be the case.
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App to share rides
Not everyone has cars. Hailing a ride-sharing app can be expensive – and not always a safe (particularly when a person is in an unknown city/country) option. A person looking for a ride can view all car-owners offering rides in their vehicles (in his/her locality), connect with them directly, agree on a price, and get in the vehicle. There will be a separate view for car owners – where they will be able to see all the users who are looking for rides nearby. The owners can contact these users and offer to convey them to their destination at a certain price. There will, of course, be an ‘Emergency’ button for both groups of users. No algorithms for determining prices, no surge pricing – everything will be decided on the terms the riders and the car-owners agree on. A smoother way to travel through new cities!
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App for keeping wills secure
Senior citizens make wills. Once the will is completed and read by the lawyers, all relatives and friends know about the components of the will – and that might lead to conflicts. This app will help a senior citizen to create his/her will in an encrypted format. The user will be able to generate a certain number of access keys (3 – 4), and share these keys to relatives of his/her choice. These relatives can use the keys to read the will either after the concerned senior citizen has passed or at a time of the latter’s choice. There will be no chance of unauthorised information access – and once the will has been opened by any of the recipient, a copy will also be sent by email, and the other recipients will also be notified.
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App to encourage recycling habits
Crowdfunding by socially aware citizens will play a big part in the making of this app. Users will have to document the recycling and other sustainable activities they perform in a day, and add photos as proof. Based on the nature of work done, a monetary reward will be given. Over a period of time, this amount will accumulate – and the person will be able to withdraw this money from his/her ‘account’. Graphical representations of the pro-sustainable behaviours of users will also be displayed. The monetary rewards will be crowdfunded by people who truly care for the society and the environment. If implemented, this app can be a great tool for even tackling global warming.
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App for informed dating
A blind date can be a success or an unqualified disaster, right? To help people avoid risks and take more informed ‘dating decisions’, this app will be useful. A user will be able to look up prospective dates on the app, and view their ratings on a 5-point scale on different parameters – style, dressing sense, knowledge, conversational skills, sense of humour, etc. These ratings will be provided by the people with whom that person has gone to date(s) previously. In essence, the app will give users a reference point on who to send a dating request to, and how the date will probably turn out.
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App for tracking luggage
If you are a fairly frequent flyer, you will know the pains of luggage arrival delays. You might have an hour-long departure – but if your baggage is late, you might be in a real race against time to catch the connecting flight. With this app, people will be able to track their bags and baggage on a real-time basis, and regular alerts (regarding luggage status) will be sent. If there are unforeseen delays in transportation for any reason, the app will clearly specify that. As a result, uncertainties and tensions regarding luggage arrival will be removed – and travellers will feel a whole lot safer. For making this app work, it has to be paired with some sort of transmitter/tracker attached to bag(s).
There can be an education technology app that would allow teachers to set assignments, evaluate students’ performance, and offer personalised assistance. On-demand bike riding apps are already growing popular – and it would be great if there was a bike-sharing app for women only (women bikers will be needed for that). There can also be an app that would allow project owners to connect with and recruit professionals for the duration of the project. One thing is for sure: the global app market is not going to slow down anytime soon, and innovative ideas will continue to disrupt this market in the foreseeable future.
Hussain Fakhruddin
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