Mobile will forever change retail, and it starts now. 92.9% of mobile developers predict it is “likely to very likely” that in 2013, most retail companies will have enabled mobile commerce. Developers also provided predictions on how mobile will change the retail shopper’s behavior, including their views on in-store shopping behavior, the mobile wallet concept, and the likelihood that users will make more purchases via their mobile phone than via their credit card in 2013.
Don’t wait for NFC! Based on mobile developer predictions, Near-Field Communication is not a requirement for retail transformation and retailers should certainly not hold up 2013 mobile commerce initiatives as they wait for NFC to evolve.
Users adopt augmented reality in a big way. Developers believe that 2013 will be the year for augmented reality to become commonplace. Examples like user submitted reviews (restaurants, and services), field service, and knowledge sharing apps are all available today.
More apps to watch for in 2013: Developers have indicated that they will be developing more mobile apps across the following consumer-facing categories: business, finance, education, medical, productivity and mobile money. Developer interest in building business-focused apps in industry, social business and office applications also increased.
Mobile developers believe that a mobile-first startup could disrupt Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. We asked developers to name any companies/markets that they believe are vulnerable to being disrupted and having market share taken away from them by a mobile-first startup. The top three companies that developers perceive to be ripe for disruption are Microsoft, Google, and Facebook.
More than smartphones: Mobile developers predict that in 2013 every smartphone user will also own a tablet, and that most people will own a smart-enabled device other than a tablet or smartphone as well.