The future of mobile: super apps, wearables and beyond

In short: For most businesses in Germany, a super app on the Asian model is not a realistic goal. The principle behind it does transfer: bundle the features customers already need regularly. Wearables pay off where quick glances or health and movement data deliver real value. The biggest influences on app development over the next few years are on-device AI and the new rules for app stores in the EU.

Super apps: what reaches Europe

In China and Southeast Asia, super apps like WeChat or Grab are part of daily life. One app combines messaging, payments, transport, food delivery and public services, with third parties running inside it as mini-programs. In Europe this model has not caught on so far. Markets are more fragmented, users are used to specialised apps, and data protection and competition law set tighter limits.

What does carry over: many companies run several small apps or portals for customers that overlap. A customer app that brings orders, service tickets, invoices and messages together is the super app principle on a small scale. It lowers the barrier to installing the app at all and gives people more reasons to open it regularly.

Mini apps and instant experiences

A related development is lightweight entry points that skip a full install. Apple offers App Clips for this: a QR code on a parking meter or a restaurant menu opens a small part of the app straight away. Across platforms, a progressive web app often does the same job. We discuss when that is enough in Progressive web apps: are they worth it?

Wearables: when a watch app makes sense

Smartwatches and fitness trackers are common, but a dedicated wearable app only pays off with a clear benefit. Good candidates are things people want to take in at a glance: status updates, timers, upcoming appointments, confirmations. Then there are apps that use sensor data, for example in fitness, health or workplace safety.

Technically, a watch app on Apple devices is built with Swift and SwiftUI, on Android with Wear OS and Kotlin. Health data goes through HealthKit or Health Connect. Under the GDPR, health data is a special category with stricter rules for consent, storage and hosting. Often, well-designed notifications that appear on the watch anyway are enough. Our article on push notifications users actually want covers how to use them well.

AI on the device

Current smartphones have dedicated machine learning hardware, and both Apple and Google ship language models and image processing as part of the operating system. For apps this means text recognition, translation, summaries or image analysis can run locally without data leaving the device. That is faster, works offline and makes data protection easier.

At the same time, interaction is shifting. Voice control and assistants that trigger actions inside apps are becoming more important. Apps that expose their features through the operating systems' official interfaces are well prepared. More on this in our post on voice interfaces and conversational UI.

New app store rules in the EU

Under the Digital Markets Act, Apple and Google have to allow alternative distribution channels and payment systems in the EU. Since 2024, iPhone users in the EU can use alternative app marketplaces, and under certain conditions apps can be distributed directly from a developer's website. For most companies the official app store remains the main channel. For apps with their own customer base or high commission payments, the new options may be worth a closer look, even though the conditions are complex and still changing.

What this means for your app strategy

Cross-platform frameworks like React Native or Flutter now cover most requirements, including access to device features. Watch apps and very deep system integration often still need native code, but it can be added where needed. We compare the two frameworks in React Native vs. Flutter.

Plan your app so new entry points can be added later: a clean backend API, clearly separated features and a data model that can also serve a watch, a widget or a voice assistant.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Should we build a super app?

Rarely. It is more useful to bundle the features your customers need regularly into one well-made app. You get many of the benefits of the super app principle without building an entire ecosystem.

Is a dedicated smartwatch app worth it?

Only if users gain something real from it, such as quick status updates or analysis of sensor data. In many cases, well-designed notifications that show up on the watch automatically are enough. A watch app means extra development and maintenance.

Can a cross-platform app use on-device AI?

Yes, through native modules that call the iOS and Android APIs. React Native and Flutter let you add these without writing the whole app natively. The effort depends on how new and platform-specific the feature is.

Do we need to change anything because of the Digital Markets Act?

Not necessarily. The official app store remains the right path for most apps. The new options mainly matter for apps with digital sales and high commission payments.

Conclusion

The next few years in mobile will mostly bring new touchpoints with your customers: the watch, widgets, voice assistants, instant experiences. If your app rests on a clean architecture, you can add these channels one at a time as they become relevant to your users. If you want to shape your app strategy around that, talk to us about mobile app development.