The new year is stretching out before us, the predictions for the next 12 months are rolling in, and there is no shortage of articles and news items emerging from tech and marketing experts. We’ve brought you bite-sized summaries of some of the most notable content that appeared on our screens this month, keeping you up to date with everything app-related in the time it takes to drink your coffee.

This month’s mobile marketing digest features futuristic new tech from CES, developments forecasted for 2018, and some record-breaking app statistics.

Apple Enjoys Record-Breaking Holiday Season On The App Store

1 minute read. By Tyrone Stewart. Via Mobile Marketing Magazine.

The redesigned app store that launched in September 2017 seems to be thriving, with individual days over the holiday season showing record-breaking sales revenue. That’s reassuring news, but particularly interesting is Stewart’s parting note that Pokémon Go topped App Store charts in December. As well as highlighting that AR is more than just a gimmick for mobile apps and is continuing to attract users, the role of ARKit in the app’s success points to a new way of approaching app development.

The Top Transformative Tech Trends From CES 2018

2 minute read. By Chelsea Gohd. Via Futurism.

No review of this month’s content would be complete without a view from the Consumer Electronics Show, which took place in Las Vegas this month. This article by Chelsea Gohd presents the key takeaways in a neatly condensed way, looking at the trends that stood out at the 2018 show, and giving an insight into the areas of technology worth keeping a close eye on over the next year.

HTC'S Most Important CES Announcement Isn’t The New Vive Pro Headset. 

3 minute read. By Julie Muncy. Via Wired.

Whilst the previous article gives a whistle-stop round up of some of the major trends from CES, Muncy’s article takes a more in depth view of the Vive Pro headset, and what it could mean for VR. It’s no secret that VR hasn’t yet reached the popularity that the initial hype suggested, but the Vive Pro makes an important step towards making VR more usable. Perhaps we are finally getting closer to the point when VR might become a common way for brands to interact with customers.

Companies Will Spend $3.7 Trillion On IT In 2018, Led By Trendy New Tech Like Blockchain, IoT and AI

2 minute read. By Julie Bort. Via Business Insider.

Research carried out by Gartner has revealed that companies are planning to increase expenditure across a number of areas in 2018, including a 9.5% increase in spending on enterprise software. IoT and AI are areas that Gartner predict will see particular growth, heralding new opportunities for the types of platforms that can be used to interact with users.

WhatsApp Business Finally Rolls Out For Android — And It’s Totally Free (For Now)

1 minute read. By Napier Lopez. Via The Next Web.

Whatsapp have been talking about releasing a business version for some time. It’s finally launched this month, and is part of a more general shift towards real-time, personalized conversations with customers. Although the functionality is currently fairly limited, it highlights the importance of app/user interactions that treat each individual as an individual.