Moburst’s Monthly Mobile Marketing Roundup #22

Industry News Mobile Marketing

Lital Castel 06 March 2025

Welcome back to the 22nd edition of Moburst’s Monthly Mobile Marketing Roundup!

This month, AI-powered tools are changing the game for mobile marketers, Apple is making a rare move to loosen its grip on default apps, and Google Play’s latest widget update could be the key to unlocking better app discovery. Let’s dive in!

Industry News

AI’s Rapid Expansion and What it Really Means

Google’s Gemini 2.0 Expands

Google’s Gemini 2.0 release introduced Flash, Flash-Lite, and Pro, bringing faster, more efficient AI models that can now run natively on mobile devices. While the spotlight remains on performance gains, the real shift lies elsewhere—how AI accessibility is lowering the cost of intelligent app experiences.

For years, AI-driven features meant heavy cloud reliance and expensive processing costs. With Gemini 2.0, even low-powered devices can run AI models locally, reducing infrastructure expenses and latency. 

• This could signal a potential drop in AI-related subscription pricing, forcing app developers to rethink premium AI-powered features as they become easier to replicate.
• For monetization, this change flips the value proposition of AI-driven apps. Instead of paywalls around basic AI features, differentiation will rely on how well models are fine-tuned for specific audiences. 

The apps that benefit most from this aren’t necessarily the first adopters, but the ones that use AI in highly specialized, user-personalized ways—think fitness tracking with real-time adjustments, AI-generated interactive storytelling, or predictive app behaviors tailored to habits.

We believe a shift is coming where the novelty of AI won’t be enough. Without clear niche value, AI apps risk commoditization as lightweight models level the playing field.

ChatGPT’s Deep Research: AI-Powered Market Intelligence Gets an Upgrade

OpenAI’s new Deep Research feature in ChatGPT introduces a more autonomous way to conduct complex research, data synthesis, and long-form analysis. Unlike previous AI browsing tools, which simply retrieve surface-level information, Deep Research can break down multi-layered topics, verify findings across sources, and generate structured insights.

The launch has been well received within AI and research circles but hasn’t yet been fully recognized for how it will transform content strategy, App Store optimization (ASO), and market positioning for brands.

The Hidden Competitive Advantage:

While framed as an efficiency boost for AI researchers, Deep Research has clear implications for brands looking to scale smarter and faster.

• Faster Feature Benchmarking: Competitive analysis is often slow and resource-intensive, requiring manual research across competing apps, reviews, and market data. ChatGPT’s Deep Research can automate this process, providing instant insights on feature gaps, pricing strategies, and pain points from real user feedback.
• Smarter ASO & SEO Adjustments: App visibility isn’t just about keywords anymore—it’s about search intent, category shifts, and user expectations. 

• AI-powered market tracking makes adjusting metadata and content in real time easier, promoting better ranking performance.
• Hyper-Optimized Performance Marketing: User sentiment shifts quickly, making traditional A/B testing slower than it needs to be. Deep Research can scan industry conversations, competitor messaging trends, and emerging consumer pain points—helping brands refine ad creative and positioning before performance dips.

AI-driven research is only as good as the strategic execution behind it. Understanding what the data says is one thing—knowing how to act on it is what drives growth.

Whether optimizing ASO with predictive AI-driven research, refining your ad messaging based on real-time sentiment shifts, or benchmarking your app’s feature set against competitors, our app marketing experts at Moburst can help you transform insights into results.

xAI’s Grok 3: Musk’s Trojan Horse for AI-Powered Social Media?

Elon Musk’s Grok 3 launch positions it as a direct competitor to OpenAI and Google, but the deeper strategy is less about AI and more about the future of engagement on social platforms. Unlike other AI models, Grok is trained on X data, meaning it excels in real-time conversations, trend tracking, and meme-driven interactions.

If AI-generated content blends seamlessly with organic posts, engagement models on social platforms could transform from traditional feeds to AI-personalized experiences.

This opens up entirely new growth channels for brands. Imagine AI-driven influencer campaigns that respond to viral moments in real time, or ASO strategies that evolve daily based on trending app search behaviors. 

While it’s still in the early days, brands that integrate AI-assisted audience engagement—especially in entertainment, gaming, and live commerce—could gain an early-mover advantage before AI-powered social feeds become the norm.

App Store Updates

iOS 18.4 Beta: Why the Default App Update Matters More Than It Seems

Apple’s upcoming support for default translation apps worldwide and default navigation apps for EU users in iOS 18.4 might change market positioning in a post-regulation era.

For years, the company’s tight grip on default apps gave built-in services an unfair advantage over third-party competitors. By forcing Apple to allow alternatives, regulators are opening the door for new power players in key verticals.

This could create a surge in acquisitions for smaller navigation and translation apps, as big tech firms look to consolidate market share before user habits solidify. In-app promotion strategies may also shift. Apps that rely on external integrations (such as rideshare services pulling data from navigation apps) may now need specific incentives to become a user’s default.

If Apple’s monopoly on core services weakens, this may be just the beginning of more forced openness—a trend we believe is worth tracking for any app competing with built-in iOS functionalities.

EU Apps Without Verified Trader Status Have Been Removed

As of February 18, 2025, apps that haven’t verified their trader status in App Store Connect have been removed from the EU App Store. This compliance requirement is part of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and affects all developers distributing apps in the European market.

While the immediate impact is on businesses operating in the EU, the enforcement of business identity verification could set a precedent for other regions.

Play Store Updates

Google Play’s Widget Push: A Quiet Shift in App Discovery

Google Play wants you to use widgets—and it’s rewarding the apps that do.

A new search filter, widget badges, and curated lists are rolled out to highlight apps with useful widgets.

The goal? Make widgets a bigger part of the Android experience. But the real takeaway here isn’t just that widgets are getting more exposure—it’s that Google might be laying the groundwork for a new Play Store ranking factor.

Why This Matters 

• If Google is investing in editorial placement and search filters, apps that adopt widgets early are more likely to be featured.
• This could influence ranking algorithms. We’ve seen Google Play favor apps that follow its latest UX recommendations before. If engagement with widgets becomes a signal of app quality, apps without widgets could lose ground.
• Widgets aren’t just cosmetic—They’re front-and-center brand real estate on a user’s home screen. Done right, they increase retention, reduce churn, and even drive premium conversions (e.g., news apps surfacing paywalled content, fitness apps pushing quick-start workouts).

What to Do Next

If your app has high-value daily interactions, now is the time to implement a widget. Google is literally giving them premium placement in Play Store search. 

Google Play’s March Update

The latest Google Play system update brings three key changes:

• Google Wallet expands across more devices (including wearables).
• Better login reliability for teens and kids (likely signaling future regulatory moves).
• New game genre discovery pages that change how Play Store users find games.

Key Takeaways

• Seamless payments mean easier conversions. The more accessible Google Wallet becomes, the fewer barriers exist to completing a purchase. If your app relies on IAPs or subscriptions, this is good news.
• Stronger login reliability for younger users. This might seem small, but whenever a platform makes a move toward more controlled underage access, regulatory enforcement isn’t far behind. If your app has teen users, expect stricter compliance requirements down the road.
• Game discoverability is evolving. The genre-based Play Store pages suggest Google is testing more personalized, curated content discovery. If you run a gaming app, your visibility strategy might need to adapt to new ranking signals within genre categories.

Google I/O 2025: Coming Soon

Google I/O 2025 is officially set for May 20-21, and based on past trends, some key themes are already taking shape. While Google keeps specifics under wraps, our team has a few educated predictions on what’s coming—and why it matters:

• Android 16: Smarter, More Private, and AI-Powered: We can expect expanded on-device AI, more privacy controls in response to growing regulation, and deeper integration with wearables and smart home devices.
• Google’s AI Expansion: Gemini AI will likely get new developer tools, making it easier to integrate AI features into apps without massive cloud costs. If AI becomes a core part of Google Play’s ranking algorithm, apps that leverage Gemini models effectively could gain visibility.
• Wear OS Might Get a Bigger Push: With more Android smartwatch adoption, Google might announce performance and battery life upgrades, as well as more health-tracking features. If Wear OS app discovery improves, this could be a new growth opportunity for fitness, health, and utility apps.
• Extended Reality (XR) Takes the Stage: Google has been making quiet moves in Android XR, and this could be the year it finally unveils a broader AR/VR strategy. If this happens, expect new SDKs and dev tools that could open the door for AR-driven engagement models.

As always, stay tuned for our upcoming in-depth coverage of Google I/O 2025, where we’ll break down the key announcements and share strategic insights to help you stay competitive.

Ready to level up your marketing strategy and stay ahead of industry trends? Look no further than Moburst! 

As a leading full-service, mobile-first digital and app marketing agency, we specialize in helping businesses like yours grow and become category leaders.

Lital Castel

Lital is Moburst’s Content Manager & Email Marketing Specialist. She specializes in coming up with engaging ideas and research to capture the trendiest topics in the digital and mobile marketing world. She is passionate about productivity and optimizing your day, but you can probably find her playing video games while cuddling with her dog on the couch to wind down at the end of a long day.

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