Internet of Things is the new buzzword in the tech industry. But what does this mean for cross platform app development? Or can it be applicable for IoT/BLE and its applications?
With the growing popularity of IoT, numerous development tools are available for creating connected apps. In this article, we’ll explore how Flutter and React Native can be used to build cross-platform apps. Such apps can target both iOS and Android users at once. Both Flutter and React Native have proven their worth in creating handy user experiences for mobile apps.
So let’s dive into it and learn more about cross platform app development!
What is React Native?
React Native is a framework for building native apps with React. It enables developers to build apps on both platforms using a single codebase. Also, it is not an emulator or a virtual machine. It is a JavaScript framework that can render native components with native code.
This is why React Native apps can run as fast as an app written in Swift or Kotlin. React Native allows you to build mobile apps using the skills you already have. You can continue using ES6/JS for logic, and React for view rendering. You can build cross-platform apps with React Native by using the same code on both platforms.
For example, both Android and iOS have their own native APIs for accessing device data. But you can use React Native to bridge the gap and use one API for both.
What is Flutter?
Flutter is a new open-source mobile app SDK that helps developers write apps for both Android and iOS from a single codebase. It uses the same code to render on both platforms. This is possible because Flutter uses its renderer and widgets. Flutter is written in Dart language and uses the concept of “Widgets” to render UI.
Widget is a self-contained part of the UI that takes care of what to render, where to render, when to render, and how to render. In Flutter, all user interface elements are widgets. Note that widgets are different from the UI widgets in Android. Flutter also uses its rendering engine.
It renders using the Skia engine, which is also used by Android. This is why Flutter apps can look almost identical on both platforms.
Benefits of Using Flutter and React Native Together
- Reduced development cost: As most of the code is shared, the amount of code written is less than an app built using two different technologies. This results in faster development and less rework.
- Lower app maintenance cost: The reduced codebase means fewer bugs, less code to be updated, and less code to be maintained. This results in a longer app lifespan and reduced app maintenance costs.
- Easier collaboration with cross-development teams: Since the developers speak the same language and use the same tools, it is easier to collaborate and integrate with cross-development teams.
- Simpler code transition between platforms: Since the same code is used on both platforms, transitioning the code to another platform is easier.
Limitations of Using Flutter and React Native Together
- Flutter and React Native might be new, but they are not proven: Which means that their long-term use and adoption are yet to be seen. Developers are cautious when adopting new technology, especially when they have to port their code to another platform. It is hard to say if the code will perform as expected on another platform.
- Flutter is not yet feature-complete: It does not have the functionality to match React Native. This means that for some complex apps, you still need to use React Native.
- React Native and Flutter require separate teams: While it is easier to collaborate and integrate with cross-development teams, it also means having two separate development teams.
In Conclusion
Developing a cross platform app via Flutter and React Native can be highly beneficial. That is why we have explored how they can be used together to build cross-platform apps.
In addition, we have talked about how IoT can be used to create connected apps. They are fast and robust programming languages with excellent statics. Since these languages are already being used by tech companies like Google, Mozilla, and Amazon, you know they are a reliable choice.
We, at SubcoDevs, experiment and implement the top programming languages in multiple projects. We can even help you develop cross platform apps in no time. Want to get started? Set up a call today.