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18 Jul 2019
Why iOS developers should pay attention to Flutter in 2019?
Today, the world is divided between two main tech giants – Google and Apple! Every smartphone user is either using Android or iOS and that’s it. The thousands of apps that are used by people, all around the world, must be compatible with these two OS. Earlier, it was very difficult for businesses to reach out to the people as they needed to develop two apps – one for each OS. However, React Native – an open-source mobile application framework – by Facebook, changed the game and thus came the era of cross-platform native apps. But then came along Flutter – a new open-source mobile application framework – by Google. And these two mobile app frameworks have become a significant part of our lives today! Interestingly, Flutter has rapidly climbed up the ladder of popularity in last few years!
Flutter has become the favourite SDK for developers and businesses for a simple reason: it is affordable and it is fast! Especially for iOS, that caters to a niche target audience which demands a quality experience, apps created using Flutter gives exactly what they need. Google had released the stable version of Flutter in December 2018 and since then, a lot of iOS apps have landed in the app store, which were created using Flutter.
There are a lot of articles that can tell you why iOS developers should pay attention to Flutter – an article by Andrea Bizzotto, right after the launch of Flutter, says ‘Flutter will change everything, and is an excellent choice for iOS development’. So, here we are going to talk about how Flutter will change everything and why it is an excellent choice for iOS development. Read on…
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1.Flutter has a superior programming language
The native iOS app development has been done using Objective C or Swift language while Flutter uses Dart language. The apps created using native components give a smooth experience, that is a truth. But if you think about creating an app for both iOS and Android, you’ll need a programming language that is independent of the native modules. Flutter engine using Dart language, helps in implementing the animation, graphics, plugin architectures, network I/O and other core libraries on both the platforms. In other words, Flutter gives everything that native iOS can possibly give.
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2.Flutter allows ‘Hot Reload’ that makes development faster
Whenever developers make any changes in the code for the app, they need to simulate it to check how it reflects in the app’s experience. Using native iOS development frameworks, it is difficult and time consuming, and developers have to depend on third party solutions for that. However, with Flutter’s ‘Hot Reload’ feature, the developers can instantly see the changes they have done in the app. This makes the entire process faster and cheaper as for the Flutter development company, the need to hire Flutter developers would be lesser.
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3.Flutter gives a smoother UI design using widgets
The native UI kit allows development of iOS apps using native functionalities and event driven user interface. On the other hand, Flutter UI engine uses different widgets that are pixel perfect and compatible for both Android as well as iOS. There is a comprehensive catalogue of widgets which the developers can choose from, to create a complex UI, as per the need of the app. Ultimately, it gives a smoother experience to the user on both Android and iOS.
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4.Easier testing of integration, performance and UI
The testing framework of Flutter allows the developers to create tests at multiple levels such as Unit, Functional and UI level. The XCTest framework provided by Apple doesn’t allow data-driven tests or grouping of tests and the mocking/ stubbing for UI tests is really hard. Flutter has Flutter Driver package that helps in running Widget Testing and Integration Tests at different levels. Also, Flutter allows to run tests in separate processes as well as in real devices or simulators.
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5.Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD)
Native CI/CD for iOS apps has many limitations. It is not scalable hence not compatible with larger team and it is also dependent on third-party solutions. Flutter, on the other hand, has recently launched Codemagic CI/CD solution in association with Nevercode. The Codemagic CI/CD allows faster delivery of the iOS apps by automatically building, detecting and testing the Flutter app. This solution eliminates the need for cloud vendors such as Travis CI and Circle CI. Ultimately, it is a boon for the developers as it reduces the efforts and time required in CI/CD.
Yes, Flutter is a relatively new technology but it can deliver amazing results nevertheless. Especially for iOS, Flutter gives a lot more possibilities that native framework might not offer. But ultimately, it depends on what kind of app you are creating. Flutter is going to grow because of the ease it gives in creating cross-platform apps, using a single code. This is the reason organizations like Alibaba and Tencent have trusted Flutter for their mobile app development. If you are looking for a Flutter app development company in India as an offshore partner for developing your app, contact IConflux.
Because, however good the Flutter framework could be, everything depends on the developers and their proficiency in coding. IConflux is one of the leading Flutter app development company in India which has a highly experienced team of Flutter developers. If you think you need an app that is available both on Android as well as iOS, in less time and money, Flutter is the best option. And IConflux can create the app that you need. Email us on info@iconflux.com or just click here to get in touch.
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