It is truly the digital age where even the smallest businesses are looking to have their apps available to users. Everything from groceries to consumables, from booking travel experiences to finding new places to travel to, from ordering medicines to accessing healthcare, is all delivered via mobile apps.
In this vast market, there is a plethora of languages, platforms, functionalities, and user preferences that drive the way different mobile apps are developed. While the different languages and platforms available have their own strengths and weaknesses, one language that has been making waves is React Native.
In fact, mobile app development with React Native is fast becoming a preferred approach. In this article, we will cover how React Native works, why it is different, and why app development with React Native is the way to go in the future.
In this Article, We have Explained:
- What is React Native?
- How is it Different Technically?
- Interesting Facts about React Native
- Why the Future of Mobile App Development lies in React Native?
- Conclusion
What is React Native?
React Native or RN is a mobile app framework that is based on JavaScript. It is a successor to React that was developed by Facebook.
However, instead of being used for the browser, it is targeted at mobile platforms. This allows developers to build mobile apps with React Native that feel “native” using the JavaScript library. Since React Native is compatible with both iOS and Android, it can be developed for both simultaneously and is therefore very convenient and cost-effective, saving significant development time as well.
How is it Different Technically?
React Native development has gained tremendous popularity very quickly and it is all with good reason. While there are a number of other frameworks that can be used, there are quite a few reasons why it is preferred to use React Native for mobile app development.
It is an open-source framework that uses both React and JavaScript and focuses primarily on mobile platforms instead of browsers. It also allows for components to be reusable and therefore saves significant time. To add to its advantages, developers do not need to write separate codes for native apps in iOS and Android when using React Native.
Interesting Facts about React Native
Considering React Native has become so popular in recent years, it is no surprise that there are quite a few interesting details around it. Among the many uses of both facts about React Native, here are a few that are interesting.
- React Native was built by Facebook and is completely open-source. This means one does not need a license to use it.
- Mobile App development with React Native could be up to 50% cheaper
- React Native mobile apps perform almost exactly like native apps
- Using React Native for mobile apps can bring down development time anywhere between 40 to 90%
- React Native is extremely popular on GitHub
Why the Future of Mobile App Development lies in React Native?
Like we mentioned in the beginning, this is truly the digital age. With every service conceivable being made available at the consumer’s fingertips, having a presence online access via browsers is barely enough. Either most enterprises already have a mobile app presence, or they are planning on building one so they can be closer to their end consumers.
It is at this stage that understanding exactly who one is building an app for and how to go about it becomes pertinent. Once these are answered, it is time to decide on the language that will be used to build the app.
This is where React Native is far ahead of the competition. There is a reason that it is so popular and called the mobile app language of the future. Here are some of the main reasons to choose a React Native Chat SDK (Software Development Kit) over the other options.
1) Cross-Platform Functionality
When React Native was initially developed by Facebook, it was only developed for iOS. When they realized how amazing the framework they had created was, they rolled it out for Android as well. Today, React Native has cross capability functions across iOS, Android, and UWP(Windows).
What this means is when you create an Android app using React Native, it takes barely any effort to then replicate the app for iOS or UWP. This is because the same code can be reused entirely in most cases, and if not, with minor tweaks here and there for each platform.
This particular advantage pushes React Native to the top of preferred languages for mobile app development. When translated to tangible advantages, this feature is a huge advantage. Not only does a business not need multiple developers for each platform, since the same code can be reused, it reduces development time as well. As you can imagine, this translates to significant cost benefits.
2) Behaves Like a Native App
One of the biggest advantages for developers using React Native and for the end-users but it also as well as how well the UX (user experience) is created. This is because React Native uses native widgets in it. This ensures that usability and performance are not compromised when developing the apps.
One of the ways it does this is by using JavaScript along with React Native to deliver a smooth UX. This ends up ensuring that apps built using React Native run even better at times than native apps without WebView.
3) Hot and Live Reloading for the Win
Whether you are looking at iOS or Android application development, React Native, Hot and Live reloading or instant app updates are not just added features. These features are part of its core functionalities.
The Live feature enables developers to load code changes in real time and therefore make fixes while the code is still loading. The Hot Reloading feature ensures that a developer can push app updates directly to the user’s phones making it easier for consumers to enjoy the updated app experience without having to manually update the app at their end.
This ends up making application development faster and far more efficient.
4) Extensive Developer Support
Considering React Native was developed by Facebook and then quickly adopted by the developer community across the world, support is available in ample supply.
When creating an app, even when one is familiar with the language being used, peer support goes a long way towards brainstorming, problem-solving, and creativity building.
Thanks to how widely React Native is accepted and adopted, there is never a dearth of support to reach out to. Whether you want to know how to get something to work or need an experienced perspective to sound off an idea, the community is all ears and ready to help.
In addition, continuous improvements are being real-time made to the framework as well, making it largely future-proof.
Conclusion
Thus, to summarise it all, if you want to develop a future-proof mobile app available across different platforms and that is user-friendly, React Native is the way to go. From start-ups to well-flourished businesses, consumers are turning to mobile applications rather than only their web pages.
Mobile applications work in a completely different manner than normal web pages. For this reason, it is best to resort to a reliable and quick approach when it comes to app development, and React Native ticks all these boxes with ease making mobile application development far easier and more economical.
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