- What is Flutter?
Flutter is an open-source UI Framework and software development kit designed to accelerate and simplify the creation of UI and apps. Flutter was released with features that previous Cross-Platform development frameworks lacked. Flutter is an open-source technology provided and developed by Google that allows the creation of Android and iOS apps using a single codebase. Rather than a framework, it is a full SDK (software development kit) that includes everything you need to develop cross-platform mobile apps.
Flutter is the only cross-platform framework that offers reactive views without needing JavaScript Bridge. Google Developers have been working hard on this before making it widely available. They worked on the following projects:
- Support for app development on windows
- Ability to support a higher number of Firebase APIs
- Improved documentation
- Internationalization
- Supporting Chat, Ads, and online videos
- Tools for visual studio and android studio
- Bug Fixes
- Accessible to all types of developers.
Now that we can see Flutter's dominance over every other Cross-Platform Framework, it's time to look at why Flutter is a striker in the market for entrepreneurs.
- Flutter for Mobile App Development: Pros
- Rapid App Development
Flutter is a cross-platform solution, meaning a single codebase can run on Android and iOS. The app development process is thus sped up. Of course, it will not be half, but writing one codebase for both platforms will take half the time as creating it separately for each platform.
- Simultaneous App Updates on Android and iOS
Both platforms use the same codebase, so you can release app updates simultaneously. This is difficult to achieve when both platforms have separate projects. Synchronizing is difficult due to varying developer availability or longer implementation on one platform. The situation becomes more complicated when an application update necessitates changes to the backend infrastructure.
Flutter and other cross-platform tools eliminate this problem because applications for both platforms are created at the same time. Of course, both iOS and Android applications must go through pre-release testing.
- Easier Maintenance and Development of New Features
You can focus on expanding your user base when your apps are finished and published. This frequently entails switching the app into maintenance mode, where bug fixes take precedence over new feature additions.
Many startups consider forming their team at this stage. It may be simpler with Flutter because you only need to hire one iOS and one Android mobile app developer.
- Instant Fuchsia Supports Future-Proof
Google's new operating system, Fuchsia, has finally been released. Fuchsia is an open-source project that creates a production-grade operating system that prioritizes security, upgradability, and performance. Fuchsia is a mobile app development platform that allows developers to create long-lasting products and experiences that work across multiple devices. Although it is still in its early stages, Fuchsia is expected to replace Android eventually. Flutter is a framework designed specifically for Fuchsia. If you create a mobile app in Flutter, you'll be able to release it on Fuchsia, which can help your app gain, early adopters.
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- Advanced User Interfaces
Flutter uses an internal graphics engine, Skia, to render the entire interface, which is also used by Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Sublime Text 3. Because Flutter's software is fast and well-optimized, it can behave differently than most other mobile development frameworks.
Flutter is more like writing a game than developing a mobile app. The operating system provides a blank canvas for the application to draw all user interface elements. The Flutter team worked tirelessly to replicate internal Material UI components and Apple Design System elements. Of course, you can make your components, and Flutter is excellent. Creating appealing custom UI elements that work on Android and iOS is a breeze. As a result, Flutter is an excellent choice for mobile apps that require sophisticated, custom UI designs.
- Easy Adaptation to Different Screen Dimensions
The Flutter layout system and the framework's declarative nature make writing and fitting views to different screen dimensions easier. Furthermore, animation creation is more fluid than in native iOS and Android. Flutter can now run desktop and web applications.
Last year, Apple released SwiftUI, a new declarative framework for writing user interfaces. This framework simplifies the creation of UI for iOS mobile applications. SwiftUI code will also be portable to macOS and iPadOS, according to this year's WWDC announcements. However, the Flutter team has worked tirelessly to bring Flutter desktop and web support, which can now be used for internal or non-end-user tools.
- One UI Design
Flutter is probably not the best choice if you want your mobile app to look native on both iOS and Android. This will be explained further in the cons section, but first, let's look at the pros.
If you use a single codebase for both platforms, you will only need one UI design prepared by designers. The cross-platform app typically adheres to Material Design principles, with only minor platform adjustments (which Flutter typically handles automatically), or makes the entire UI look custom, with elements based on the best solutions from iOS and Android.
- Access to Device Features
A lack of access to native features is one of the main reasons why some developers are hesitant to use cross-platform solutions. They may struggle to use smartphone features like the microphone, camera, and geolocation the same way a native app would. However, remember that you can also use features in Flutter, though it is a little more difficult.
You must write iOS or Android code (in Objective-C/Swift or Java/Kotlin) and send data to the Dart programming language (the primary language in Flutter) via a special mechanism known as platform channels. The Flutter core team and community have prepared channels for your phone's native functions. These platform channels can be useful if you want to use something less popular.
- Stabilize Performance with Compiled Code
NativeScript, or Ionic, Flutter code is compiled when the mobile application is built for distribution, unlike React Native. It will not require the use of the JavaScript engine to communicate with native components, nor will the use of a web view to display its content. The Flutter code, as previously stated, is drawn on the system canvas. This gives the application an additional boost. The team is always proud to provide consistent 60/120 FPS performance.
- Flutter for Mobile App Development: Cons
- Platform-Specific Look and Feel
If you want your app to follow the Apple Design System on iPhones and the Material Design System on Android devices, you should create two separate apps.
Of course, you can use Flutter to determine the platform on which the app runs and to render various components on the screen. When we want to display Alerts that appear native to the system, we use this. Writing an entire application in this manner, on the other hand, will take longer than writing two separate applications. Flutter is a framework that runs on multiple platforms.
- Platform Limitations
The nature of Flutter's UI rendering adds some constraints. If some features are integrated into the native UI platforms, then the Flutter team must recreate them. One example is the video player; there are Flutter implementations of video players, but they differ from the system one. Solving these problems is possible, but it’s time-consuming.
- Handling of New System Features
Flutter introduces all new iOS and Android features later than their native SDKs. While Flutter now supports foldable screens and dark system mode, they were introduced after their SDK counterparts. However, because we must maintain system compatibility, we cannot usually add new features from release day in native development.
- Native SDK Knowledge
Every Flutter project will require native development expertise, from simple tasks such as creating an Android version to more complex tasks such as flavors and building on iOS to writing native views for both platforms. We are in a good position at Applify because we can always ask native developers for assistance. However, if you are considering starting your team, keep in mind that Flutter developers must be open to both platforms.
- Larger Project Size
Adding a third-party library to our project with Flutter will make the application larger in file size. But don't be concerned. A difference of a few MBs on the iOS application is not a big deal where everyone has a broadband internet connection. Furthermore, Flutter for Android supports this app bundle, which reduces the size of application updates. However, you should consider this when developing demand for countries with limited internet access.
- So, do you think Flutter is a good choice for Mobile App Development in 2022?
If you want to develop cross-platform apps, Flutter has a lot of advantages. A few benefits include faster deployment, simultaneous app upgrades, a single codebase for iOS and Android, and increased efficiency. Perhaps this is why it is gaining popularity among cross-platform frameworks. And there are already a lot of big Flutter apps out there, developed by big brands.
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