In this day and age of digital penetration, a number of technologies have become truly essential – so much so that even the slightest crash can wreak havoc in terms of cost and time. From cloud support services to AI, such technologies are constantly a work in progress, in addition to being indispensable. Regardless of what each of these technologies represent or how sophisticated they are, they all converge towards one primary goal – improving the quality of how we live, study, work or carry out a specific task.
From a user’s perspective, what is seen and interacted with is a combination of these technologies. Smart devices in particular form to be the greatest at showcasing what’s on offer, both in terms of quantity and quality. However, any kind of hardware is useless without software (one of the first things taught during elementary IT studies, as a sidenote). Likewise, the importance of mobile apps need not be stressed here, for all of us are more than familiar with the very same.
From a business-oriented standpoint, though, mobile apps need to be approached with many variables in mind. These variables are intricate, and never stay the same. Simultaneously, taking your target users’ needs into consideration adds more to the mix. Amidst shifting economic climates and trending technologies, how is the competent business owner able to stay on top of everything?
If you own your business or are at the forefront of operating one, chances are that you can answer most questions pertaining directly to your company; after all, you will be the best person to answer them as well. When the time comes to integrate with a reliable mobile application development team, building the right kind of knowledge base will massively help to communicate to and resonate with your developers better. Even if you aren’t the most tech-savvy, a basic know-how of what goes into the making of your mobile application is sufficient to give you and your team a kickstart from the business side.
The programming languages and corresponding frameworks which constitute mobile app development are a great place to start. Here, we elaborate on two such leading frameworks, with consideration to how they stand out against their counterparts. While your development team also has a final say in which framework they wish to use depending on what they are most familiar with, your business team can still keep in step with processes on a level that is more technologically dynamic.
Launched in 2015, React Native has been developed by Facebook for building iOS and Android mobile applications. The framework utilizes JavaScript, and contains an extensive library of resources that is at the disposal of developers. While React Native focuses on building Native apps, (apps which are exclusively developed for each platform and maintained separately as well thereafter), it significantly reduces the toll it takes on developers. This is mainly because there is no need to actually develop separately, in order to maintain well-functioning apps on both iOS and Android. React Native works by using APIs which are specific to each platform, to convert the single, unified code that has been written.
Previously, such a system produced front-end results that were below average. But the platform rendering APIs in React Native have total access to each platform’s specific UI elements, thereby making it more effective at producing Native apps that are as good as the real thing, if not better. On top of that, using the host platform’s API directly doesn’t require the usage of webpage-oriented scripts such as HTML or CSS, which makes the final outcome even more customized
Apart from producing high-quality Native applications that don’t require separate coding for each platform, what other benefits does React Native offer? The biggest advantages lie for developers who use the framework, especially in terms of code reuse and familiarity towards a programming language such as JavaScript. To elaborate, JavaScript libraries enable codes to be significantly shared between platforms, and even reused. This makes the development process less tedious.
On the other hand, JavaScript is one of the most widely used programming languages in the world. However, it is also a language that is primarily used for web development. Conventionally, programming languages that are specific to different platforms i.e. Objective-C for iOS and Java for Android had to be used for mobile app development. However, React Native is an offset from React, which is a preceding technology stack that consists of the exact same offerings, but with one major difference – it is made for developing webpages, and not mobile apps.
So when Facebook ventured into building React Native, they retained the familiarity of a popular programming language which is used to develop webpages – and made it possible to even develop mobile apps with the same. In turn, this has elevated the resourcefulness of developers who use React Native, as they can use one single language (JavaScript) to develop applications across the spectrum. They also have the autonomy to switch from React to React Native and back, without the need to be familiar with new programming technologies.
Now famous around the world for delivering food, beverage and groceries from users’ beloved restaurants and stores, Uber Eats was a bold step up from simply helping customers hail a taxi. Unlike its taxi hailing predecessor, Uber Eats featured three variables, instead of two. In turn, all three variables needed seamless coordination to ensure every entity involved was offered real-time transparency when it came to the status of an order.
React Native was the framework of choice for Uber Eats, since the restaurant dashboard was originally developed for the web. Additionally, Uber Eats also introduced a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) model which needed versatile cross-platform functionality – another concern well addressed by React Native.
A leader in electric-powered vehicles, the Tesla app is as sophisticated as the automobiles that it produces. Both iOS and Android apps feature a comprehensive telematics solution, which offers a bird’s eye perspective of your automobile, both remotely and within range. Control aspects such as charge and temperature right from the app, to keep the automobile functioning optimally.
Compared to React Native, Flutter is relatively new to the mobile app framework scene. Officially launching its first version in December 2018, Flutter has been created by Google. The fact that Flutter is still in its infancy is a safe statement to make. However, this hasn’t deterred this otherwise newcomer framework to become one of the most trusted frameworks for mobile app development – and at a rapid pace, that too.
Flutter uses the Dart programming language, another Google proprietary that was built by the tech giant back in 2011. In spite of also being a fairly newbie programming language, it shares similarities with Java and C#. Therefore, it’s not a hard language to learn, especially since its base languages are still popular till date. Offering cross-platform mobile app development via a single codebase, Flutter is also just as sophisticated as most leading frameworks out there. But there are certain variables that render it unique (and advantageous) than its counterparts. With direct compilation of codes, extensive UI widget repositories and Hot Reload, Flutter is replete with highly valuable features that make mobile app development so much more streamlined for developers – regardless of their skill level.
One of the biggest benefits of Flutter has to be from a front-end UI standpoint, since its UI widgets offer variety and functionality across both operating systems. Instead of depending on platform-specific UI rendering APIs, Flutter provides codes that are customized for each platform from the very start. On top of that, there is no interpretation involved in the middle; direct compilation produces apps that are already converted to machine code, thereby leaving no space between an app that is emulating a Native app, and a truly Native app.
When it comes to updating, debugging and maintaining mobile apps on a long-term basis, Flutter’s Hot Reload feature makes work that much easier for developers. Hot Reload enables quick refreshes upon updating code, so that changes can be reflected and subsequently observed real-time. This greatly enables the development of and regular improvement of MVPs for pilot projects – something that is highly in vogue when it comes to software development in Sri Lanka, as well as elsewhere. Lighter versions can be released with little downtime, therefore creating a faster time to market.
Following feedback from both users and the system, the MVP can then be reiterated to offer user-centricity that truly satisfies the needs of your customers. In turn, costs will also reduce as less time is required to roll out updated versions of any mobile app. Additionally, this can reflect on sales turnovers and ROIs in the long term, as a mobile app which is always up-to-date will always attract new customers, while retaining existing ones.
When looking for discounts and promotions online, Groupon is the first thing that comes to mind for many. With an international presence, this discounts platform offers goodies across many categories, making sure you need not look elsewhere when it comes to promotions. Likewise, the app facilitates instant redemptions without the need of a physical voucher, and offers users round-the-clock access to discounts across a wide range of categories no matter where they are, and at any time they prefer.
This UAE-based real estate giant is also the maker of the tallest building in the world, which is the Burj Khalifa. The Emaar mobile app is an all-in-one solution for property and home owners to manage requests digitally. From online payments to digital access cards, the Emaar mobile app facilitates requests swiftly and without downtime, thereby offering a holistic property management solution at one’s fingertips.
As a dedicated AWS partner that offers clients customized technology services depending on their needs, we realize the importance that a simple mobile app can have towards your business. Albeit being ubiquitous by nature (since there’s an app for practically anything), apps that stand out truly offer their users unmatched value for whatever it is they are seeking for. That is why mobile app development is essential for even the smallest and most boutique of businesses, as it leverages accessibility towards your products and services.
In due course of developing and maintaining a mobile app, the relationship with your development team is likely to be a long-term one. So it is imperative that you not only offer business insights to your developers, but also communicate more productively with some technical knowledge at hand. This is where fundamental knowledge pertaining to mobile app frameworks come in, as it helps both business owners and developers co understand each other’s needs, as well as working environments.
React Native and Flutter are two such frameworks, both highly popular yet unique in their own right. Starting with React Native, this Facebook owned and operated framework facilitates cross-platform development, but with a single codebase. However, it maintains quality for a Native app look and feel by accessing platform-specific APIs comprehensively. On the other hand, Flutter is a comparative newcomer, but isn’t compromised in terms of competency. With an extensive UI widget library and direct compilations into machine code, Flutter has long since become the framework of choice for many a mobile app developer across the globe.
If you’re looking to understand which mobile app framework is ideal for building your app, that is a topic of discussion that is best had with your development team. By addressing concerns such as user needs, features, costs and scalability for long-term maintenance, what you truly require will be just as unique as the digital product you are endeavouring to build.