Flutter has been in use for nearly four years and, we frequently suggest it to our clients. This is due to numerous advantages that include speedy Mobile app development and the simultaneous upgrade of apps on iOS or Android. There have been numerous improvements to Flutter through the years and we felt it was the perfect time to assess if it's still a viable programming language that can be used for mobile app development.
We'll go over the major positives and negatives of Flutter, as well as give us our honest opinions about the types of mobile devices it's most suitable for. Much depends on the goals you wish to accomplish and the goals of your business. Flutter is an excellent tool for certain things however, like every cross-platform technology however, it has its limitations.
What types of Mobile Apps is Flutter best for?
In essence, Flutter app development can be utilized to run almost any application. Here are a few examples:
- Retail and E-commerce (including stores on the internet and loyalty programs);
- Fintechs and banks;
- Large-scale businesses/companies (contact centers, management of internal procedures, logistical, and many more).
A few words about Native App development
Although cross-platform technology (which comprises React Native, Ionic, and Xamarin) has taken the mobile industry to the forefront in recent years this doesn't mean that native app development is on the way out. There are many advantages of writing code designed to be used directly for Android and iOS applications. Native apps are swift and responsive since they are designed specifically for the platform they are designed for and are developed with the platform's primary languages and APIs. Therefore, they can be more efficient than cross-platform applications. As developers, you can utilize UI components that provide your app with an authentic experience. If you'd like to make your app have its native features, you can communicate directly with it.
Flutter for Mobile App Development: Pros
1. Rapid App Development
The Flutter platform is a cross-platform application and therefore, one codebase could be used across simultaneously Android or iOS. This speeds up the development process. Of course, it can not be reduced into half but it's certain that creating one codebase that works for each platform will require about 50 percent less time than writing the code for each platform independently.
2. Simultaneous App Updates on Android and iOS
The same codebase that is used for both platforms lets you make updates to apps simultaneously. This is not easy to accomplish when you have separate apps for each platform. The different developer availability or the lengthier implementation on one platform makes it difficult to synchronize. The problem gets more complicated when an update to an application needs changes in the backend infrastructure.
Other cross-platform software eliminates this problem since we can create apps for both platforms simultaneously. Of course, it's important to keep in mind the fact that iOS and Android applications have to pass reviews as well as be pre-released.
3. Easy maintenance and the development of new features
When your apps are completed and released, you can concentrate on growing the users. This typically involves moving the app into maintenance mode, which is where fixing bugs is the priority while adding new features is pushed further down the priority list.
In this stage startup companies often contemplate the creation of an internal team. With Flutter, it could be simpler since you only need to employ one smartphone app designer instead of a separate one for iOS and one for Android.
4. Future-proof: Instant Fuchsia Support
Google has released its latest operating system, Fuchsia. Fuchsia is an open-source project to develop a production-grade operating system that is focused on security, update ability, and performance. Fuchsia is the basis that allows developers of mobile apps to build lasting products and experiences on many different devices. It's early however there is speculation that Fuchsia may eventually be able to replace Android. Flutter provides a native platform that can be used for Fuchsia applications. If you develop an app for mobile with Flutter it will be able to publish for Fuchsia starting from day one. This could provide your app with an advantage over other apps in the early adopter phase.
5. A Winner When it Comes to Advanced UI
Flutter renders every part of the interface with the internal graphic engine known as Skia similar to the one that is utilized by Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox as well as Sublime Text 3. This powerful and optimized piece of software lets Flutter behaves in a different way than many different mobile frameworks for development.
Utilizing Flutter is much closer to creating a game than an application for mobile devices. With the operating system, you are presented with a blank screen and the majority of UI elements are drawn by the Flutter app development. The Flutter team has put a lot of effort to create Material UI components as well as Apple Design System elements internally. Naturally, it is possible to are able to also design your own components, and to do the latter, Flutter is truly excellent. The creation of attractive personalized UI elements is a breeze and you'll be able to run them on Android as well as iOS. This means that Flutter app development is the ideal option for mobile apps that feature sophisticated customized UI styles.
6. Easy Adaptation to Different Screen Dimensions
The layout system of Flutter and its declarative nature is what makes writing and adjusting views to various screen sizes easier than an iOS SDK. In addition, animation creation is more fluid than native iOS as well as Android. Flutter now also provides support for web and desktop apps.
In the year 2000, Apple launched SwiftUI, a declarative framework that allows you to write UI. The framework lets you write UI for iOS mobile apps very simply. With the upcoming WWDC declarations, SwiftUI software will become compatible with macOS or iPad. However, Flutter's team put in a lot of effort to provide desktop and web-based support to Flutter app development. It can now be used to create internal or non-end-user tools.
7. One UI Design
If you're looking to have your mobile app look natural across both iOS and Android Flutter might not be the right option for you. This is explained in the section on cons, but let's move on to the positives.
With one codebase to run on both platforms, you'll only require only one UI layout designed by designers. The cross-platform applications typically follow Material Design principles, with just minor modifications for the various operating systems (which Flutter usually handles by itself) or making the entire UI appearance custom-made, using elements that draw inspiration from the top methods derived by iOS or Android.
8. Tested and proven technology
With the advancement of mobile apps, Flutter is still brand new (the initial stable release was released on December 4th, 2018,) however it has been being tested by companies like Google (Ads and Greentea app, which is an interface for the NEST Hub device), Alibaba (Xianyu app), BMW, eBay, Toyota, and others. Google is the main maintainer of Flutter which means that this could not be a reliable source, however, Alibaba has more than 50 million users, and being listed in the "New Apps We Love" category of Apple provides you with the impression of the trust you have Flutter as a method of constructing your next project.
9. Access to Device Features
One of the primary reasons developers avoid using cross-platform software is a problem in accessing native functions. It is possible that they will not be able to access features on smartphones like microphones and cameras as well as geolocation, in ways that are possible with an app that is native. However, you are able to make use of features within Flutter too, even though it's a little more complicated.
You'll need to write iOS or Android programming (in Objective-C/Swift and Java/Kotlin) and then send the information into Flutter using the Dart programming language (which is the main language in Flutter) through a specific process known as a channel for platforms. Our Flutter team as well as community-created channels support the features native to phones, therefore, you don't have to write these by yourself. If you're looking to implement something else that's not widely used (like an app that is native to your phone) it is possible to use these channels to help.
Be aware that there are a variety of libraries available for third-party suppliers. I was required to write native code just once and the reason behind this was due to a glitch in the QR Code Scanning library which I fixed and then added to that library. Today, if you're a mobile SaaS it is essential to provide an SDK for Flutter. If you don't you'll lose lots of potential clients.
10. Compiled Code: Stable Performance
In contrast to ReactNative, NativeScript or Ionic Flutter code is created at the moment that the mobile app is designed to be distributed. It doesn't require JavaScript or the JavaScript engine to connect with native components or the web view to show its contents. As we mentioned it is because the Flutter program is drawn using the System Canvas. This provides the application with an extra boost in performance. The team behind the framework is pleased to offer an unbeatable 60/120 FPS across all devices.
11. Animations
Flutter is a game that has animation capabilities built into its foundations. Customizing interactions and creating elaborate animations is much easier than with native iOS as well as Android. Of course, adding animations to the application can be a tedious job. I'm not trying to create the impression that with Flutter you'll get an animated application while it takes to develop an unanimated native app. However, I can tell that you should think about Flutter when animations play an important part in your app.
Read Also: Key Characteristics of Flutter Application Development
Flutter for Mobile App Development: Cons
1. Platform-specific Look and Feel
As we have already discussed in the section on pros If you wish to make your application follow Apple Design System on iPhones and Material Design on Android devices, it'll be best to create two separate apps.
In Flutter, of course, you can determine what platform the application is running on and render various parts of the app on the screen. This is useful when you need to show Dialogs/Alerts that appear like native versions of the system. But, creating a complete application this way takes more time than creating two separate apps. In the end, Flutter is a framework that works across platforms.
2. Platform Limitations
Flutter's UI rendering capabilities come with certain limitations. For example, if certain elements are integrated within Flutter's UI for native devices, these features must be replicated for members of the Flutter team. An example of this is the video player. There are different implementations of a video player within Flutter however, they look different from the one on the system (especially for iOS).
3. Handling of New System Features
New features from iOS or Android are available in Flutter earlier than their native SDKs. Although foldable screens, as well as dark systems mode, are both available in Flutter they are not available until just after they were introduced in their native SDK counterparts. However, the reality is that in native development, we generally don't have the ability to include new system features until the day of release because we need to maintain compatibility with the system.
4. Native SDK Knowledge
In any Flutter project, you'll require native development, from basic things like creating the Android version, to more complex things like flavoring and building builds for iOS and creating native view views on both platforms. With Shiv Technolabs, we're in a good position and can always reach out to native developers for assistance. If you are thinking of forming an individual team you need to keep in mind that Flutter developers must be flexible for both platforms.
5. Larger Project Size
With Flutter We are adding the third-party library we have in our application. This results in the fact that our app will be larger in terms of the size of files. However, don't be afraid of this. In the present, when many people have a high-speed internet connection the difference between 10-20MB for the iOS application isn't significant. Furthermore, Flutter for Android allows this app bundle to be used and makes app updates. However, you must consider this aspect when creating an application for countries that have limited internet access (usually in these cases you do not require cross-platform solutions or iOS applications in the first place).
So, Flutter is a good Choice for Mobile App Development
If you're planning to go to the cross-platform application development path, Flutter offers numerous benefits. It facilitates faster deployment, simultaneous upgrades to apps, and a single codebase that works for iOS and Android as well as greater effectiveness to mention just the benefits.
This is perhaps the reason it's always growing in popularity with the frameworks for cross-platform use. There are a lot of big Flutter applications available that were developed by major companies. However, it is important to note that there are certain scenarios in that Flutter is not the first option.
If you're developing applications that are connected to a hardware device using Bluetooth or creating applications that are instant and require a small size, Flutter might not be the best option.
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