A Duel Between iOS and Android App Development In View Of React Native

Today, the majority of the world is immersed in mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. The use of web browsers on desktops and laptops has been decreasing with time. Being faced with such a scenario, it is essential to focus on developing mobile applications to advocate your venture and boost conversion rates. But the problem is the arena is split into two broad platforms - iOS and Android. Both have unique features which allow them to capture the market for different purposes. Moreover, each platform has its own dedicated users. This makes developing tricky as you might want something compatible for both. This calls for a need of software which can enable the compatibility of coding for both iOS and Android. Fortunately, React Native does exactly this! Read through this article to learn more about this framework and how it’s used for app development.

What is React Native?

It is a framework based on JavaScript which is heavily used for coding in native app development. It allows developers to modify user interfaces for both platforms without much hassle. It is open source which allows developers from across the world to access and build compatible apps which cater for both the popular platforms. This eliminates the need for you to build them separately for each which greatly reduces workload and saves time simultaneously. Also, you need not learn an entirely different scripting language as JavaScript alone would suffice in this case. It is an added bonus that comes along with this framework. What’s really fascinating about React Native’s framework is that it provides an amazing interface which renders smooth and lag-free experience for users. Navigation is fairly simple and development process is not laborious as it would rather be in its absence. Smoothness is achieved on both iOS and Android indicating its efficacy.

While a single framework enables you to create apps for two platforms, there are a few differences to note in how it is used for both. Here is how React Native is used for both iOS and Android app development.

Testing OS

Due to Apple’s strict policies, it has not designed software which can test iOS apps made via React Native. While there are third party apps that do check the performance of those apps, their reliability is highly questionable. On the other hand, Android has provided software called Android Studio which enables developers to test apps. But the tools provided and quite limited which again draws attention to the question of reliability.

Library Of Elements

While there are several elements available to choose from the library, each of them would result in different outcomes for the two platforms. This might create some level of difficulty in figuring things out for amateur developers. But given some experience, the system is better understood and appropriate elements being called to suit the needs of iOS and Android apps respectively.

Style Support

Android and iOS both support different styles of display. So, in case you choose a shadow style, only one app may actually exhibit it while the other wouldn’t as it isn’t supported by it. Here again, you would stumble into a halt while using this framework. So, it is found which style is supported by both so that you can implement that to achieve successful translation.

Adding More Libraries

In case you wish you add third-party libraries, you will not find doing so as easy as you might have imagined it to be. Unfortunately, adding more elements requires you to manually perform the task which demands exhaustive knowledge of Objective-C coding and Java respectively. JavaScript can’t help you here. This is one major drawback of React Native. Modifications can’t be easily made due to the lack of flexibility.

Underlying Variation In Design

Android caters for more extravagant and alluring outlooks with extensive functionality while iOS caters for minimalist approaches. With such a marked difference in design, it becomes a difficult feat to satisfy the needs of the two platforms in this regard. It is quite important to understand that you might have to compromise on certain essential elements if you still want to proceed with React Native.

Conclusion

Going through the differences of React Native’s implementations to produce both iOS and Android apps, a clearer idea of app development is attained. It is crucial to acknowledge the outcomes of employing it. While one can implement the power of this framework to simultaneously cater for both the platforms and consequently reduce the burden of working on the same app twice, it must also be understood that a compromise should be made for pursuing this option. Openwave houses a proficient app development team in New York. Connect with us to avail from our range of exclusive solutions at extremely affordable rates. Contact us now for a free quote!