React Native - A balancing act between cost-effectiveness, performance, and flexibility.

React Native has only been around since 2015, and its popularity has grown rapidly over the last few years. Today it is one of the go-to frameworks for many developers and companies when it comes to building cross-platform mobile applications and has consistently been updated with new features and improvements.

Despite the many advantages, such as efficient cross-platform development and a strong community, it’s essential to understand how the framework impacts the performance of the apps built with it. In this article, we’ll explore platform support, touch on the pros and cons of using React Native, and discuss strategies for optimizing speed and responsiveness.

React Native is a powerful and versatile open-source mobile application framework created by Facebook. With its strong support from the social media giant and a vibrant developer community, React Native shows no signs of slowing down and continues to be a leading choice for mobile app development.

The framework provides the ability for developers to use JavaScript and React. React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces, and React Native allows developers to use that same library to build mobile apps. This means that developers familiar with React can easily transition to building mobile apps using React Native.

One of the major advantages of using React Native is that it allows developers to build mobile apps for both iOS and Android platforms using a single codebase. This reduces the need for separate development teams for each platform, which can be time-consuming and costly. With React Native, developers can write code once and use it across multiple platforms, which can save a lot of time and effort.

Over the years, the list of supported platforms and devices has grown, allowing developers to use it for a wide range of app development projects. In addition to iOS and Android, React Native also supports web apps through React Native for Web, which allows developers to build apps for web, and desktop platforms like Windows and MacOS.

React Native also provides the ability to build apps for smart TV devices, such as Apple TV and Android TV, as well as for game consoles like Xbox and Playstation. Building apps for these platforms, however, does come with additional hurdles and limitations that need to be considered (see below).

At UIC Digital, we offer comprehensive support to our clients, covering the following platforms:

When comparing React Native to traditional native app development, there are several key differences to consider. One of the most significant advantages of React Native is cross-platform development using a single codebase. This can save a lot of time and resources when compared to developing separate apps for each platform and be beneficial for businesses that want to launch their apps on multiple platforms quickly and efficiently.

Another advantage is that React Native allows for hot reloading, which means developers can see their changes in real-time without having to rebuild the app allowing for a much faster developer workflow. The framework has a large and active community of developers who contribute to the framework, providing a wealth of resources and support. This community-driven approach ensures that React Native stays up-to-date with the latest technology and trends, providing developers with the tools they need to build high-quality, cutting-edge apps.

React Native also supports the ability to create reusable components, enabling developers to reuse code between platforms. This significantly increases efficiency and reduces the time to market for new apps.

All that said, it is important to consider some key points before embarking on a React Native project. While it offers numerous benefits and has broadened its support for multiple platforms and devices, there are drawbacks. Nowadays, we can find most of the mobile features either built into the framework or as community-maintained third-party packages. However, certain parts of the code may need to be modified or rewritten for each platform. This is because React Native uses native components, which can have platform-specific differences that need to be addressed on a platform-by-platform basis. These can be features that use the camera, GPS, or TV-specific features, such as adequate focus management, in-app purchase, and video playback features that need to be developed separately for certain platforms. The React Native framework allows for easy integration with native code, which is important for building apps with complex features that need to access device-specific functionality. At UIC Digital we have developed a number of React Native libraries that help us support these platform-specific features in a streamlined and efficient manner.

It’s also important to keep in mind that while React Native aims to provide a consistent user experience across platforms, there may still be differences in design, performance, and behavior due to platform-specific nuances. So, while writing code once and using it across multiple platforms can save time and effort, it’s important to understand the limitations and be prepared to make any necessary modifications.

The performance of React Native apps is influenced by several factors, including the use of native components, the processing power of the device, and network conditions. To optimize the performance of React Native apps, it’s essential to take a systematic approach. This includes selecting the right tools and libraries, profiling the app to identify performance bottlenecks, and using performance optimization techniques such as lazy loading and code splitting.

One of the main issues is the use of a Javascript bridge, which can slow down the performance of certain animations and interactions in the app. This is because the bridge is responsible for communicating between the Javascript code and the native code, and this communication can add overhead and increase the app’s response time.

One way to mitigate these performance limitations and improve the overall performance is to build performance-sensitive features natively, rather than using React Native. This can include features such as complex animations or heavy data processing, which may not perform as well when built using React Native.

Another way to improve performance is to use Fabric and JSI. Fabric is a performance optimization library for React Native that can improve the performance of certain animations and interactions, such as scrolling and touch events. JSI is a new JavaScript runtime that improves the performance of the Javascript bridge, which can help to reduce the overhead caused by the bridge and improve the overall performance of the app.

In conclusion, when determining whether to build your application using a cross platform solution such as React Native or natively, it is important to take into account several factors.

One of the main considerations is the complexity of the application’s requirements. If the application requires complex features or functionalities that may not be supported by React Native, it may be better to build it natively.

Another important factor is the user experience and design decisions for the application. React Native may not be able to provide the same level of smooth performance and native-like feel as a traditional native app. This can be a deciding factor for the design and user experience of the application.

The number of device types and platforms the application needs to support is also an important factor to consider. If the application needs to support multiple platforms such as iOS, Android, and web, React Native may be a better choice as it allows for a single codebase to be used across multiple platforms.

Finally, it’s important to take the current in-house tech team into account. Are you currently working with platform specific teams? What does your team structure look like? What is your team’s willingness to cross train? If the team is already familiar with React Native, it may be a better choice as it would not require additional training and resources.

Our team is equipped to provide guidance and support to help clients navigate these challenges and achieve their goals. We believe that with careful planning and the right support, React Native can provide a powerful solution for building apps across a wide range of devices.