Flutter for Cross Platform Mobile Development

Cross Platform development is one of the most sought after framework nowadays and adopted by most businesses.

There are many such kinds of frameworks in the market that serves the same purpose!

Some of the most popular examples are Xamarin, PhoneGap, Ionic, Titanium, Monaca, Sencha, jQuery Mobile, React native, Flutter and More. However, not every Cross Platform tool has the same efficiency.

Many of the above have vanished into the thin air, but React native and Flutter both are still holding a strong position.

Do you know why?

Because of the fact that the most trustworthy tech leaders Facebook & Google have their back.

In this article, we are going to discuss the much-talked framework of Google Flutter.

Are you wondering what is flutter app development?

Do you often search questions like; Is flutter good for iOS? Or is flutter better than React native?

This article is about knowing why flutter is a trustworthy solution for app development.

Let’s cut to the chase and dive deep into the article to know the inside out of this best cross-platform tool.

SEE ALSO: Top Trending Hybrid App Development Frameworks?

What Is Cross Platform Development & Why Should You Use It?

A Layman may ask what is cross-platform?

Basically, Cross Platform Development is “killing two birds with a single stone”

Confused?

Let me explain it in simple terms.

Earlier when there was no cross-platform frameworks, developers had to write a code for every platform (i.e Android, iOS, windows, & more) for the same application. So it used to become lengthy, costly, and time-consuming affair for the developers as well as businesses who invested in developing that app.

Guess what Cross-platform might have done?

Yes, you guessed it right! It made it possible to use a single code for every mobile platform within less time and less money.

Now let’s come to our topic and know How flutter is helping to build the best mobile applications & why it is the best choice if you want Cross Platform Development.

What Is Flutter?

In a nutshell, flutter is a Software development kit (SDK). It is rich with widgets, framework, & tools that allows the developers to build a cross-platform application seamlessly.

Why Choose Flutter for Cross Platform Mobile Development ?

Before jumping onto the features, let’s have a look at Flutter pros & Cons.

What Are the Benefits of the Flutter?

It’s absolutely free & open source
Create your application faster
Alluring User Interface (UI)
Less Coding
Access Native features
Best for MVP( minimum viable Product)
Older devices run on the same UI
Less effort while testing
Larger Community Support
Low maintenance Complexity
In-Built Package Manager from Dart

Few Cons of Flutter:

Flutter is limited to Mobiles only; Web browsers doesn’t support Flutter
As the framework is new; there are chances that you might not find the functionality you are looking for.
Flutter doesn’t support apps for Apple Tv or Android Tv
Less variety in packages as compared to JS/TS

SEE ALSO: Which is best for Cross-Platform Development? Flutter or React Native?

What Are the Features of Flutter?

Since Google now has released its first major update Flutter 1.2, they have focused on major areas such as;

Latest tools for developers for Cross Platform application development
The new version has come with the increased functionality of existing widgets

Enhanced stability, quality, and performance of the core framework.

Native ARM (Advance RISC Machines) Code

Flutter has a feature called Native ARM which is a helpful element for the startups and tech businesses. It helps you implement your idea more easily and gain maximum advantage from it for your upcoming projects.

Web-View Component

The features will make it simple for the users to view the web content within the mobile applications. In addition, Flutter makes navigating and stabilizing of the apps easier.

Dart 2.2

Then newly updated Dart.2.2 has proven to be a game changer. It has improved the performance of the AOT-compiled code.

Moreover, the library of the dart proffers the number of collection classes for modeling maps, lists, and sets of objects.

Let’s list out what other features Dart2.2 provides:

The maps are collections of key-value pairs.
The list of the flutter are ordered sequences of values, where each value may be accessed by an index and can occur more than once
It is updated all the dart languages specification to match the changes
It allows building new language features with Dart common front-end(CFE)

In-App Purchase

When a user is initiating app purchase in the app store, the features allow the transaction to continue in your app.

Hence, the developers of the Google Play and App store both need to configure an app with in-app items for purchase to call their in-app purchase APIs.

Android App Bundles

Flutter’s Android app bundles provide all your app’s resources and compile the code but delays APK generation and signing to Google play.

No Need for Manually Managing Multiple APKs

These features allow the user to download smaller and optimized APKs. Not only users but developers also don’t need to build, sign, and manage multiple APKs to support different devices.

Decreased APK Size

The split APK mechanism used by android app bundles aids in reducing apps size and enables new features like dynamic delivery for android apps.

Dynamic Feature Module

This feature lets the developer separate certain feature and resources from the base module of your app and adds them into your app bundle.

For example, if your app contains camera feature you can make it a dynamic module. Later on, when user wants to download and install it, he can do it on demand.

SEE ALSO: Ionic vs Native App: What to Choose in 2019?

Which Tools of Flutter Help to Build Cross Platform Mobile Application?

This Framework supports various tools like Android Studio and visual studio code. The other tools also allow a user to build apps from the command line and Dart DevTools for debugging.

In addition, it also allows developers to view logs, debug apps, and inspect the widgets for Flutter app development.

Here are the flutter tools which are best suited for the cross-platform app development.

Timeline View: It facilitates you to monitor your app at a frame-by-frame level, know rendering, and computational work.

Widget inspector: This tools enable visualization and exploration of the tree hierarchy which is used by flutter for rendering.

Logging View: It showcases the activity log from your application, network, framework, and garbage collection events.

Source-level debugger: It lets the user to step through code, mark breakpoints and investigate the call stack.

Top Apps Built with Flutter

Now you know the latest features incorporated by the flutter. Check out which startups and established brands have entrusted it for their Cross Platform development. Here are the flutter app examples.

1. Alibaba (eCommerce)

I don’t think there is any introduction needed for this eCommerce giant. Alibaba trusted Google Flutter to power the parts of their app.

The app lets buyers buy the products directly from the manufacturers.

2. Google Ads (Utility app)

Well, the ultimate app for Paid marketing. This cross-platform app is made with flutter to keep an eye on the campaign set by the company. In addition, it allows Google experts to add/edit/remove the keyword and Improve your campaign.

3. Birch Finance (Finance)

Birch Finance is basically a credit card rewards app that aid users to manage and optimize existing cards.

This finance app allows their user to know the spending across all accounts and give a different way to earn and Redeem rewards.

4. Tencent (Gaming & More)

The Chinese tech giant also has also relied on Flutter to provide instant messaging software services and Games like Pub G, music,e-commerce and more.

flutter-health-fitness-app-like-Watermaniance

5. Watermaniac (Health & Fitness)

Healthcare industry has also inclined towards developing the app in cross-platform. Watermaniac has decided to build its app in Flutter. The app allows its users to track the amount of water they consume.

SEE ALSO: Best Examples of Hybrid Apps

How Much Does it Cost to Build a Flutter App?

Certainly, Building your app requires Time and resources. Also; The more time is used to finish the project, the more time and resources will be utilized.

Hence, they both are proportional to the cost of developing your app.

If you are thinking how do I start the flutter app, then here is the calculation of the app development cost.

Cost Calculator:

Wondering what will be the cost of Flutter app development?

Total Cost = Number of hours needed for SDLC process * Charge per Hour of the resources required

Above all; SDLC Processes includes a detailed plan for how to Build, Test, deploy, change, and maintain that application. It includes UI/UX design, Front end, back end development, Quality assurance, and production.

Most importantly; If a small application with basic features charges you between $10,000 to $50,000, Flutter costs you half the price.

Conclusion

To sum up; The Cross Platform Development has so much potential for startups and businesses. In short; Flutter, being the latest addition in the development framework has so much to offer.

Hence; if you want to build flutter apps, it is perfect for you if you want quick results. Whether you are creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) or Full-fledged enterprise application, It is the answer.

SEE ALSO: Looking for an experienced Flutter developer needed for bug fixing? Get in Touch

Why Flutter Is the Ultimate Choice for Cross Platform Development?