Byte Orbit's Successful Flutter Proof of Concept

In the contemporary digital landscape, the seamless navigation of apps across mobile app stores is almost taken for granted. However, beneath this surface simplicity lies a realm of complexities associated with crafting applications for iOS. This is precisely where Flutter, a game-changing mobile app development framework, comes into play. While Flutter might not be a household name, it's highly likely that you've interacted with it before.

What is Flutter and why is it valuable?

Flutter stands as a free, open-source, cross-platform mobile development framework developed by Google, designed to rival Facebook's React Native and Microsoft’s Xamarin. In stark contrast to conventional development platforms that rely on wireframes or libraries, Flutter is a comprehensive software development kit (SDK) enabling developers to utilise a single codebase across multiple platforms.

The utilisation of a unified codebase empowers developers to construct scalable products that are both high-performing and user-friendly. Flutter leverages the Dart programming language, known for its developer-friendly nature, facilitating the rapid creation of high-quality applications. Additionally, Flutter's ‘hot reload’ feature permits developers to make changes effortlessly, without the need to close or reload the app to visualise updates. Furthermore, the framework adheres to Google’s Material Design guidelines, thereby endowing its user interface (UI) with expressiveness and flexibility.

Our Flutter Proof of Concept

We embarked on a Flutter proof of concept (POC) to rebuild one of our applications, a decision stemming from three main reasons. The employment of Flutter for the app rebuild yielded several noteworthy benefits. Primarily, it reduced development costs by streamlining the requirement for mobile developers. Secondarily, it ensured enhanced consistency across diverse platforms, obviating the need for specialised platform-oriented development. Lastly, Flutter substantially elevated overall productivity by freeing developers from the repetitive task of duplicating features across distinct platforms.

Problem statement for the Flutter POC

Two principal objectives framed the Flutter POC. The initial goal was to validate that Flutter indeed stood as the preeminent cross-platform mobile framework for the app rebuild. The secondary goal aimed to confirm that we possessed the requisite skills and capabilities to collaborate with our development team on this cross-platform reconstruction endeavour.

Our Learnings From The Flutter POC

Inquiring about their experiences with Flutter, our developers shared insightful perspectives. One developer summarised, “In essence, Flutter is an exceptional framework that has established itself as a formidable contender in the cross-platform development sphere. I can't commend it enough and have genuinely become an enthusiast of this framework.” While acknowledging room for improvement, particularly in debugging, the overall sentiment remained positive. The development team enthusiastically recommends Flutter to those eager to explore novel avenues.

Reasons for Belief in Flutter

We firmly hold that Flutter surpasses React Native as a superior option for mobile application development. Unlike React Native's reliance on JavaScript, Flutter employs Dart, a language developed by Google that boasts a more accessible learning curve. Flutter's reliance on its in-house widgets for customisation contrasts with React Native's integration of third-party customisation components. This distinction facilitates a more modular app development process and a streamlined maintenance experience due to fewer external dependencies.

In sum, Flutter has emerged as a transformative cross-platform mobile development framework, furnishing developers with a robust toolset to fashion seamless applications across Android, iOS, and web platforms. Byte Orbit's triumphant Flutter POC underscores its tangible benefits, marked by cost reduction, heightened consistency, and increased productivity.

Flutter's all-encompassing SDK approach empowers developers to construct efficient, user-centric apps through a singular codebase. Over the course of the POC development, the Byte Orbit team has demonstrated its prowess in harnessing Flutter's capabilities, ranging from parallel development of app components to seamless integration of third-party SDKs, all while preserving a uniform user interface.

In comparison to other platforms like React Native, Flutter's employment of the Dart programming language, widget-based customisation, and diminished reliance on third-party components result in a superlative development experience.

In a world where seamless cross-platform compatibility and efficient development practices take centre stage, the triumph of Flutter's development team serves as a compelling testament to its potential to revolutionise the landscape of mobile app development. At our end, we're not only well-versed in leveraging Flutter to its fullest but also fully equipped to craft top-notch Flutter products. Curious to see what we can create? Enquire today!