In recent years, Flutter has disrupted the seemingly stagnant norms in the app development landscape. Developed by Google and introduced in 2018, Flutter is a mobile SDK and UI toolkit grounded in the unique Dart programming language. What makes Flutter's Dart powerful is its optimized client utility language with a broad profile suitable for multiple platforms.
A 2022 survey, as per Statista, on cross-platform mobile development frameworks found Flutter as the most used framework compared to Xamarin, Ionic, React Native, and Kotlin Multiplatform. It also took the lead in offering high performance and the least amount of platform quirks.
Of the array of app development options, this relatively new framework stands out in more than one way owing to the profound attention to design uniformity, rapid development iterations, and customization potential. It is these value propositions that have made the Flutter framework a preferred choice for most businesses that are in pursuit of innovation.
Let's get under the hood of the Flutter framework, right from its benefits to functionalities that popular apps are leveraging, development costs, and finally, some critical guidelines in case you are looking to hire Flutter Developers.
Benefits of Flutter Framework
As we explore advantages, one of the most dominant advantages is its C-style syntax and impeccable object-oriented structure. It makes Dart seamlessly compile into both JavaScript and native-based code and thus eliminates the Flutter framework's dependence on Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) widgets.
This integration further minimizes the performance issues, primarily the inefficiencies caused by the frequent access to resources from the iOS and Android SDKs.
Likewise, the incorporated widget renderer within the app enables Flutter to bypass the need for system widgets altogether.
Adding to the list of benefits is Flutter's distinct widget design libraries - the 'Cupertino' caters to iOS components, and the 'Material Design' caters to Android components, further enhancing the flexibility.
The above capabilities have led to a superior user experience and immense flexibility, encouraging some well-known businesses to adopt the Flutter framework to build and optimize their apps.
Most Popular Mobile Apps built with Flutter
#1. Alibaba Group (Xianyu):
Alibaba Group is an e-commerce company that allows users to shop, sell products, and access various online services in China and internationally through the Alibaba mobile application. Flutter's consistency across Android and iOS devices enables a seamless shopping experience for users through better-quality visual elements, navigation menus, etc.
#2. Tencent:
Developed by Tencent Holdings, the Tencent app provides users various services, including social media, gaming, messaging, and financial products, popular in China and globally. Flutter's natively compiled code enables a smooth and responsive live streaming experience, even on lower-end devices through the Tencent app.
#3. Reflectly:
Reflectly is an AI-enabled journaling app owned by 1company. It helps users track their thoughts and emotions, offering personalized insights and prompts to improve mental well-being. Design Cohesion: Flutter enables this app to maintain a consistent design language throughout, reinforcing its mission of mindfulness and journaling.
#4. Google Ads:
One of the lexicons of Google applications, the Google Ads app, is a mobile application that allows advertisers to manage and monitor their Google Ads campaigns, view performance data, etc., on their smartphones.
Through Flutter, Google Ads streamlines its development process by keeping a single codebase suitable for different devices. It predominantly simplifies testing, debugging, and feature deployment. Alongside, Flutter's compilation of native ARM code ensures that Google Ads run at native speed on Android and iOS devices.
#5. Hamilton:
The Hamilton app is a music application where users can listen to the soundtrack, view lyrics, and explore related content, including tickets, news, merchandise, and interactive content for fans. Flutter's design flexibility ensured that the app's visual style matched the grandeur of the musical itself, making an aesthetically spectacular and consistent user interface.
#6. KlasterMe:
KlasterMe is one of the growing social networking apps that brings content creators, vloggers, and photographers together. Flutter's real-time hot-reload feature allowed KlasterMe's developers to refine the user interface and add features with minimal disruptions, resulting in a smooth and engaging user experience. As the application grows, Flutter's ability to handle increased demand efficiently ensures that KlasterMe maintains the best performance.
#7. eBay Motors:
eBay Motors helps to buy and sell vehicles, parts, and accessories alongside features such as bidding and selling vehicles. Flutter's animation capabilities empower eBay Motors for an enhanced user experience by incorporating visually captivating transitions and interactions, such as smooth vehicle image carousels and interactive filter options, contributing to increased user engagement.
#8. Nubank:
Offered by the Brazilian digital bank Nubank, this mobile banking application allows users to manage accounts, make payments, access credit, and track expenses. Flutter enables the Nubank application to cater to a diverse user base, as the app performs consistently and flawlessly on Android and iOS devices.
#9. Coach Yourself:
It is a German-language-based self-help and self-care application with features like guided meditation and habit monitoring. Through Flutter's efficient content delivery mechanisms, Coach Yourself provides users with a diverse range of coaching materials, from articles and videos to interactive exercises, all accessible within a single app.
Conclusion,
Flutter is making its mark, as clearly evident through multiple surveys, wherein it emerges as the most loved and preferred cross-platform mobile development framework.
Thus, despite the initial high cost of Flutter-enabled custom-built applications, the investment often pays off through user engagement, customer loyalty, and revenue generation.
Choosing the right development approach and cost management strategies can help create a high-quality Flutter app that aligns with business goals and offers an excellent user experience.
Seek support? You can rely on Clarion Technologies to hire Flutter developers who have demonstrated expertise in seamlessly building, testing, and deploying apps for any screen with ease. To know more or for any software development query, please get in touch with us!