Cross Platform Mobile Development: Everything You Need to Know

During the “smartphone” era, app developers targeted specific platforms while developing apps. iOS apps and Android apps were distinct from each other and developed for iOS and Android devices respectively.

Developing different versions of the same app for different devices and platforms is simply too costly and time-consuming right now.

In today's competitive landscape, the demand to hire cross platform developers has surged as businesses seek to streamline their app presence across diverse platforms.

The surge in demand for multi-platform mobile development stems from entrepreneurs' growing awareness of the benefits tied to a unified app presence on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. This trend underscores the vital role of adept developers capable of leveraging cross-platform techniques, ensuring impeccable user experiences that transcend the boundaries of diverse operating systems and devices. As the market continues to evolve, the ability to harmonize these elements remains a critical asset for modern app creators.

Why Is Cross Platform Mobile Development Important?

To understand the importance of Cross-platform mobile app development we need to explore its pros.

Here are the Pros of Cross Platform App Development

Lower Costs

Best cross-platform mobile app development can be 30% cheaper than building native applications for iOS and Android platforms separately. You will have to find only one developer team who can develop the apps for multiple platforms.

Quicker Development

Developing two separate apps for multiple platforms takes time. Cross-platform apps work for numerous platforms but work with multiple code bases. Your team will handle just one project that is compatible with various devices.

Common Chunks Of Code

It is one of the best attributes of mobile cross-platform development. It is possible to create apps for iOS and Android platforms using only one codebase. Huge chunks of codes are common for multiple platforms. That saves tons of time, and effort and leaves little room for error.

Bigger target groups

When you develop an application for multiple devices you automatically reach out to a wider audience. You don’t have to choose between iOS and Android users. You get to reach a much bigger user base from the day of deployment.

Consistent UI and UX

When your team has one project for iOS and Android users, you can expect a higher quality of UI and UX. Since the platforms share the same codebase, it will allow you to uphold your brand’s quality and identity.

Cons of Cross-Platform Mobile Development

Challenging Code Design

Cross-platform applications have a common codebase. However, for inexperienced teams, the code design can be complicated. You should always go with a team with prior experience in cross-platform mobile development.

Long Waiting Time After OS Upgrades

Whenever iOS or Android receives new upgrades or features, it takes some time for the apps to support and adjust to this new feature. Native apps receive Software Development Kits (SDKs) with updates quicker than cross-platform app development frameworks.Top Five Frameworks for Hybrid Mobile App Development 2023

React Native

React Native is one of the top five hybrid mobile app development frameworks for 2022. It is an open-source UI software framework based on React. Your team can use React Native to create applications for iOS, macOS, Android, Android TV, tvOS, Windows, Web, and UWP.

You or your team can use JavaScript, Java, Swift, or C languages while working with React Native to create hybrid mobile apps.

Xamarin

Xamarin is a popular open-source mobile application development platform. It is a .NET developer platform equipped with tools and libraries that can build apps for iOS, Android, watchOS, macOS, tvOS, and Windows platforms.

It relies on the C# programming language. You can access a score of tutorials to become an expert on cross-platform mobile application development in a matter of days.

Flutter

Flutter is one of the newest yet best cross-platform app development frameworks. In the world of cross-platform mobile development, Flutter stands apart from the rest because it uses Dart (programming language) instead of JS or C – languages. With Flutter’s hot-reload feature, you can see modifications in real-time.

With Flutter’s inbuilt graphic engine, it is easy to build apps for both iOS and Android. It offers an environment for more structured programming codes and fewer errors.

Iconic

Iconic is the most popular framework for cross-platform mobile app developers using AngularJS. The mobile apps that you create with Iconic are hybrid HTML apps. The framework allows rapid code development and app deployment with multiple ready-to-use UI components.

Iconic comes with a host of plugin options that you can use for your mobile app. If you want user-centric features with customized functions for your hybrid mobile app, Iconic is your go-to option.

Node.JS

Node.JS is a cross-platform, open-source, and back-end JS runtime environment. It runs on the V8 engine and can execute JS code outside a web browser. Node.JS supports the development of highly scalable network applications.

It has a dedicated and larger user community. So troubleshooting while using Node.JS is no problem at all. It has one of the fastest dynamic language interpreters.

Which Cross-Platform Is Best For Mobile App Development?

We have listed the top 5 cross-platform frameworks. The best one will depend upon several factors –

• The complexity of the UI of your app

• The platforms that can support the app

• The coding knowledge and experience of your cross-platform development company

• Your budget and available time before launch

How To Choose The Appropriate Hybrid App Framework?

Do not blindly go for hybrid mobile app networks listed online. While choosing the framework ideal for your project, you need to consider the following –

• The learning curve, unless you are hiring a team of professionals.

• Explore the active apps based on your chosen framework.

• The ease of making changes and troubleshooting during quality testing.

Can you hire cross-platform app developer for your project who work with the framework easily and within your budget? If not, talk to a reliable and experienced cross-platform mobile app development company first and then ask them for advice on the hybrid app framework.

To know how much cost to develop app, you can connect with our team. Schedule a call with our experts to get an estimation for your cross platform app development project, or email us at sales@sphinx-solution.com.