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Statista indicates that about 3.3 million apps are available in the Google Play Store as well as 2.1 million in the App Store. Such a vast number of mobile apps shows the extent of the current mobile software development market. At first glance, it may seem that there are two major options for app development: Android-based apps for Google Play Store or iOS-based apps for App Store. For a long time, it was true. However, now, there is a third option: Cross-platform app development. In such a case, React mobile development is the approach to building apps that are compatible with different platforms. Further, we show how it works and illustrate the reasons for choosing React Native for mobile app development. 

What is React mobile development?

Verified Market Research anticipates the cross-platform mobile app development market to reach $364.54 billion. Such a massive jump is possible due to the emerging mobile app development technologies, and React is one of such instruments. 

Facebook released the first version of React in 2013 as a declarative programming system dedicated to building native mobile apps under the JavaScript foundation. Essentially, there are two members of React family:

1. ReactJS. The first version was developed in 2013. It includes a library that developers can use to build websites running on any mobile device and any operating system within a given device.
2. React Native. The second version was developed in 2015. It includes a framework allowing developers to build native apps for both iOS and Android.

React Native features

Hiring React, iOS, or Android developers can be a massive challenge. However, knowing the general features of a mobile app development framework makes the process a bit easier. Without further ado, these are the key elements of React Native mobile development:

• Components. These are building blocks of any given React Native app. Components are reusable chunks of code that work based on their logic. All React apps have multiple components that can be either class or functional.
• One-way data binding. The feature links a user interface aspect with a particular data piece. The process goes in one direction, ensuring better app control. Simply put, one-way data binding ensures one change has no impact on the app’s code.
• JavaScript XML. This feature is a direct extension of the JavaScript syntax. Developers use JavaScript XML to “tell” React how the User Interface should look and behave.
• Virtual DOM. The features reflect all the alterations made in the app. The system compares a new version to an older one to update the app in a seamless manner.

These features constitute the core of React Native and ensure the app made with the framework is responsive and grants the best user experience possible. 

React Native use cases

When thinking about hiring a React Native mobile app development company, you need to know whether there are actual examples of the framework used before.  Considering the portfolio of React-based mobile applications, one will not doubt that the framework is up and running. Keeping that in mind, the list of notable React Native mobile apps is the following:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Discord
• Skype
• Pinterest
• Tesla
• Bloomberg
• Walmart
• Netflix

These are top-notch apps bringing massive profits and having immense popularity all across the globe. Instagram alone has about 1 billion active users. At this point, it is apparent that many companies find React Native a top pick for mobile app development. Why? Because of the various benefits it brings to the table. 

Benefits of React Native for mobile app development for your business

The research shows there are numerous advantages of React Native. To name a few, there are the top seven to consider:

1. Performance. The framework’s functional part allows better performance and more seamless work of apps built with React Native.
2. Simplicity. It is easy to learn and use React, especially compared to the challenges brought by frameworks like Vue.js. Even with basic knowledge of JavaScript, you can start using the framework.
3. Cross-platform. You can use React Native to build apps for iOS and Android.
4. Reusability. React developers can reuse the framework’s code, which makes app development and maintenance easier.
5. Compatibility. Apps built with React Native are cross-browser compatible. They can work in both mobile and desktop browsers.
6. Community. There is a strong community of React developers. You can find their answer to almost any question you might have on the framework.
7. Testing. This aspect is a vital part of developing great apps. React Native offers different testing capabilities to help easily test and debug an end product.

These advantages place React Native at the top among cross-platform mobile app development frameworks. 

Potential issues to consider with React mobile development

Like any mobile app development framework, there is no one-fits-one solution. If you are considering React Native mobile app development services, be aware of these issues:

• Even though there is a strong React community, Stack Overflow presents tens of thousands of questions on the frameworks. It may indicate poor guidelines and manuals coming with the framework.
• React works with JavaScript, which can potentially affect performance. There is still a breach between React and JavaScript that results in React-based apps having more sluggish performance compared to Native apps.
• React Native is not the best choice for apps with complex User Interfaces. It may work poorly when many animations and integrations are in place.

If the aforementioned aspects don’t bother you, React Native mobile development is your choice. However, keep the challenges in mind in case you intend to integrate further UI-based updates. 

Final remarks

So, why choose React Native mobile development? It is a cross-platform, cross-browser, and innovative framework. React-based apps have solid performance and are easy to test. The framework has a list of notable mentions with billions of users. Finally, React Native is future-oriented, and its developers follow the existing trends in mobile app development. 

The entire industry appeared based on this technology: React Native mobile app development services, for example, nCube. If you aim to build an offshore or nearshore team of React Native developers, our solution allows you to access skilled cross-platform talent fast. Let’s talk.