At the end of the year, summaries and future projections are common. In the field of software development, it is also the same.
We created a thorough summary of the improvements and modifications made to React Native by the end of 2023, along with projections for 2024 based on feedback from our mobile developers.
What’s new with React Native app development services, you ask? Continue reading to find out what’s new in 2023, what to anticipate in 2024, and if cross-platform mobile development is still relevant.
What innovations appeared in React Native in 2023?
The React Native core team worked diligently to make improvements, much as in years past. This resulted in three significant releases: 0.71, 0.72, and 0.73.
Let’s quickly review the most important modifications and their effects on React Native mobile development from Celadon team.
TypeScript Support
With built-in declarations, first-rate support, and TypeScript-first documentation, it has emerged as the de facto language. It is the best option because of its static typing, enhanced code maintainability, and greater support for developers’ work.
More than half of the responses indicated that TypeScript was the sole programming language used in the project, whereas just 8.5% of developers said they were using JavaScript exclusively. These figures only highlight how popular it is becoming among developers, a trend that seems to be growing every year.
Better Styling and Layout using Flexbox
Flexbox simplifies the process of creating User Interfaces that are adaptable to various screen sizes and web-inspired elements, offering improved gesture, event management, and compatibility. Consequently, it improves both the user and developer experiences.
New Architecture
The New Architecture was unveiled by the React Native core team in 2022, however it is still in development. On the other hand, the team progressively rolls out enhancements, including faster build times and improved iOS dependency management, as well as new features like Bridgeless mode. The ultimate goal of these changes is to make it possible to switch from the Old to the New Architecture.
Simplifying the Task and Improving DX
In 2023, React Native prioritizes three key areas for improvement. The first focus is on enhancing program functionality and performance. The second involves improving the developer experience (DX) through tools like TypeScript and Flexbox, aiming to simplify and streamline their work. Lastly, significant attention is given to modifying the New Architecture, introduced in 2022 and currently in the experimental stage. This architecture, featuring Bridgeless mode and an alternative structure, is poised to fundamentally transform React Native’s functionality. Overall, these efforts aim to make React Native more developer-friendly and efficient.
In 2024, What Will Happen with React Native?
This and similar questions are heard each year. For a variety of reasons, however, it’s reasonable to conclude that React Native will still be among the most significant cross-platform frameworks in 2024.
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- Continuous Improvements: React Native is always adding new features, updates, fixes, and enhancements to stay competitive and easy for developers to use.
- Active community: Without the community’s enthusiastic support of every release, none of it would be possible. Every major release is the result of the labor of over 70 international contributors. React Native continues to advance and offer more practical solutions for mobile app development because of their knowledge, experience, and dedication.
- The DX: React Native is an excellent option if you’re searching for a framework to work with or learn that prioritizes DX while continually improving and optimizing the development process. As we previously stated, one of the areas the team concentrates on is increasing the effectiveness of developers’ work, which in turn leads to better time and task management and speedier development. Approximately 54% of developers who have already worked with React Native wish to keep using this technology, according to the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2023. It demonstrates unequivocally that React Native is still among the best cross-platform frameworks for creating excellent mobile applications.
- Plenty of apps made by it: According to statistics, 30 out of 100 mobile apps in the finance category, over 1/5 of medical applications, 33/100 sports apps, almost 1/4 of the shopping ones, and 30 out of 100 food and drink mobile applications were made by using React Native.
In conclusion
React Native appears to be destined for continued success in the upcoming year. The core crew has been steadily adding new features and enhancements through 2023, and in 2024, this will undoubtedly continue. Having said that, we eagerly anticipate any updates, enhancements, and new features that React Native may provide.
