Did you know Android apps and iPhone apps are totally different code wise? There are two different app stores, and two different ways of building them. Serious companies with lots of funding will do dedicated apps for both platforms (and sometimes Windows phones too).

App builders can be hideously expensive, but can generate apps from a central design for both platforms. There are limitations though, because most of these app builders can’t access features that are unique to Android or iPhone architecture.

Enter FLUTTER. “Flutter allows you to build beautiful native apps on iOS and Android from a single codebase.’

Google has released version 1.0 of Flutter; and it’s something that’s hand coded (no drag’n’drop here). It reminds me of RubyOnRails, the fabulous language and framework that Twitter is built on, and which I used for some advanced websites getting on ten years ago (I’m rusty now!). It’s eloquent!

but more than that – it’s the future

It’s the future because it’s fabulously accurate for design and it will likely outshine ‘Progressive Web Apps’, which Microsoft, Apple and Google have pinned as a generic standard going forward for mobile devices. Why will it outshine Progressive Web Apps? Because Progressive Web Apps are based on HTML, which is not ‘pixel perfect’. Flutter is pixel perfect, and will. I’m certain, gain a special place by just looking so good!

I’m just starting to Flutter. It will take me some weeks. I do love it tough! I wish there was a drag’n’drop interface, but maybe that will come later. The main thing is the design oriented feel of this platform. It will be fabulous for my photography and media sites, and because it’s able to access special features in both Android and iPhones (including your camera), the apps can be really cool.

I’ve still got the ability to drag existing websites into an app. That’s doable. But it’s the best look; and can look like a shortcut. It’s also not the future.

If you’ve got a project your considering for the mobile phone platform, let me suggest Flutter as the platform of choice. Google are behind it. I’ll be able to produce beautiful apps in it within a month or two.

In closing

“If you’d like to build a winning app that’s got some future proofing in it; Flutter is the platform and I’m your man :-)”

Thanks for reading
Steve Barnes for Steve Barnes Media, Web & Workflow