When we think about app development, be it in iOS or Android, we tend to turn towards Java or Swift. However, developers often forget Xamarin as a viable tool for developing cross-platform applications. Rest assured, Xamarin is good choice for mobile app development during 2023.
In 2011, Xamarin was founded by the developers of the open-source development platform Mono (which was introduced in 2001). Microsoft acquired the Xamarin company in 2016. Thereafter, Xamarin became a popular choice among developers for developing mobile applications that work within the Microsoft ecosystem.
Open-source platform Xamarin has many features. It is essentially used for cross-platform mobile application development globally and in the United States. You can get an application that can run on all major mobile platforms, including iOS and Android. Xamarin enables you in keeping as much as 90% of the code the same for every platform.
Every mobile app development platform out there has its own set of pros and cons. Think carefully before deciding on Xamarin as your go-to platform for the next mobile application project. It is essential to know about the advantages and disadvantages of using Xamarin.
How will Xamarin benefit you and optimize your project’s processes? What kind of limitations it has? You should be aware of the plus points of Xamarin for cross-platform development. Here are some of the Xamarin platform’s strengths as well as some of its weaknesses for you to contemplate.
Advantages of Xamarin for App Development
From easy maintenance to complete hardware solutions, you get to enjoy several advantages with Xamarin. Numerous prominent companies, such as GitHub and Slack, use Xamarin as their software platform. Here are some primary benefits that show Xamarin is good choice for mobile app development projects.
- Near Native Experience
- Code-sharing across Platforms
- Complete Hardware Support
- Simplified Maintenance
- Support for IoT Devices
Now, we deliberate over the rewards that Xamarin helps you achieve.
Near Native Experience
First-of-all, Xamarin gives your app a high-quality performance that is quite close to native. All thanks to platform-specific UI elements via Xamarin.Forms exactly.
Code-sharing across Platforms
Using C# language, added with the .NET framework, Xamarin developers can share 80% to 90% code across various platforms. Code-sharing feature of Xamarin makes the job of programmers easy.
Xamarin also effectively speeds up the engineering cycle of the app development process. This is a great feature for companies who want their apps to be compatible with several mobile platforms.
Complete Hardware Support
Through Xamarin, you get the opportunity to customize your mobile app in a better way. Because the developers will have access to platform-specific APIs. Moreover, they can also link with native libraries for a more refined native-level functionality.
Xamarin removes all kinds of hardware compatibility problems. Furthermore, it ensures seamless cross-platform functionality through specific plugins and APIs.
Simplified Maintenance
You can easily keep your app up-to-date by making changes to just the source code. With its cross-platform functionality, Xamarin ensures to implement all the changes to both the apps, iOS, and Android. This feature saves you and your client both time and money amid 2023.
Support for IoT Devices
Xamarin has more to offer apart from iOS, Android, and Windows devices such as phones, tablets, laptops, and personal computers. Because Xamarin allows you to develop applications for IoT-powered devices like TVs, smartwatches, and other wearables.
It supports the Tizen platform, which is essentially used in Samsung for its wearables and televisions. Likewise, you can also utilize Xamarin to develop applications for Apple TV and watches.
Disadvantages of Xamarin for App Development
Along with numerous advantages, the Xamarin platform also comes with quite a few disadvantages. However, the number of drawbacks is minuscule compared to the number of benefits you get.
One of the most significant cons is the larger app size of this platform. Even a simple “hello world” application for Android is estimated to be up to 16 MB in size. Besides, you might face some problems if you integrate specific third-party resources like libraries and tools into the app.
Despite the minimal cons, Xamarin is one of the best options to build platform-specific applications for your business. Being a free, open-source platform, Xamarin is ideal for startups and other small businesses.
Key Takeaways
- Being a natively compiled platform, Xamarin gives the mobile applications a native look and feel. It delivers high-performance qualities unlike other interpreted platforms like Appcelerator Titanium. Xamarin uses just one language, C#, to create mobile applications for all major platforms.
- Xamarin uses C# language and is thus based on the .NET framework. This lets developers use various .NET features such as LINQ and Lambdas.
- You can share 100% code of your mobile application or any prototype across Android and iOS platforms via Xamarin.Forms.
- When it comes to the compilation, the platform has two main products which are Xamarin. Android and Xamarin.iOS. The Xamarin.iOS source code is directly compiled into the ARM assembly code. Android is first compiled down to intermediate language, followed by native assembly code during the runtime. You can build an app using any of the products of Xamarin. In both cases, the compilation process is completely automated and is capable of handling complicated situations.
Conclusion
Many benefits prove that Xamarin is good choice for mobile app development in 2023. Few drawbacks do not reduce its value whatsoever. Xamarin remains among the top options for cross-platform development worldwide and in the USA.
Do you need to create a scalable cross-platform mobile app? Join hands with Techliance to build a near-native mobile application. We fulfill all your business requirements in Xamarin or other tools.
