Flutter Version 3.13: Proof That 13 Isn't Always Unlucky

It only seems like yesterday that we were drooling over the minor improvements that version 3.10 of Flutter had given us. The Flutter team has really listened to the feedback they got on version 3.10, and it shows, as Flutter 3.13 puts it to shame. With enhanced graphics, improved performance, more customisation options, 2D scrolling, and more, you can see why the Foresight Mobile team is so excited about what these new improvements could mean for our clients’ apps. Let’s look at these new additions in closer detail.

What is Flutter, and why do we use it?

Flutter is an open-source UI toolkit created by Google, and it's used to develop cross-platform applications from a single codebase. With Flutter, Foresight Mobile builds beautiful, fast, and native-feeling apps for mobile, web, desktop, and embedded devices. We love using it because it makes apps straightforward to build, maintain, update, and change quickly, which is ideal for our client's’ needs (and it stops us from ripping out what little hair we have left).

What is Flutter 3.13?

Flutter 3.13 is the latest quarterly stable release of the Flutter platform. This release includes a number of new features and improvements that have us jumping up and down in our seats.

What’s new in Flutter 3.13?

Glad you asked! This latest release is far more comprehensive than the last one, and it’ll give our clients so much more flexibility to tailor their apps exactly how they want them to look, run, sound, and feel.

Faster graphics on iOS:

Thanks to improvements in the Impeller graphics renderer, Flutter apps on iOS now render significantly faster. This will be especially noticeable in apps with complex animations or graphics. In more good news for Apple users, Impeller for macOS is now available in preview mode. Android users will have to wait a bit longer for Impeller, however, as this version is still a work in progress. However, it shouldn’t be too long before this is introduced too.

2D scrolling:

The new 2D scrolling APIs in Flutter 3.13 make it easier to create apps with smooth and responsive scrolling behaviour. These APIs are based on the CSS scrolling model, which we’re already familiar with (and a big fan of).

New Sliver classes:

Flutter 3.13 also introduces new Sliver classes for fancy scrolling, such as SliverGrid and SliverList. These classes make it easier to create complex and sophisticated scrolling layouts, such as grids, lists, and menus.

Other notable improvements in Flutter 3.13 include:

• Superior performance of image loading
• Upgraded support for keyboard input
• Improved accessibility support
• To better support foldable devices, a new API to retrieve various properties of a display has been added
• Platform adaptive dialogue and character recognition in TextField have been improved
• More customisation for Material widgets
• Improvements to the performance and usability of DevTools
• Bug fixes
• Applications will get Material 3 colours, text styles, and other visuals by default.
• Support for Android 14/API 34
• iOS 17 and Xcode 15-ready

What does the Flutter 3.13 update mean for you?

All these improvements mean that the Foresight Mobile team can create and maintain your app with even greater flexibility. We’ve been working with Flutter since its inception in 2017, so when a new version comes along, we can adapt to it with ease. Regardless of whether you’re starting from scratch with a new cross-platform project or you have an existing Flutter app that you want to update, our expert team can take these new version 3.13 features and turn them to your advantage. Hit the button below to book a free consultation, and be sure to get in touch if you have any questions about this latest release of Flutter.

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