React Native 0.64 Release

React Native 0.64 just brought Hermes to iOS, and it's a game-changer for app performance. The team is finally closing the gap between Android and iOS optimization.

The React Native team released version 0.64 with major performance improvements across both platforms. This release focuses on reducing app startup time, memory usage, and download size through engine optimizations and smarter module loading.

Key Takeaways

• Hermes engine now available on iOS, reducing memory and improving time to interactive
• Inline Requires enabled by default, delaying module execution until needed
• Hermes adds Proxy support, unlocking compatibility with Firebase and MobX
• Chrome DevTools integration lets you visualize Hermes performance traces
• React 17 included with new JSX transform (no more importing React)

The team hints that Hermes will become the default Android engine soon, but there's a specific reason they're keeping iOS opt-in for now.