React Native 0.65 Release
Article Summary
React Native 0.65 just dropped with performance gains that'll make you rethink your mobile architecture. The Hermes engine upgrade alone is delivering 20-50% improvements on CPU-intensive workloads at Facebook.
The React Native team released version 0.65 with major updates to Hermes (their JavaScript VM), significant accessibility improvements following Facebook's GAAD pledge, and critical dependency updates. This release represents over 1,100 commits from 61 contributors and marks a substantial performance leap for React Native apps.
Key Takeaways
- New Hades garbage collector cuts pause times by up to 30x on 64-bit devices
- Built-in Intl API adds only 57-62K vs JSC's 6MB footprint
- JS heap memory reduced by 30% through pointer compression and SMI
- M1 Mac and Catalyst support now available for iOS development
- Accessibility APIs expanded for users needing extended interaction timeouts
Critical Insight
React Native 0.65 delivers dramatic performance wins through Hermes 0.8, with 20-50% faster CPU workloads and 30% smaller memory footprint while expanding accessibility support.
