React Native is a JavaScript framework for building natively rendering mobile applications for iOS and Android. It allows developers to write code once and deploy it to both platforms, leveraging the power of JavaScript and React.

Native Rendering: Unlike hybrid approaches (like Cordova), React Native doesn't rely on web views. It uses native UI components under the hood, resulting in a much smoother and more performant user experience. JavaScript Bridge: React Native utilizes a JavaScript bridge to communicate with the native platform, enabling access to device features like camera, GPS, and more.

Cross-Platform Development: Write code once and deploy to both iOS and Android, significantly reducing development time and costs. Faster Development: Hot reloading allows developers to see changes to their code reflected in the app almost instantly, accelerating the development cycle. Large Community and Ecosystem: A vast community and a rich ecosystem of libraries, tools, and resources provide strong support for React Native development.

1. Platform-Specific Issues: While cross-platform, some platform-specific issues may still arise, requiring minor adjustments to the code.
2. Debugging: Debugging can sometimes be more challenging compared to native development.
3. Reliance on Native Modules: For complex features, you might need to write native modules in Java/Kotlin (Android) or Objective-C/Swift (iOS), which can increase development time.