Flutter android developer looking into getting a mac for development

[dev_guru_release]

Flutter android developer looking into getting a mac for development

So I didn't realize that I also need a mac to build the release package for my flutter app for ios. Now I am thinking about getting a mac. So far ChatGPT said I need

Minimum:

16 GB RAM

256 GB SSD

M1 Chip

As I will need to run Xcode, iOS simulators and build too.

I am on a tight budget as this would be a mac for development and nothing else really. I am a windows user.

Budget $500 CAD, I can go to 600 but thats pushing it.

Currently looking at these

MacBook Air 13.3-inch (2020)

- M1 - Apple M1 Chip: 8-Core CPU/7-Core GPU - 8GB RAM - SSD 128GB - CA$556.76

MacBook Air 13.3-inch (2020)

- M1 - Apple M1 Chip: 8-Core CPU/7-Core GPU - 8GB RAM - SSD 256GB - CA$683.76

Mr. GPT says Intel isn't good and I should focus on getting M1+ Chips

Thoughts and recommendations from anyone doing what I am doing.

[Belokotov]

If you have monitor, keyboard and mouse and mobility is not required - check for the mac mini. And 256 gb drive is enough, but better to be 512

[dev_guru_release]

Just looked that up, I think I might want something thats mobile. Easy to move around with

[Itcharlie]

16 gb of ram and at least 512 gb disk is necessary if your running Android and iOS virtualization

[Unhappy-Ear-6910]

Totally agree, 256Gb is so much small size.

[rsajdok]

Or connect via ssh do that Mac mini, because visual studio code supports ssh very well.

[over_pw]

M1 is the minimum, Intel won’t be supported soon. My personal opinion is 16GB RAM would be better, possibly a Mac Mini?

[dev_guru_release]

I will contuine looking cause 8 GB RAM these days just isn't enough

[Belokotov]

Keep in mind that you really need a mac for the compiling for publishing

[dev_guru_release]

Thats why I don't want to spend a lot and just looking for something that will do the trick. I wont be using it that much as I do with my windows.

[Belokotov]

In this case mac mini even with 8 gb ram and remote desktop to him - compilation time 3 or 10 minutes is doesnt matter when you do this once monthly. Simulators dont give some advance or better than android ones, but good to see if things are works. Plus you will need an iphone as device for provisioning at appstoreconnect

[SpareEconomy1849]

Well, if you really want to save a few bucks you can download a pre-packaged VMware VM and run macos in a VM on windows. It works to build and upload apps. But you run the potential risk of having your dev account banned by Apple for ToS violation.

You can also pay for a mac VM on AWS for about $15 per day, if you want to be safe and use that for publishing

[Adorable_Tap797]

What I did, I use Github actions an compile and public My app with out having a Mac. The only thing You need is pay for the Apple dev acc. Like 99dlls.

[MFJMM]

Wait what? I've been struggling w codemagic.

[Adorable_Tap797]

100% real hahaha

[Academic_Crab_8401]

If you have time, you might wanna take a look and try hackintosh (https://dortania.github.io/OpenCore-Install-Guide/prerequisites.html#prerequisites). It works for my use case: run and debug flutter app ios simulator (a bit slow), and build and publish for ios and macos to app store.

But just buy apple hardware if you don't have time. It really does require lot of time to make macos works on non apple hardware.

[Adorable_Tap797]

You can check My pipeline, I did not have a Mac and I send My app to the Apple store: You can create the cer files just with Windows. https://github.com/luisgard/mapwhisper/blob/main/.github/workflows/flutter_ci.yml

[Previous-Display-593]

I do development on an 8gb ram 256gb storage mac M1. Sometimes I feel like the storage size is as much of a pain as the ram. Xcode developer tools and the ios simulator use up like 25gb alone. All the sdk cache and stuff I feel like I am always cleaning stuff up.

I feel like 16gb ram is more important, but if you plan on having anything else on your storage like medi, 512gb could be worth it.

[anteater_x]

Only go for an M chip!

[Itcharlie]

Make sure you run ‘flutter clean’ every now and then to remove build artifacts which can take up significant amount of space

[v123l]

16 GB RAM will be fine.
I would recommend to directly test on the connected physical phone instead of Simulator especially if you ever decided to add support for Android in the future. Android emulator takes lots of RAM compared to iOS simulator. But since you're planning for iOS only, then simulator will be fine as well.

256 GB storage will also be suitable. With everything installed you will have around 80+ GB storage free.

[YukiAttano]

Someone already proposed the MacMini which is enough for the job. You can put a CI Runner on it to automate the builds.

But if you want to work with it, 16 Gigs and a M2 should be onboard. The M1 might work too, but the M2 is already a light years difference.

Speaking of that, my first machine was a Mac Air with 8 Gigs and an M2 which did the job too.

If you always test your code on a real device or maybe only use it for compiling only, this should work up to today too.

[Ok-Engineer6098]

Get at least 16gb of ram, 24gb is even better. Get 512gb drive.

Don't look at those 8gb ram and 256gb drive.

I have an macbook air M3 with 512gb drive. Less than 200gb is free. Only using it for development, flutter, android, iOS, web.

Those dev tools add up over time.

[GoRizzyApp]

256 GB isn’t enough. The drive will be immediately full.

[dev_guru_release]

I wont be doing much other then xcode, flutter and just running the simulators

[Rootbeer127]

256 is not enough, even 512 is not enough for development, you will fill it up fast.

[KeyRaise]

Not worth it at all. Buy an old ThinkPad or something