[ak1394]

I've several React Native apps in both appstores. I think while React Native is not suited for all types of apps, there is a sweet spot for certain projects where it really shines. The development speed is really unparalleled, with hot reloading you can see your app changes as soon as you hit 'save' in your editor.

[talkingtab]

what is the sweet spot? I'm faced with developing a fairly simple thing and it would help to know a little more about learning curve ( I use react ), downsides, etc.

[ak1394]

Small to medium sized apps (not games) where you can sacrifice some UI polish to get them delivered quicker and on both platforms. Have a look here https://facebook.github.io/react-native/showcase.html If you know React, learning React Native would be pretty easy, plus you can use many of react libraries like redux, etc.