Quality Mobile App Testing - Top 3 Considerations
In January of this year, Apple
announced that customers had spent over $10 billion in the App Store in the
past 12 months. In one month alone, customers downloaded almost three billion
apps. Androids makeup over 50% of the
mobile market in the US and
even more in the rest of the world.

These numbers show that we love
our mobile phone. We’re using them for everything right now, including using
them as a mobile office for work. Apps that let us do our work, connecting to
Wi-Fi networks around the city and on planes, responding to emails while out on
a sales call. We can do it all. Read more about Digital
Assurance Services.
Producers of mobile apps have increased as our
love affair with mobile devices has grown as well. However one area that’s
struggling to keep up is the testing of these mobile apps. It’s challenging to
verify applications across the myriad of mobile handsets that are currently
available, as they’ve all got different screen sizes and resolutions–not to
mention the different flavors of operating systems out there.
The numbers in a Compuware survey bear
these challenges out too – 79% of users report they’d only retry an app once or
twice if it failed to work the first time. That number drops to a very low 16%
for users who’d be willing to try it again a second time.
So, how is your business responding to this
shift towards mobile? Is your testing strategy ready to handle this shift? Or
are you struggling to produce quality mobile apps?
It’s a challenge to test mobile apps
When trying to understand the
quality and performance of your mobile product, there are a number of
challenges in the mobile market that are different than the traditional desktop
and web-based app testing.
The
different devices available. Compatibility
issues in mobile devices are wide spread, given the different operating
systems, screen sizes, and individual device hardware and storage capabilities.
Even devices in the same product family may have issues because of background
differences like OS optimization, CPU power, and mobile operator network (LTE,
CDMA, GSM, etc.).
The
lack of mobile testing standards. As the mobile app market is still relatively new, best practices
are spotty. New testing tools need to be developed because the ones used for
desktop and web-based apps just don’t work here.
The
need for specialized testing knowledge. It’s difficult to find QA testers that have experience in testing
mobile apps, so companies have to deal with testing delays as they develop
protocols and skills. The QA community also needs to work on their mobile tool
assessment skills if it’s to stay abreast of all the changes that happen in the
mobile market.
Here’s how to develop a good mobile testing strategy
Out of sheer necessity, mobile app producers
have started developing their own testing methodologies, often using existing
desktop and web-based strategies as a starting point. Regardless of the actual
steps and tools, they all have these features in common:
1. Testing Emulators

Pro: You can deploy and test your mobile app
without investing in multiple mobile devices on the various networks you need
to test.
Con: Emulators lack the quirks and faults
that only a real device can provide. Whether it’s the way the app behaves after
being opened, or the difference in display quality because of the pixel
simulation in the emulator, you’re not getting an accurate picture of your app
on the device. Add to that the fact that an emulator can’t replicate the very
mobile nature of the device, and all the environments a user would take their
device into, and you can see that an emulator can’t replace actual device
testing.
2. Cloud Testing Solutions

Pro: A hybrid option between an emulator and actual
device testing, cloud testing solutions let you access real devices through the
Internet. Providers give you access to the real devices, across the world and
carriers, so you can test your app in all those different tech environments.
These solutions are often scalable, complete, and robust, so you can perform
end-to-end testing on all the mobile devices, technologies, and networks you
want.
Con: You may need to use several different
solutions in order to cover all of the devices and options you wish to test.
Also, the solution providers don’t always have access to all of the latest
device versions, so your testing may be missing out on a particular segment of
the mobile market.
3. Physical Device Testing

Pro: Real devices have the advantage of having
all of the limitations and quirks present in the actual client hardware and
firmware combination in the hands of your target consumers. You’ll be able to
test your app in the actual environment in real-time. Take the device to a cold
place, crowded place, event with limited Web connectivity and see how it
performs. Any situation you want, you can test it.
Con: The cost of purchasing the actual
devices can be extremely high, depending on how you go about it. Do you buy
them outright, have an agreement with a manufacturer or network carrier to loan
you the devices for periods of time? And what about the airtime and
subscription costs? As you can see, there are many variables in play with
physical device testing, so you’ll need to plan out how you wish to go about
it.
Quality of Mobile Apps can make or break your business

You take pride in your business
and the products you produce, so don’t let testing obstacles prevent you from
releasing high-quality mobile apps to your market. As you can see, there are
many options available, and you need to able to get it right, get it right
first time! Customer experience is crucial when it comes to mobile apps, UI/ UX
and usability testing plays a crucial role hence.
Partnering with Jade Global for your
quality mobile app testing eliminates your risks and enables you to go to
the market faster. We’ve got the knowledge and expertise to help set up your
mobile app testing the right way, the first time. Want to discuss more or have
any questions or want to discuss more on Mobile Application Testing? Leave your
comments below.
Know more about Jade Global’s Mobile
Application Testing Services
Original blog source: https://www.jadeglobal.com/blog/quality-mobile-app-testing-top-considerations
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