The Benefits And Challenges Of Real Device Testing

As mobile usage continues to skyrocket, the prominence of delivering a seamless and optimized user experience has never been more critical. As per the prediction of Statista, the global count of smartphone users will cross 1.5 billion by the year 2040. With millions of apps available in the market, app developers must ensure they stand apart. This is where real device testing comes into the picture.

Real device testing is a crucial step in the software development lifecycle as it entails testing an application on real mobile devices to simulate the actual user experience. This process is vital for ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the software in meeting the end user’s needs and expectations. Real device testing enables developers to detect and rectify any bugs, glitches, or issues in the app before its release in the market. Although this method offers numerous benefits, it has its challenges.

This blog will explore the benefits and challenges of real device testing and how it can improve the quality of software applications.

Benefits of Real Device Testing

Real device testing involves testing a mobile app or website on actual mobile devices rather than emulators or simulators. This form of testing provides businesses with a realistic understanding of how their product behaves on different devices. It aids in identifying bugs, glitches, and compatibility issues that may negatively affect user experience. Also, it provides accurate insights into how the product performs in different environments, such as different network speeds, locations, and conditions. Read on to learn about the benefits of real device testing.

Cross-Platform Testing

Conducting thorough device testing in real-world scenarios across multiple platforms, operating systems, and versions enables comprehensive app performance analysis and comparison. Accurate device testing generates authentic results, eliminating the chances of false positives or negatives. This approach aids in identifying potential performance flaws within the device or environment, providing valuable insights into the app’s performance.

LambdaTest is a cloud-based testing platform that allows users to perform cross-platform automation testing. Cross-platform device testing is the process of testing web applications and websites on various operating systems, browsers, and devices to ensure that they work as intended on all platforms.

LambdaTest Real Device Cloud also provides integration with popular project management tools, such as Jira, Trello, and Asana, allowing you to streamline your testing process and manage your testing tasks more efficiently.

Extensive Performance Evaluation

In real-world scenarios, accurate device testing is vital in gauging the response time and reliability of critical transactions in a mobile application. This process facilitates the evaluation of the application’s performance on real mobile devices, encompassing both the back-end and front-end of the system. It considers various network scenarios, ensuring comprehensive analysis.

Usability of App

The Quality Assurance (QA) team can employ real device testing to evaluate the usability issues of the app. The testers are responsible for preparing comprehensive test documentation and testing actual devices. Given the fragmented nature of the mobile device market, testers must conduct tests on various devices to ensure a seamless user experience.

Thorough device testing validates the app’s visual design and user interface while also verifying image visibility in different lighting conditions. Such testing is essential in gauging the app’s user-friendliness and ensuring optimal end-user satisfaction.

Reliable

In mobile app testing, real-world testing on actual devices is a more reliable approach than using emulators or simulators. The potential for inconsistent test results is eliminated through accurate device testing, ultimately yielding more precise outcomes. Compared to emulators and simulations, such testing provides greater accuracy. Emulation testing presents several limitations as it lacks the execution of mobile OS on an actual device.

In a similar vein, a simulator serves as an approximation of the actual device’s behavior but does not offer a replica of the mobile operating system. Therefore, the actual devices are typically the optimal choice for conducting app testing.

Rendering Accuracy

Conducting real-world device testing enables testers and developers to assess the application’s brightness and screen resolution in diverse lighting environments. Furthermore, it assists in comprehensively verifying the accuracy with which the software generates every pixel.

Wider Coverage

To ensure comprehensive testing coverage for the mobile application, it is recommended to develop appropriate test cases utilizing realistic device testing. Before initiating a test procedure, it is advisable to establish a list of real devices to enhance overall test coverage.

Mobile application testing plays a critical role in determining the performance and success of an app. It facilitates the refinement of an app’s performance, capabilities, and overall quality while effectively validating its core functionalities.

It is imperative to conduct thorough testing before deploying any application to ensure optimal performance. Testing mobile applications can be challenging due to the need to manage various specifications, optimize notification handling, and ensure synchronization across multiple platforms.

Challenges of Real Device Testing

From ensuring device compatibility, network conditions, and user experience to managing the logistics of acquiring and maintaining a diverse range of devices, real device testing can be a complex and time-consuming process. Let’s explore the challenges incorporated with real device testing that riddle technical teams worldwide.

Device Fragmentation

One of the major hurdles faced by app development teams is device fragmentation. It refers to the challenge of ensuring that an application runs seamlessly across various devices and operating system (OS) combinations.

This issue necessitates compatibility testing by quality assurance (QA) teams across diverse OS platforms, such as Android, IOS, Symbian, and Windows, as well as across different versions of the same OS, such as Android Nougat (7.0) and Oreo (8.0). Many third-party manufacturers offer customized versions of the Android OS, making this challenge particularly pronounced.

Updated Device Models

The proliferation of smartphone users has been significant in recent years, leading to the availability of a wide range of mobile models. Consequently, the industry expects developers to produce applications that maintain a seamless user experience while being compatible across various devices and operating systems.

Testing on real devices is a significant improvement from relying on emulators/simulators and is imperative for thoroughly identifying and addressing any bugs or issues in mobile applications. The growing number of device models with varying configurations has resulted in an extensive list of devices that require app testing. While emulators and simulators can assist with this task, they are not a complete solution.

Mobile App Security

Ensuring the security of an app is a paramount concern for developers and quality assurance professionals. As technology continues to advance, the risk of security breaches increases. However, conducting comprehensive testing can significantly reduce the likelihood of such incidents.

Thoroughly testing an app for security requires extensive information gathering and analysis. Mobile applications pose a particular challenge due to their numerous permutations, making the process more intricate than testing desktop or web apps.

Different Screen Resolutions

As the mobile user demographic grows, the market for devices catering to diverse user groups has expanded accordingly. To provide a diverse range of options, newer iterations of smartphones now boast varying screen sizes and resolutions. This challenges app development and testing teams, necessitating thorough website testing on numerous screen sizes.

Real User Condition Testing

One of the primary limitations of relying solely on emulators and simulators for app testing is their inability to replicate real user conditions. While these tools can simulate device environments, they are not a replacement for testing on an actual device. Ultimately, they cannot replicate the full spectrum of real-world testing environments. It is critical to recognize that emulators and simulators have limited advantages and should be viewed as a supplement rather than a substitute for comprehensive testing.

Mobile Network Bandwidth Issues

Tech teams appreciate the efficient functioning of high-speed internet. However, it may not be the case for all end-users. With the increasing number of smartphone users in suburban areas, where internet speed is moderate, it has become crucial to ensure that mobile apps have certain features that can be accessed even in remote locations with unstable network connectivity. It is essential to test mobile apps offline to enable app users to access basic functionalities when they are not connected to the internet. This testing process is paramount to ensure optimal app performance and user experience.

Geolocation App Scenarios

As globalization continues to shape the business landscape, the development of applications is becoming increasingly focused on specific regions and locations. Developing and testing these apps according to the language, region, audience preferences, and area-based regulations is crucial.

Localization testing is an essential process that ensures the linguistic and cultural relevance of globally operating software for different parts of the world. This technique verifies the software’s behavior, accuracy, and suitability for specific locations and regions.

Localization testing can be a complex process that requires consolidating data according to different regions and tailoring the app to various target audiences. It also involves obtaining accurate translations and testing the app on real devices. Every app must optimize accordingly, with thousands of devices being used globally.

Conclusion

Real device testing is a necessary step in the mobile app development process that offers numerous benefits, including improved accuracy and a better understanding of user behavior. However, it also presents challenges, such as high costs and limited availability of devices. Developers need to balance the benefits and challenges of real device testing to ensure the best possible user experience for their app. With the right approach, real device testing can provide valuable insights and help create a successful app in today’s competitive market.