Mobile Application Testing Challenges

By Author: Susan Smith
Total Articles: 132
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Mobile applications have a faster and deeper impact on the user satisfaction because they are more personal than their desktop counterparts. This is because the smart devices on which they get installed are the constant companions of the owners, who treat the shiny little things as an extension of their personalities. Due to this, it is very important that the code designed to work on the smart devices has to be tested and quality checked thoroughly. However, there are some key challenges that the testing teams face when testing for the app:

Device Emulator

QA team can perform most of the testing in a well-equipped test environment using device emulators with various options like ability to bypass the network, using live environment via modems and use of an effective scripting language. This is a cost effective solution

Mobile Cloud Computing Solutions (Remote Real Devices)

The QA team can use the mobile cloud computing environment to deploy and test an application. In the cloud approach, the task and data are kept on the Internet rather than on an individual device, providing on-demand ...
... access. By reducing the complexity of the implementation, companies that take advantage of cloud services can significantly reduce project costs and boost the return on investment of a mobile computing solution

Real Time Devices with Real Networks

The QA team cannot completely avoid this option but there should be an option to test real devices on real networks whenever required. This is important since the Mobile application will always be used on mobile devices by end users who may access the application from a remote area with fluctuating network signal strength

Device Variation

Mobile application testing is difficult due to compatibility issues as a mobile application can be deployed across devices which have different:

• Operating systems like iOS, Android, Windows, BB, etc.
• Versions of an operating system such as iOS 4.x, iOS 5.x, BB4.x, 5.x, 6.x, etc.
• Manufacturers like Samsung, HTC, Nokia, Micromax, etc.
• Keypad type such as virtual keypad, hard keypad, etc.

Further, the quality team cannot guarantee that if a tested application works well on a given device, it will work 100% on another device even if it is from the same product family because the screen resolution, CPU, Memory, OS optimization, and hardware could be different.

Mobile Testing Tool Availability

The tools used for desktop and web-based applications do not work for mobile application. Hence, a complex scripting technique and new tool development is required for mobile application testing.

Industry Standards

Mobile application testing must meet industry standards for an application to be globally acceptable and popular.

Need for Skilled QA specialist in Automation Testing.

The quality team needs a skilled QA specialist not only to assess the automation tools available in the market for testing but also to quickly identify user interface bugs as UI is critical in mobility. A well-tested and fully functional mobile application could be rejected by end users merely due to UI look and feel.

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing offers a web-based mobile environment on simulators where testers can deploy, automate and test the mobile application. This approach helps reduce the cost of the project under development.

Following are the most common problems faced by testers in cloud environment.

• Subscription model
• High cost
• Lock-in
• Internet connectivity issues
• Automation is image-based and time consuming
• Automation cannot be used outside the framework

The author works with a mobile application developer firm. The company has best in class Android, Blackberry and iPhone app developers in Dallas TX. It is one of the best mobile app development Noida companies