Mobile App Testing: History, Today and Tomorrow

Website design By BotEap.comIntroduction

Website design By BotEap.comEnthusiasm for mobile app development would be useless if it weren’t backed by proper and healthy testing procedures. Application development and testing go hand in hand. As the saying goes “To err is human!”, And since the creators of these applications are also human, you need to test the applications.

Website design By BotEap.comTherefore, even an application development expert needs to have their applications tested by an equally competent tester. In Europe, the European Union Commission requires that developed applications be tested before they are made public.

Website design By BotEap.comWhat is mobile app testing?

Website design By BotEap.comFor aspiring geeks, Mobile App Testing is the process of testing an application developed exclusively for a handheld device and using a particular operating system. The test is performed to determine if the application features are working properly, are easy to use, and are durable. Testing takes place at different times and conditions before the application is certified worthy of use.

Website design By BotEap.comHistory of mobile app testing

Website design By BotEap.comLike any other process, mobile app testing also underwent changes to keep up with the latest in app development. The following paragraphs testify to what extent the tests have adapted to the rapid changes in the mobility space.

Website design By BotEap.comHardware-based testing (for first-generation mobile applications): Various interconnect cables and components were used to test mobile applications, primarily via remote access. Most of the time, a hardware interface called a screenshot was used to interact with the application under test. Later, these techniques were exhausted due to their indifferent departure from later applications that were richly designed.

Website design By BotEap.comSoftware-based testing (for second-generation mobile applications): In this method, specially designed for richly designed applications, software is used to access the object in the application and its attributes that make the application perform the tasks. Because it takes advantage of the object class directory, this technique produces few bad results compared to the hardware test method.

Website design By BotEap.comChallenges in mobile app testing

Website design By BotEap.comUnlike personal computers, the mobile market has to grapple with a variety of options while testing the app, and these pose the greatest challenges.

Website design By BotEap.comThe problem could be exacerbated in the case of companies where different mobile infrastructures operate on various operating systems, nullifying any integration effort. The development of applications such as mobile retail, mobile banking, mobile health, etc. present challenges at the touch points of scale, integration, implementation, and maintenance of business operations. A mobile application development company must consider these factors when developing applications for these business customers.

Website design By BotEap.comMost of these challenges can be classified in the following list:

  • Various operating systems (OS): operating systems like Android, iOS, Windows, Bada, Blackberry, BREW, etc. pose a challenge for testing that sometimes requires adjustments in testing techniques.
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  • Mind-blowing number of phones: Like grains of sand, the staggering number of mobile phones available on the market has ensured that testing applications on at least some of them, if not all, is a suffocating exercise. Screen size, resolution, search / input methods, processor, etc. determine how an application works. These parameters should also be taken into account when testing applications on mobile.
Website design By BotEap.comTogether with a different operating system, these two factors pose the biggest challenge for testing applications on mobile devices.

  • Communication Technology: Mobile communication is primarily carried out through Group Speciale Mobile (GSM) standards, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), time (TDMA). These standards impose their nature on the physiology of applications and their operation, thus being named as test factors.
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  • Network Service Providers: There are many mobile network service providers above communication standards. The flow of information in the applications depends on the type of service provided on the standard.
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  • Scripting – Different mobile devices and different operating systems pose a challenge as scripts need to be customized in terms of command input methods, keystrokes, navigation structure, etc.
Website design By BotEap.comDifferent ways to test applications

Website design By BotEap.comObviously, a one-size-fits-all test does not work in the application test. Instead, different approaches are required to test mobile applications that vary in size and functionality. At a broader level, the following types of tests can be performed:

  • Performance test: Application behavior is determined under various conditions, such as network coverage, battery status, memory status, access to the server hosting the application, and its load capacity. Most of the time the worst case or the highest stress point is applied for testing, for example, the application performance is tested when the mobile battery is low.
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  • Lab tests: Network providers typically perform this test on applications that use the network’s voice and data services.
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  • Functional testing: The functions that the application claims to perform are thoroughly tested.
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  • Usability testing: This type of testing determines whether the application is easy to navigate and performs all required functions without hesitation or lag. This is an important test as the success of the application depends on how users perceive the application.
Website design By BotEap.comThere are other tests like memory leak test, installation test, and certification tests that also need to be completed before the application is worthy of use on a large scale.

Website design By BotEap.comProspectuses

Website design By BotEap.comAs mentioned earlier in this article, mobile app testing goes hand in hand with mobile app development. The application developed specifically for business mobility must undergo mandatory testing. Therefore, whether one is engaged in Android application development, Windows Phone application development, iPhone application development, or any other mobile application development platform, you must test your applications. This also applies to independent application developers. Therefore, they enlist the help of other developers in their community to test their applications.

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