In a world where mobile phone devices have become necessary, real device testing is essential in software development. According to a report by Future Market Insights, the global market value for mobile application testing solutions is estimated to reach USD 6.77 billion this year.
The availability of numerous devices means businesses must ensure that their apps run seamlessly across all of them. Testing on real devices allows for the identification and resolution of issues that may occur when people utilize the app on various devices and guarantees the app’s seamless functionality.
What is Real Device Testing?
Real device testing is the testing of software applications on actual mobile devices to verify their functionality and use experience across multiple platforms and devices. This method is more beneficial than emulator/simulator testing since virtual devices cannot replicate all the real user conditions, such as hardware and software configurations. It is crucial to address the intricate issues related to operating systems, display resolutions, and hardware platforms. When the users open the application, we need to be sure that it is optimized and works well on different gadgets such as hand-held devices, tablets, and wearable devices.
Benefits of Real Device Testing
The benefits of testing on actual devices are numerous, which makes this approach a crucial part of software testing:
- Fast Product Iteration
Real-device testing provides feedback on the end user’s experience in real-time, which means that the product can be developed much more quickly. This increases the rate of feedback, quality of the product, and error reduction before the application is deployed.
- Enhanced Manual Testing Outcomes
Manual testing on actual target devices remains optimal most of the time, especially when strategies and necessary conditions are established at the beginning of the project. It is fast and cheap, allows for modeling user problems, and gives a prompt solution reflecting the app’s functionality and usability.
- Real-World User Experiences
Real device testing captures real-world user experiences across various device models, operating system versions, screen sizes, and configurations. It allows developers to see the software’s actual performance and fix bugs found during testing.
- Context-Driven Results
It helps the testing team understand the application’s specific needs, simulate different user behaviors, and test the application in various real-world environments. This includes factors like device battery life, which can affect the user experience.
Difficulties of Real Device Testing
Despite its benefits, real device testing comes with its own set of challenges:
- Device Fragmentation
The large number of devices, different models and specifications, operating system differences, and screen sizes also complicate the ability to test the sites successfully. Given that testing should be conducted on all possible combinations, real device testing is always resource- and time-consuming.
- Cost and Maintenance
The main disadvantage of real device testing is that the devices being tested require a large stock and are often costly. It has to be constantly updated to support new devices that are being developed or manufactured and to exclude devices that are no longer being produced.
- Scalability Issues
As noted earlier, when testing the devices under verification, it is necessary to achieve the scalability of the entire testing process to cover multiple devices at the same time. This may be one of the significant bottlenecks when dealing with multiple devices, as small testing teams or companies may see.
- Geographical Limitations
Some devices may not be available in certain regions thus it may be challenging to test an App on a specific popular device in a region.
Real Device Testing on Cloud
Cloud-based testing platforms have emerged as a powerful tool to address these challenges:
- Eliminated the Need for Physical devices
Cloud testing tools enable users to test on a diverse set of devices running on different operating systems, screen physical dimensions, and hardware characteristics. This way, application testing is done in a very streamlined way without the requirement of physical devices to carry out the test.
- Cost Efficiency
Cloud technologies help organizations save money that could be spent on buying or owning many devices. These platforms charge on a usage basis for the testing infrastructure, which is relatively cheaper.
- Scalability
Real device testing in the cloud is beneficial because the environment is flexible. Several tests can be executed on different gadgets at the same time, minimizing the time needed for tests to perform.
- Geographic Flexibility
The global access feature of cloud-based testing allows testers to emulate users from different parts of the world. This makes it easier to comprehend and manage the application for various demographics.
- Integration with CI/CD Pipelines
Cloud testing platforms can quickly introduce automation testing because they are compatible with Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) devices. This integration also runs tests regularly, and any problems identified are addressed immediately.
- Real-time Collaboration and Reporting
These platforms also provide features of real-time collaboration and detailed project reporting that enable the development and QA teams to collaborate and detect problems and progress.
Conclusion
A cloud-based approach to real device testing is critical when it is necessary to verify an application’s compatibility with various devices and platforms in the modern mobile-based world. Despite the challenges that cloud-based testing solutions bring, deploying them helps overcome real device testing barriers, hence enabling businesses to enhance the quality of their applications and provide their users with a high-quality digital experience.
