An Introduction of Mobile Testing Strategy

Product Vision: First of all it is very important to gauge and understand the vision related to the product/application under consideration. Some points to look at:

Who are the users/future users?

What platforms/OS’s are we targeting? Are we looking at only iOS users (What versions?), Android (What versions?)

QA Budget: Is it fixed or flexible?

Simulators Vs. RDA’s: Based on the above factors I would look at options of using Actual Device/Simulators/RDA’s.

If the horizon of platforms/OS’s is limited then I would look at my budget and most likely would opt for actual devices for testing.

Simulators always play big role when there are no mobile devices available for testing. Though Device testing is always preferred as it represents more likely end user scenarios, the importance of simulators cannot be ignored. In order to have effective testing over Simulator, It is recommended to explore all the capabilities of Simulator. Eg. Ipadian is a simulator for Ipad.

If you feel the breadth of mobile devices is large then you may opt for Remote Device Access Services; Due to a large number of devices available in the market, it is not feasible to buy a new device every time. At the same time Simulators are not completely reliable enough to launch a mobile app based on testing conducted only on simulators. RDA (Remote device services) can be a good solution to deal with these challenges. The remote device access services enable access to a live device over the Internet.

Some Available RDA Services are:

• Device Anywhere (Paid)
• Perfecto Mobile (Paid)
• Nokia RDA (Free, For Symbian Phones)

Advantages of RDA:

• You don’t need to purchase actual device.
• User can select different Carriers e.g. Verizon, T-Mobile, AT & T.
• RDAs are more reliable than simulators as they are real devices.
• Some RDA Service like Device Anywhere also has automation capabilities.

Disadvantages of RDA:

• Since you access devices remotely it takes time for any action or key event.
• Sometimes the needed device is not available due to prior reservations.
• Higher Service Cost