Mobile Application Testing Challenges
Principal objective behind mobile application testing is to ensure best user experience, when access from mobile devices. Mobile web application testing first will be done on web browser using various mobile device user agents. Later will start testing application using emulators or simulators. Most the web sites are designed for delivering content for desktop application, Notebook or for wide range of handheld devices. The best practices of delivering Web content to mobile devices is process and deliver content by which user agent or devices. Web content should be delivered according to the mobile devices.
Factors affect mobile content delivery
1) Types of content
2) Network, Carrier, User type and device capabilities
3) Context in which the content is received
4) User Goals
Mobile users typically have different interests to users of fixed or desktop devices. They are likely to have more immediate and goal-directed intentions than desktop Web users. Their intentions are often to find out specific pieces of information that are relevant to their context.
Content delivery bothers both mobile user and carrier as well. E.g. when page size is large, device will not be able to handle it. Page should be cropped or resized and delivered without losing relevant information. Also page can divide into fragments and display in multiple pages. Scrolling to read documents or web page will not be user friendly
Another example is image handling capabilities
Page UI will be broken or timeout error message displayed on screen, when content delivers with a bigger image size. Image should be cropped or resized before it delivers to mobile device. Image delivery should be in size range which device can handle without any burden.
More areas to consider while mobile Application testing
Carry out testing on actual devices as well as emulators. Many manufacturers provide emulators for their device that can provide a convenient preliminary means of testing. However, in practice, many of these emulators behave in a different way to actual devices they emulate. Consequently testing should be carried out in as wide a range of real devices and specific software versions as is practical. When your application is not carrier specific then testing become more challenging Carriers provide mobile handsets with customized preloaded applications or browser versions .This may internally again effect application performance and testing. Testing or Using an application on a device, which does not have Back button is even more interesting (will required a small R&D to find how user can navigate back).Entering long URL in mobile browser address bar for Module testing. Few emulators does not support copy paste URL .But luckily in Device Anywhere studio copy paste is possible. This saves lot time in entering an URL in device browser.
Factors affect mobile content delivery
1) Types of content
2) Network, Carrier, User type and device capabilities
3) Context in which the content is received
4) User Goals
Mobile users typically have different interests to users of fixed or desktop devices. They are likely to have more immediate and goal-directed intentions than desktop Web users. Their intentions are often to find out specific pieces of information that are relevant to their context.
Content delivery bothers both mobile user and carrier as well. E.g. when page size is large, device will not be able to handle it. Page should be cropped or resized and delivered without losing relevant information. Also page can divide into fragments and display in multiple pages. Scrolling to read documents or web page will not be user friendly
Another example is image handling capabilities
Page UI will be broken or timeout error message displayed on screen, when content delivers with a bigger image size. Image should be cropped or resized before it delivers to mobile device. Image delivery should be in size range which device can handle without any burden.
More areas to consider while mobile Application testing
- Bandwidth – Carrier or device should be GPRS, Edge, 3G or 4G compatible
- Mobile handset Capabilities like screen size, memory size etc.;
- Cost -Cellular network connectivity is commonly charged per data volume. Data transfer should be minimum while accessing pages.
- Input -Mobile device input capabilities like keyboard, touch screen etc
- Text input -Text input tends to be very slow and cumbersome on a mobile device
- Device screen flip capabilities- Page layout or content will change when user access page in different screen modes
- Pop ups or redirection – Pop ups or redirection while doing testing is very annoying for users.
Carry out testing on actual devices as well as emulators. Many manufacturers provide emulators for their device that can provide a convenient preliminary means of testing. However, in practice, many of these emulators behave in a different way to actual devices they emulate. Consequently testing should be carried out in as wide a range of real devices and specific software versions as is practical. When your application is not carrier specific then testing become more challenging Carriers provide mobile handsets with customized preloaded applications or browser versions .This may internally again effect application performance and testing. Testing or Using an application on a device, which does not have Back button is even more interesting (will required a small R&D to find how user can navigate back).Entering long URL in mobile browser address bar for Module testing. Few emulators does not support copy paste URL .But luckily in Device Anywhere studio copy paste is possible. This saves lot time in entering an URL in device browser.
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