Mobile application testing is a process by which application software developed for handheld mobile devices is tested for its functionality, usability and consistency. Mobile application testing can be an automated or manual type of testing. Mobile applications either come pre-installed or can be installed from mobile software distribution platforms. Global mobile app revenues totaled 69.7 billion USD in 2015, and are predicted to account for US$188.9 billion by 2020. Bluetooth, GPS, sensors, and Wi-Fi are some of the core technologies at play in wearables. Mobile application testing accordingly focuses on field testing, user focus, and looking at areas where hardware and software need to be tested in unison.
Key challenges for mobile application testing Must be downloadable: The application must be obtainable for the particular platform, generally from an app store. Diversity in mobile platforms/OSes:There are different mobile operating systems in the market. The major ones are Android, iOS, and Windows Phone. Each operating system has its own limitations. Device availability: Access to the right set of devices when there is an ever-growing list of devices and operating system versions is a constant mobile application testing challenge. Access to devices can become even more challenging if testers are spread across different locations. Mobile network operators: There are over 400 mobile network operators in the world; some are CDMA, some GSM, and others use less common network standards like FOMA, and TD-SCDMA. Scripting: The variety of devices makes executing a test script (scripting) a key challenge. As devices differ in keystrokes, input methods, menu structure and display properties, a single script does not function on every device. Test method: There are two main ways of testing mobile applications: testing on real devices or testing on emulators. Emulators often miss issues that can only be caught by testing on real devices, but because of the multitude of different devices in the market, real devices can be expensive to purchase and time-consuming to use for testing. Compatibility: It is necessary to test the compatibility; ensuring that the application works consistently even with different device properties, such as different screen sizes and resolutions. Should be able to pick up the phone: While executing the app application should be able to pick up a call. Variety of mobile devices: Mobile devices differ in screen input methods (QWERTY, touch, normal) with different hardware capabilities. Lack of capacity for users' scenarios creation. While conducting performance testing of mobile application, the engineers usually lack sufficient hardware to perform proper load testing.
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