Automated Mobile App Testing – Do You Really Need Real Mobile Devices?

Mobile apps are not just the following (or current) big thing. They have become a part of our lives — in a way, steering our choices and decisions. By merely sitting on our couch, we apply for jobs, manage our projects, talk to our friends, order essentials, and even pay our bills. The need to test real mobile devices has rapidly increased with such a significant trend.

The convenience is unsurpassable, and thanks to the user-friendly functionalities, even our grandparents seamlessly book cabs, play games, and video calls us. 

Mobile apps are here to stay. Imagine the possibilities. According to GoodFirm’s global survey, at least 31.85% of survey participants have 21-40 apps installed, while 8.87% have over 100 apps. 

The research also states that an average user consumes at least 13 apps in a day ranging from software testing apps to skin care apps and more. Another interesting statistic to look at is the surge in the mobile app revenue. Moreover, the global revenue in 2018 was 365 billion USD, projected to be 693 billion USD in 2021, according to Statista.

Besides, global users have shelled out a total of 28 billion USD on mobile apps by the third quarter of 2020, says Marketing Charts. Take a look at the following chart for a better understanding.

Why is Mobile Device Testing Important?

Now that we’ve understood the big picture, knowing what goes into building a successful mobile app remains. Mobile app testing is unarguably an imperative process for apps to perform the way it’s should. Mobile app testing is unarguably a critical process. It fixes any potential errors before the apps go into the production server. 

What could pose a challenge, though, is that users consume apps on different devices. Every device is differently wired, and some may not support a few apps due to outdated software, old processors, etc.

A few mobile brands also have their software builds. According to Statcounter, the worldwide market share of Android users is 72.48%, with iOS at 26. 91%. The stats also show that Android versions like 4.4, 5.1, and 6.0 are still in use.

You get the drift — the market is enormous. And you cannot possibly test your apps manually on different devices with different versions of OS. This is where automated mobile app testing comes to play. Offering you the flexibility to deliver faster in a test-driven development environment, automation testing is a proven work through.

You can also read more details about Mobile testing in the guide here.

We’ve talked about automation testing of mobile UI and how to perform it in-depth here. We recommend looking at it if you’re starting on automated mobile app testing. 

Why Do You Need Real Mobile Devices for Testing?

Finally, let’s get to the core of our conversation — do we need real mobile devices? 

With the speed at which technology advances, mobile users have developed zero tolerance for slow or buggy apps. And remember that our users consume our apps on real devices, and factors like low battery, poor WiFi, and outdated software can affect the app’s performance.

While a few argue that emulators serve the purpose of testing an app, unless you’re only testing the UI, they are not sufficient. If your apps use cameras, additional sensors like fingerprint, ambient light, etc., you must try them on real mobile devices. After all, what’s the point of having a feature that doesn’t support all devices?

It’s humanly impossible to test all the app features on different devices manually. Besides, it’s not cost-effective. Find this intimidating? Fret not — Testsigma offers a reliable automated mobile app testing tool with the option to execute your tests on thousands of real devices efficiently. Testsigma isn’t just a mobile app testing tool. It is a unified test automation ecosystem for your web, mobile apps, and APIs that handle more than just mobile app testing.

Our no-code tool offers testers a simple way of writing test cases. The tool lets you automate test cases written in English and can be integrated with various project management tools. 

We also recommend looking at our blog post, where we take you through automating mobile apps using Testsigma. It’s that simple. While launching an app is one thing, handling its updates is a different ball game altogether.

We use an AI engine that can handle ongoing updates without affecting the app. This engine can also detect errors that are shared in real-time through email, Slack, Teams, etc. Besides, all tests are carried out on a secure and scalable cloud, so scalability isn’t a problem.

Conclusion:

In closing, real mobile devices are required for automated mobile app testing; otherwise, real mobile devices are necessary for automated mobile app testing; otherwise, all our efforts and tests are fragmented and futile. Testsigma can empower you to build a competitive advantage in the evolving mobile app market. 

Sounds interesting? Let’s have a conversation; Testsigma is offering a free 30-day trial for you to experience the product. Check it out here.