Why Mobile Compatibility Testing Is Crucial For Your Applications?

According to Statista, the number of mobile phone users in the world is expected to break the 4.5 billion mark by 2020

People are on their mobile phones all the time. Mobile development companies are fighting to produce new model phones frequently to beat their competitors.

There is an increase in the number of applications developed for mobile devices as well. 

Compatibility testing is very essential to check the quality of your software across different devices, to verify that it will work normally in all devices or if it can be installed in all the operating systems you see necessary.

The Need For Compatibility Testing

According to Statista, in 2017, around 178 billion mobile apps were downloaded. Whereas just in the first half of 2018, over 205 billion apps were downloaded, and this number is likely to increase in the coming years.

In recent times, the increase of users who own smartphones, tablets and any type of mobile devices is on the rise.

Many companies offer their services, be it B2B or B2C, through these devices and some even do it exclusively.

Hence the application needs to undergo end-to-end software application testing in order to deliver a product that works properly and user-friendly.

There are various emulators for mobile devices in the market for testing purpose. However, testing done through emulators differ greatly from physical devices.

Because each manufacturer would have designed their mobile in a unique way. Therefore, testing with the help of an emulator will be very difficult to adjust to the behaviour of the mobile device and perform the tests correctly.

By performing a good methodology and some forthright tests your application for mobile devices will work as you want.

What Is Mobile Compatibility Testing?

These are the tests that will be carried out in a mobile software or application.

They will verify that your application is compatible with all the Internet browsers and all the operating systems in the market or that you think suitable.

These tests are really important so that your product reaches the end users the way it is intended to be.

Why Mobile Compatibility Testing Is Important?

Developing an application doesn’t mean it will be a success in the market. It has to work properly on different mobile devices as well, so good compatibility tests are very important to check for possible defects.

An application with stable and quality performance will increase the users and reputation of your organization, which in turn leads to success.

The tests for mobile devices are aimed at functionality, compatibility, interoperability, location and, of course, the usability of your application.

Key Factors To Consider While Doing Mobile Compatibility Testing

Compatibility tests must be performed in controlled laboratories where you can test all the possible configurations and generate reports with all the tests so as not to lose any detail in this process.

We want our application to comply with all the key factors. In order for customers to enjoy the user experience we desire, when running the compatibility test, we must ensure that the software works perfectly in the following areas:

Appearance

The application or website should fit the mobile screens and should be presentable and easily accessible.

Navigation

The application should allow the user to explore all functions in the most spontaneous and natural way possible. Each tool offered must be easy to access and intuitive to use.

Functionality

The performance of each action that is executed must be optimal under any circumstance and in any environment where the application is executed.

The tasks must be accomplished equally well regardless of the operating system or device.

And it must be ensured that this happens in the same way in the test environment as in an uncontrolled real scenario.

Range

The images, graphics and items must be proportional to each other. They must have appropriate sizes for adaptation to the screen of the device and according to their use and use importance within the operation of the application.

Compatibility testing can be automated, where the application is executed in different environments and conditions and its reliability is verified in each one of them, sending feedback data and failure reports in real time.

However, manual tests are always important so that the data can be analyzed personally.

Here are a few types of compatibility testing that should be considered for your application:

Browser Compatibility Testing

It is performed to test the application in different browsers such as Safari or Chrome

Hardware Compatibility tool

This is done to ensure the application behaves efficiently in different hardware as well as its link with the necessary devices for its operation

Operating System Compatibility

This is implemented to see the performance of the application in various operating systems, compare the data and correct the deficiencies

Benefits Of Using Actual Device For Testing

Some companies choose to use emulators to run these tests. This is because in certain circumstances it can save money, time and labour.

But it may not always be the best option on the table.

The great disadvantage of emulated devices is that they lack the peculiarities, faults and features that only the real device can provide.

Since they run on PCs with more powerful processors than a smartphone or tablet. Finally, an emulated device is not sensitive to environmental conditions that can affect the behaviour of the device.

The real devices have the advantage of having all the limitations and peculiarities present in the operating system of the actual customer.

However, testing with real devices can be expensive.

You can start testing the application in emulators for convenience sake. But it is vital to add real devices to your test plan.

This is done in order to validate that the applications work as expected in the real environment that the user will use and certify that all the requirements and development objectives have been met.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the application relies on various factors to make a splash in the market.

To decrease bugs and to launch quality products, it is important to test the application on all aspects.

Here in this blog, we have seen the importance of mobile compatibility testing and how it will be helpful for the application.

Therefore, it is advised for the organizations to perform compatibility tests before the launch.