Mobile Application Testing-Simulator versus Device testing
Simulators are mainly used for functional testing of basic flows. Simulators are not used for performance and usability testing, but the final testing is conducted on actual devices so crashes and hangings can be identified. One cannot get quality application while relying only on simulator. Device testing is necessary for all the applications, as with device testing we can understand the application behavior on different networks.
Simulator:
Is a software application that can accurately imitate a mobile phone. Simulator is mainly used by developers to check the functionalities implemented under development phase.
Let’s discuss the pros and cons of using simulators:
- Pros:
- Helps in isolating issues which are not volatile network connection dependent
- Provides a wide variety of testing over different types of device simulators for the same build
- Allows to test the same build in multiple device screens.
- Cons:
- Simulators of older generation handsets don’t resemble the device as closely
- Some issues which are hit by the speed at which input was given cannot be reproduced easily
- Hardware/Firmware environment variations detectable in device testing only
- Device testing is always preferred as it represents more likely end user scenarios.
Device: Is the actual handset where application installed and runs.
There are some pros and cons while using real devices for testing as well.
- Pros:
- Finds actual issues of application.
- Finds crashes, memory leak issues which can not found on simulators.
- Checks application over 2G and 3G and different networks
- Checks application behavior while incoming call, SMS, MMS and alarm.
- Cons:
- Expensive for compatibility testing of application over wide range of devices
- Consumes more time for adding excessive test data for testing purpose.
