Mobile-device testing functions to assure the quality of mobile devices, like mobile phones, PDAs, etc. It is conducted on both hardware and software, and from the view of different procedures, the testing comprises R&D testing, factory testing and certificate testing. It involves a set of activities from monitoring and trouble shooting mobile application, content and services on real handsets. It includes verification and validation of hardware devices and software applications. Test must be conducted with multiple operating system versions, hardware configurations, device types, network capabilities, and notably with the Android operating system, with various hardware vendor interface layers.
Automation key features
* Add application/product space.
* Create test builds for application/product.
* Associate test builds with application/product space.
* Add your own remote devices, by getting a small service app installed on them.
* Record test cases/scripts/data on a reference device/emulator.
* Associate test cases/scripts/data with application/product space.
* Maintain test cases/scripts/data for each application/product.
* Select devices/emulators to run your test scripts.
* Get test results e-mailed to you (after completing the entire run, the fixed number of steps, and after every X units of time) – PDF format supported currently.
Listed companies like
Keynote Systems
Keynote Systems was a U.S. based company that specialized in developing and marketing software as a service technology to measure, test, and improve from the end user perspective, the performance of websites, online content, applications, and ser ...
,
Capgemini Consulting
Capgemini SE is a French multinational information technology (IT) services and consulting company, headquartered in Paris, France.
History
Capgemini was founded by Serge Kampf in 1967 as an enterprise management and data processing company. Th ...
and Mobile Applications and Handset testing company
Intertek
Intertek Group plc is a British multinational assurance, inspection, product testing and certification company headquartered in London, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
History
The ...
and QA companies like PASS Technologies AG, and
Testdroid
Testdroid is a set of mobile software development and testing products by Bitbar Technologies Limited.
Company
Bitbar was founded in 2009, with offices in Cambridge, United Kingdom, Wrocław, Poland, and Oulu, Finland.
Marko Kaasila is a founder a ...
provide mobile testing, helping application stores, developers and mobile device manufacturers in testing and monitoring of
mobile content Mobile content is any type of web hypertext and information content and electronic media which is viewed or used on mobile phones, like text, sound, ringtones, graphics, flash, discount offers, mobile games, movies, and GPS navigation. As mobile p ...
, applications and services.
Static code analysis
Static code analysis
In computer science, static program analysis (also known as static analysis or static simulation) is the analysis of computer programs performed without executing them, in contrast with dynamic program analysis, which is performed on programs duri ...
is the
analysis of computer software that is performed without actually executing programs built from that software (analysis performed on executing programs is known as
dynamic analysis) Static analysis rules are available for code written to target various mobile development platforms.
Android testing framework supports
* Unit test
* Functional test
* Activity test
* Mock objects
* Utilities to simplify test creation
Unit testing
Unit testing
Unit testing, component or module testing, is a form of software testing by which isolated source code is tested to validate expected behavior.
Unit testing describes tests that are run at the unit-level to contrast testing at the Integration ...
is a test phase when portions of mobile device development are tested, usually by the developer. It may contain
hardware testing
Hardware may refer to:
Technology Computing and electronics
* Electronic hardware, interconnected electronic components which perform analog or logic operations
** Digital electronics, electronics that operate on digital signals
*** Computer hardw ...
,
software testing
Software testing is the act of checking whether software satisfies expectations.
Software testing can provide objective, independent information about the Quality (business), quality of software and the risk of its failure to a User (computin ...
, and
mechanical testing
Mechanical testing covers a wide range of tests, which can be divided broadly into two types:
# those that aim to determine a material's mechanical properties, independent of geometry.
# those that determine the response of a structure to a given ...
.
Factory testing
Factory testing is a kind of sanity check on mobile devices. It is conducted automatically to verify that there are no defects brought by the manufacturing or assembling.
Mobile testing contains:
* mobile application testing
* hardware testing
* battery (charging) testing
* signal receiving
* network testing
* protocol testing
* mobile games testing
* mobile software compatibility testing
Certification testing
Certification testing is the check before a
mobile device
A mobile device or handheld device is a computer small enough to hold and operate in hand. Mobile devices are typically battery-powered and possess a flat-panel display and one or more built-in input devices, such as a touchscreen or keypad. ...
goes to market. Many institutes or governments require mobile devices to conform with their stated specifications and
protocol
Protocol may refer to:
Sociology and politics
* Protocol (politics)
Protocol originally (in Late Middle English, c. 15th century) meant the minutes or logbook taken at a meeting, upon which an agreement was based. The term now commonly refers to ...
s to make sure the mobile device will not harm users' health and are compatible with devices from other manufacturers. Once the mobile device passes all checks, a
certification
Certification is part of testing, inspection and certification and the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestatio ...
will be issued for it.
When users submit mobile apps to application stores/marketplaces, it goes through a certification process. Many of these vendors outsource the testing and certification to third party vendors, to increase coverage and lower the costs.
application store certification challenges
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Certification forums
*PTCRB
The PTCRB was established in 1997 as the certification forum by select North American cellular operators. Now a pseudo-acronym, it no longer stands for its original meaning of the PCS Type Certification Review Board (then named after the GSM1900 ...
*Global Certification Forum
The Global Certification Forum, known as GCF, is a London-based partnership between mobile network operators, mobile device manufacturers and the test industry. GCF was founded in 1999, and its membership has been responsible for creating an indepe ...
References
{{Mobile phones
Software testing