Seetest-A mobile Test Automation tool for Android, iPhone, Blackberry, Symbian & WindowsPhone 7

November 7, 2011 — anuragkhode

Guest Post By:-Tal Barmeir (CEO Experitest)

Need for Mobile Test Automation Tool on Various Platforms (Android, iPhone, Blackberry, Symbian & WindowsPhone 7) 

Since launch of the First Mobile phone in the market to the launch of hundreds of devices a month,the market has changed drastically.Unlike earlier, now:-

  • There are lots of application getting developed and launched in to the market everyday.
  • Enterprises (banks, retailers etc) need to provide access to their online services via smartphones.
  • Application developers need to quickly launch their apps on various platforms to cope up with competitive market.
  • Hardware vendors are developing many different devices based on Android and other mobile OS.
Thousands of mobile devices in the market, different OS/Platforms with different OS versions and competitive market,all these things lead to need of a comprehensive & effective automation tool which can help in  cost effective Testing of a Mobile Application or hardware they have developed in quick time.More specifically, they need a test automation tool for real physical mobile devices (not emulators) that has full coverage, ability to integrate  into their existing testing environment , is simple & quick to operate and can run the same test  on many devices/mobile OS.AND MOST IMPORTANTLY – a downloadable trial version – because there’s nothing like trying it yourself.
Well all these and many other challenges/Issues  in Mobile Application Testing will  now be addressed by an efficient Mobile Automation tool from Experitest Inc.
Experitest (www.experitest.com) – a strategic partner of both HP and Microsoft – has developed SeeTest – a test automation tool for mobile that meets all these requirements and is deployed in Fortune 500 companies worldwide, such as Microsoft, NYSE, Marvell, Texas Instruments, Clicksoftware, BSkyB, 888, Cisco and many more.  To watch a video click here

Requirement 1:  Full coverage – all smartphone OS, all functionality

All mobile OS:

  •  All types of OS:  There are 5 Android, iOS, Blackberry, WindowsPhone 7 and Symbian. To provide a real coverage of your customer base you need a tool that can test on any of these.All mobile OS versions: OS versions are constantly launched ot the market. There is need ot support all of them.
  • All mobile device models: phones, tablets. Both are used today by end users. So both need to be tested.
All functionality: Smartphones have a broad range of gestures, system alerts and many other features.  All need to be supported. Otherwise no real automation can be achieved:
  • Gestures:Swipe, drag &drop, zoom in and zoom out, mutlitouch.
  •  System alerts:Security pop ups.
  • Virtual keyboards:  all keyboard configurations
SeeTest is the most comprehensive mobile test tool today in the market. It covers all OS, all functionality. You name it, SeeTest has it.
Requirement 2:  Plug into QTP,TestComplete,MSTest,Junit,Perl,Python:-
Mobile testing is “the new guy on the neighborhood”. It is joining into a realty where organizations already have an existing testing environment such as QTP, TestComplete, MSTest, Java, Perl, Python. Naturally, organizations are looking for a solutions that can easily integrate into these existing environments so that they can continue working from their usual testing environment only extend it to cover mobile testing as well.

SeeTest has plugins into all testing environments such as QTP, Testcomplete, MSTest, JUnit, Perl and Pyhton.

Let’s take for example QTP. The SeeTest plugin enables to work from within QTP and simply create tests the regular and usual way tests are created in QTP (Keyword view, Expert view, data driven tests, test results and anaylsis), only that this time it is done on real physical mobile devices connected via a standard USB cable to the tester’s computer. The user can record/edit the test, run it and view reports – all in QTP. Just as he has always done. Same goes for all the HP testing & monitoring tools such as QC and LoadRunner.

 

Example screenshots: Keyword view, Expert view, data driven tests, test results

 

Requirement 3: simple & quick to Operate – a recorder

The mobile world changes quickly. And so should the ability to create tests easily and efficiently. The SeeTest recorder enables simple, quick test creation.

Requirement 4: Same script running on multiple devices and mobile OS.

There are 5 smartphone OS. There are hundreds of smartphone device models. There are constantly new OS versions. This reality mandates one clear and strong requirement – script once, run on any device/OS.

One of SeeTest’s main strengths is its ability to run the very same test script on any mobile OS. Any physical device. No exceptions. This brings clear and indisputable ROI to the mobile automation project.

Requirement 5: Why believe marketing materials? Try it yourself now – free downloadable trial.

Click here to download (download starts automatically)

Download a free trial here        

Watch a Video here           

Email us for a free webinar/demo/POC: support@experitest.com

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

About Author:-

Tal Balmier is CEO of Experitest – developer of SeeTest – test automation tool for mobile that plugs into QTP,TestComplete,MSTest,JUnit,Perl,Python.


Posted in Android Application Testing, Blackberry Application Testing, Iphone Application Testing, Mobile Application Testing, Mobile application Testing and Automation tools, Symbian Application Testing, Windows Mobile Application Testing. 2 Comments »

Planning For Chaos: The Consumerization of IT

October 7, 2011 — anuragkhode

Guest Post By:- Faraz Syed, CEO and Co-Founder, DeviceAnywhere

Throughout the information age, the corporate IT department has acted as the technology gatekeeper for enterprise organizations. With a firm hand they have chosen which equipment and software employees use within the workplace, often the result of a long decision-making process that can last months, if not years.

Enterprise mobility has, however, meant that companies are undergoing a massive transformation in not only the way they operate, but also the speed at which new services and devices need to be accommodated.

THE MOBILE EMPLOYEE REVOLUTION

Companies that will succeed in tomorrows’ economy will be the ones who embrace mobility to provide employees with the resources to work at any time, from any location, and from any device, giving them flexibility, which makes for a happier, more productive workforce.

For example, a Yankee Group survey titled Anywhere Enterprise–Large: U.S. Mobility and Applications Survey found that enterprise mobility can:

  • Increase field selling time = 28 percent
  • Eliminate redundant activities = 27 percent
  • Increase win rates = 26 percent
  • Reduce sales calls costs = 25 percent
  • Increase forecast accuracy = 25 percent
  • Decrease administrative time = 24 percent
  • Decrease sales cycle = 23 percent

Mobile is no longer a nice-to-have but a strategic asset that can be tied back to business objectives and ultimately impact the bottom line – IT departments have little choice but to accommodate.

IDC recently reported that mobile enterprise users throughout the global business community will number 1.19 billion by 2013 and account for 34.9% of the workforce.

Employees unhappy with the current pace of mobility within their organization have subsequently revolted en masse, bringing in their own devices into the organization and effectively ending the days of top-down procurement.

According to the 2011 US Enterprise Mobility: Employee Survey by the Yankee  Group, 30 percent of employee respondents have installed consumer applications on their work devices, despite 49 percent also stating that IT does not grant them permission to do so.

MAKING DIFFICULT CHOICES

As corporations move beyond IT-driven deployments of few device types toward a more heterogeneous environment, what are some of the key challenges they face when first embracing mobile?

  • Choosing where to begin. It’s not just the number of new corporate handsets giving IT staff headaches. Operating systems are constantly evolving in the mobile world, forcing businesses to embrace new ones without abandoning the older versions. The ability to offer an application across any operating system, device or carrier is both expensive, time consuming and often not realistic for organizations, and IT departments need to approach the topic of mobility with care or risk failure before they begin.
  • The growing consumer influence. Consumers are driving higher IT expectations from workers. According to Yankee Report titled New Mobility Requires a New Network Strategy, 47 percent of workers use consumer applications because of their familiarity and 25 percent of workers feel that the company does not offer applications that are as good as the corresponding consumer apps. It’s imperative that IT managers create a consistent, high quality experience that is pervasive across devices and locations no matter if the devices are wired or wireless.

Organizations need to have the right expertise and tools in order to tackle these obstacles, demanding that IT departments need to “skill up” to effectively develop and deploy new productivity initiatives around enterprise mobility.

The Worldwide Mobile Security 2010–2014 Forecast and Analysis by IDC found that 40 percent of responding companies had experienced issues when linking mobile platforms to existing databases; almost 20 percent found mobility too complicated to install, manage, and support.

HELPING ORGANIZATIONS PLAN EFFECTIVELY

At DeviceAnywhere, we have helped thousands of organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, implement successful mobility rollouts across their business. We have made available a brand new set of free tools to help IT departments make the right decisions when going mobile:

  • Tool #1 – Device Planner – The DeviceAnywhere Device Planner allows users to enter a few details about the applications they plan to run and what they need from the devices to receive a customized recommendation of the mobile devices and platforms they should support in their mobile strategy. Built on DeviceAnywhere’s device features database, which aggregates the product details and capabilities of every major smartphone and tablet on the market, this will enable IT departments to quickly identify a list of supporting devices.
  • Tool #2 – Test Planner – With the DeviceAnywhere Test Planner, built on the same core technology as the Device Planner, enterprises are able to draw up a custom test plan for their mobile applications. Because the tool incorporates market share data, customers can build a list of the devices they plan to test against and see what their market coverage will be, as well as how their test list could be improved through alternative devices. By providing a core list of devices, IT departments can efficiently test on the optimum mix of devices to ensure the best customer experience across the list of supported devices.

Recent ABI Research suggests that the number of enterprise smartphone and tablet app users will reach 830 million by 2016. These numbers include Business-To-Employee (B2E) apps and Business-To-Customers (B2C) branded company apps. The ability to plan effectively will not only save millions of dollars in terms of resources, but will ensure the long term success of these initiatives.

Allowing IT departments, or even mainstream developers, to make intelligent decisions about the devices they are able to support, and advising them on the most efficient way of testing the user experience on these devices, will allow companies to overcome the first and often most difficult obstacle when going mobile.

Posted in Cloud Mobile Testing. 3 Comments »

Test Automation of Android,Iphone and Ipad Apps with Zap-Fix

September 30, 2011 — anuragkhode

Guest Post By:- Zap-Fix

Background
While there are many aspects of the application life cycle that remain constant regardless of the platform, whether it be mainframe batch, online, client-server, web and mobile, there are some huge differences specifically related to mobile applications.

First is the user interface. It is no longer a GUI, it is NUI (Natural User Interface); finger-based input. This includes multi-touch gestures on virtual keyboards and even extends to voice commands.

There are some things that are cool about NUI, including new ways of triggering application events, such as Swipe/Flick to scroll and pan, Pinch/Stretch to zoom, Tap to click, even Shake to do whatever makes sense to the app.

But everything comes with a price and there are some things that are not so cool with NUI. Small screens make typing burdensome whether the keyboard is virtual or not. Soft keyboards often cover widgets and controls in ways that limit normal interaction. Navigation is challenged by small pieces of information always around your fingertips.

Then there is the environment. True multi-tasking is limited. The OS can kill background applications at any time. Mobile apps are more prone to interruptions, such as incoming calls, or switching to other applications.

Top 7 Quality Issues with Mobile

1. Time
Pressure to get to market leaves many application developers choosing to hit the ‘fast forward button’ on their testing process, as it occurs at the end of the cycle. Small glitches, crashes and malfunctions often get overlooked.

2. Inadequate processes
Mobile application testing is still in the infancy stage and to be honest, many QA teams haven’t defined new processes to effectively test mobile applications.

3. Lack of test plans
Traditional application testing plans are unfortunately still the guideline amongst many QA’s and mobile application testing requires a fresh approach which few have implemented and/or are still learning.

4. Data Entry
Mobile devices are small (and getting smaller) and many have touch screen or miniaturized keyboards making data entry to be an untimely or a more lengthy process.

5. Validation issues
Understanding the results of processes and test scripts require articulate attention to detail on a mobile device and teams are still learning how to do this.

6. Lack of physical devices
Gaining access to all the permutations for Android, Blackberry and iPhone could be an endless quest as each quarter turns out a new operating system, leaving developers as well as QA’s scrambling

And lastly and the most important…

7. Lack of test automation
Existing industry-leading test automation tools are restricted by object recognition limitations. Most tools rely on open and published APIs to obtain the discrete properties of a control. Mobile platforms do not provide the traditional APIs, rendering your favorite tools useless in mobile. This translates to the bulk of mobile application testing being relegated to manual testing. Without test automation, quality suffers in mobile initiatives, in all aspects.

Enabling Test Automation for Mobile (automated testing for iPhone, iPad and Android)

In early 2011, ZAP Technologies launched a solution called ZAP-fiX (ZPX). Based on ZAP’s close ties to HP/Mercury since 1998, ZPX is provided as an add-in to HP’s ALM Suite, most notably, QuickTest Professional, Quality Center and LoadRunner

In its simplest terms, ZPX performs deep object recognition without relying on APIs. Through a simple wizard known as the Object Collector Workbench, ZPX populates the QTP Object Repository in the same way that QTP does in the environments it currently supports. Once Object Repository is populated, the QTP user can go about business as usual, leveraging the tool’s full capabilities and the way it was designed to be used.

ZPX was also designed to run tests on the physical device. Although it also supports testing via emulators, it is critical to test mobile applications in the real environment in which it runs. As we have come to know, emulators are great, until we find the differences between the emulator and the real device.

To accomplish this, another component of ZPX is the Viewer. The ZPX Viewer is Windows-based allowing the QTP user to see the real-time current dynamic state of the display for the Device Under Test (DUT). It also accepts input from a standard full-sized keyboard and mouse to interact with the Application Under Test (AUT). As illustrated here, the QTP user is looking at the current page on an iPad.

One of the hallmarks of ZPX is the tight integration with QTP, making the learning curve minimal. If you know how to use QTP, you know how to use ZPX.

The level of integration is best stated with the following illustrations:

Keyword View and Expert View
Just as you use QTP today, you can toggle back and forth between Keyword View and Expert View

Data-driven Tests
The Data Table in QTP is fully available with ZPX and operates exactly in the same way.

Object Repository
Once objects are collected, they are fully available in Object Repository for analysis and manipulation.

Test Results
Test results are provided in the same way  QTP does today. Notice the familiar purple rectangle highlighting the control on focus (OK Button) in the test steps.

ZPX is not just for automation.
As the unique ZPX Viewer not only displays the device, it also allows interaction. Thus ZPX is the ideal platform for simplifying manual testing. Illustrated below is an example of ZPX being used with QC Sprinter. In this example, we are leveraging Sprinter’s Mirror Testing feature to simultaneously test multiple instance of AUT, even on heterogeneous platforms. In this example, the test is being driven on the iPhone and automatically replicated on the Android.

 

Posted in Android Application Testing, Iphone Application Testing, Mobile application Testing and Automation tools, Tablet Apps Testing. 3 Comments »

Three Key Recommendations/Considerations for Choosing a Mobile Testing Solution

September 14, 2011 — anuragkhode

Guest Post By-Perfecto Mobile

Perhaps the easiest way to understand the challenge of mobile application testing is to consider this staggering fact: over 140 Android devices have been released since the beginning of 2011. New smartphones and tablets (a segment which didn’t even exist two years ago!) are released to the market on a weekly basis, each with a unique form factor or set of features. With six major operating systems on the market and an ever-growing number of versions, models, screen sizes and network technologies, it’s virtually impossible to keep mobile apps and services in sync with ever-changing market trends.

So what’s the best way to test mobile apps and services in today’s extremely fragmented and dynamic nature of the mobile market? This post presents some key recommendations for building a mobile testing strategy that meets business needs in a diverse and dynamic mobile environment.

Recommendation #1 – Automation is imperative for mobile testing

By automating the functional and regression testing of your mobile applications, you can ensure the quality and performance of your applications on any device, OS, network and location. Automation allows more tests to be performed on more devices in less time and with fewer human errors. The result is a shortened ALM cycle that allows for continuous QA, better coverage, easier re-creation of problems and substantial cost savings.

In a fragmented market, a device-agnostic testing approach is required to allow enterprises to build test cases that can be easily maintained, reused and ported to multiple mobile platforms.

Recommendation #2 – Cloud-based access to REAL mobile devices

Experience shows that you will probably need to test on up to 30-40 devices in your market and replace around 30% of those each quarter to stay up to date. This can easily turn into a logistical nightmare, especially if you are working offshore. Cloud-based access to REAL handsets alleviates the costs and logistics of procuring and managing new devices (i.e., shipments, network availability, active plans, SIMs, etc.) as they are released. Since all devices are available and managed in the cloud, there is no need for procurement and devices can be added or replaced within a few hours in response to market needs. In addition, a cloud-based approach facilitates collaboration and enables globally distributed teams to share a device in “live” testing and to replicate issues for improved troubleshooting.

Recommendation #3 – Use Existing ALM Resources

Remember – at its core mobile testing is still software testing. There is no need to re-invent the wheel. For enterprises that have already invested in building an ALM infrastructure, implementing tools and workflows, and training QA teams, the goal is to preserve and leverage these assets by extending your existing ALM framework to support mobile testing.

By managing mobile, desktop and web application testing through a single integrated ALM platform, organizations can centrally manage and track all application projects, leverage the skill sets of their teams and ensure consistent workflows and processes.

The integration of mobile testing within your existing ALM enables centralized and complete test management and visibility for your mobile apps. Using a single platform for managing and automating the application lifecycle helps to ensure mobile quality and performance while reducing total cost of ownership.


 

Posted in Cloud Mobile Testing, Mobile Application Testing. 3 Comments »

How to test the 3G or Wi-Fi Connection speed on Iphone and Android Smartphones?

September 6, 2011 — anuragkhode

When you are buying any data plan for your Smartphone, the Tariff and the connection speed are two very basic but most  important things that everyone  looks for.Many times you pay heavily to your network provider to have good mobile internet connection speed but many times you suspect the speed as even a smaller process takes longer to complete.Well but now, if you wish to check the  actual speed your mobile net connection is providing,here is an app for you.If you are an Android user or you are using Iphone or even Ipad,now you can test the connection speed of your mobile internet connection with very interesting and easy to use app, Speedtest.net Mobile by  Ookla.Here are some details about this interesting app.

Application Type:-Downloadable Mobile Application

Objective:-To check the 3G,Edge,Wi-Fi connection speed on your Android and iphone Smartphones.

Platforms:- iOS (Iphone,ipad) ,Android

Network:-Wi-Fi,3G, Edge

Price:- Free

Size:-  Android-2.1 MB,iPhone-8.o MB

Highlights:-

  • This app tests the transfer rates between your smartphone and the closest test server available.
  • The easy to use application provides  the upload and download speed for your network.
  • Speedtest.net is the ultimate resource for bandwidth testing and related information.
  • The app provides useful information that can be used to compare internet speeds around the country or across different mobile networks.

How it works:-

The application is very simple to use.

Begin Test:-Press button Begin Test and the application starts working.You can see that the application calculates the download speed followed by the uploading speed  with very interactive user interface.

Diffrent Phases:-There are three phases: Ping, Download and Upload.The Ping is a test to see how long it takes the test server to respond.The Uploading phase is followed by downloading phase indicating the download and uploading speed of the connection.

Settings:Change Server:- You can change the server from settings tab and select the desired server to verify the connection speed.

Settings:DISPLAY SPEEDS IN:- From settings you can choose to display speeds in kbps,Mbps,kB/s

View Results:-After several attempts of tests,you can view the complete history of results in the Results tab.

Tips:-

  • Do not rely on only single result.Perform the speed test on different times and take at least 4-5 tests.

Download Application:-

Other Similar Applications:-

Speedtest.net provides you one of the most accurate results for he connection speed.However you still have other similar application that  can work for you.Here are they->

XtremeLabs Speed Test:-

 

ThinkBroadband(Beta)

Inetwork Test:-

free SpeedTest BA.net:-


BenchBee SpeedTest:-

 

Posted in Android Application Testing, Iphone Application Testing, Mobile App Test-Utilities. 1 Comment »

Reliance 3G Tab-Review

August 28, 2011 — anuragkhode

The last twelve months have without doubt been the months of the tablets,with literally millions of tablets being sold all over the world.And Reliance joins the party with their brand new Android Reliance 3G Tab.The Reliance 3G Tab is manufactured by ZTE and it is available at Rs12,999 in India.The ZTE Reliance tab is  having Android 2.3 OS,so all the Android 2.3 features like multitasking, Near Field  Communication integration,Faster processing, SIP calling over the Internet will be available in  Reliance tab.Please note that you will have to use only Reliance SIM to use this tablet(apart from Wi-Fi).

Highlights:-

  • Battery life supporting 9 hrs of talktime & 300 hours of standby time
  • 800MHz Processor
  • All phone features- MMS, SMS,Voice  calls
  • FM Radio
  • Expandable Memory up to 32 GB
  • 512 RAM
  • 2 MP Camera
  • Dual Camera ( 2 MP rear & VGA front )
  • video calling, video recording
  • GPRS,EDGE,3G,Wi-Fi Network connectivity
  • Push email
  • Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, PDF
  • Mobile TV
  • Social networking ready
  • Preloaded You tube,Google Maps
  • Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support and of course USB 2.0 for PC connectivity are also supported.

Technical Specification:-

Price:- 12,999 Rs

Reliance 3G Data Plan for Reliance Tab:-

You can get your own Reliance 3G tablet at any Reliance World and Reliance Mobile Stores for just 12,999 INR plus monthly rental for the 3G plan you choose.Reliance Tab can be considered as a cost effective Tablet PC, affordable in price and good in features.At the given price,this can be a good tablet to buy. :)

 

Posted in Tablet Review. 11 Comments »

Getting Started with Mobile Apps Testing

July 29, 2011 — anuragkhode

“I am new to Mobile Testing. Please let me know how to get started?”, “I am working in website testing & needs to switch to mobile testing, please suggest me how to proceed in this field.”  Well, I always encounter such questions on “Mobile QA Zone” and “Mobile Application Testing”.  For most of the newbie in this field, these are  some of the  important questions, which will define their further progress in this arena.  So without wasting any time, let us move forward from this “Zero Mile” of Mobile Apps Testing.

Please find here some tips, which may help you progress in the field of Mobile Application Testing.

  1. Basics of Software Testing:-

Whether you are an experienced or a fresher in this field, knowledge of Software Testing basics is essential in any kind of testing you perform. Even if you are starting your carrier as a Mobile Apps Tester, you need to know all the software testing principles, Software Testing Techniques, Types of Software Testing, Objective of Testing and other basics in Software Testing. There are many sites and resources available on internet, which can guide you about the same. If you are just starting your carrier in this field, don’t bother to accumulate all the complicated theories of software testing in your mind at once. Go step-by-step. It is strongly recommended to undergo some good training program in software testing which can give you some practical experience of testing. Please avoid mugging complicated testing theories.

         2. Basics of Telecom:-

As you have decided to work in Mobile Domain, knowing the Telecom basics will always give you an added advantage. Mobile Apps Testing is not just about testing of mobile product or application. You will surely get an advantage if you are aware of other things in this domain which revolves around Mobile products testing. 2G, 3G, CDMA, GPRS, GSM, HSCSD, SIM, SMS, WAP are some basic things  of telecom that you should be aware of. You can check out some more details about the same here .

       3.  Awareness about Mobile OS/Platforms:-

There are many Mobile OS/Platforms present in the market. Android, iOS( iPhone), Blackberry OS(RIM), J2ME, Symbian, Palm, Windows phone, Samsung Bada , Nokia Meego and so on. It is very important to have knowledge about these Mobile OS/Platforms as a Mobile Apps Tester. Awareness about the capabilities and limitations of these platforms give you confidence to differentiate application bug with platform/OS limitations. You may find some more details about Mobile Operating Systems here .

      4.   Get familiar with your own  Mobile Phone:-

I am sure many of you must not even be completely aware of which Mobile Handset model you are using, what is the OS in it and what is the software version your phone is having. If you are a beginner, just start exploring your own cell phone. Just open up and try using internet on your Smartphone. Use Wi-Fi, GPRS. Check out how you can format or perform Factory reset on your device (Be careful).Check what is the IMEI number of your phone. Try to upgrade OS version of your Android device. Experiment with different settings and user permissions on your phone.  In short, be familiar with all the features and functions of your mobile handset and it will surely help you to dig out more scenarios while testing any mobile app or any mobile Handset you are given to test .

       5.  Get aware of Testing in Mobile Domain:-

When we talk about testing in Mobile domain, it is not only confined to Mobile Apps, but also includes mobile handset and mobile website testing.

  • Downloadable Mobile Application Testing: – Some applications come pre-installed  in mobile handset while some mobile applications are downloadable from different mobile application stores(Apple App store, Android Market, Getjar, Nokia Ovi Store, Blackberry  App world etc.). Apart from conventional Functional and UI testing, you may need to test your application against the submission criteria and guidelines provided by these Application stores. As said earlier, tester’s role here should not be only functional testing of mobile app, but also to make sure your application adheres to the guidelines provided by these mobile app stores.
  • Mobile Handset Testing:-Similar to Organizations that develop third party downloadable mobile applications, there are many companies that develop complete mobile handset. A mobile QA here may need to test native applications or features that are available in the phone. SMS, MMS, Voice Call, MMS, Phonebook, Calculator, Bluetooth and other mobile features. It also includes Multimedia (Camera, Video, Media player, ringtones) and Mobile Protocol stack testing.
  • Mobile Website Testing (WAP Sites):-Unlike downloadable mobile applications, mobile websites can be accessed via browser. No download involved. Testing of Mobile WAP sites has its own challenges. Proper navigation, good user interfaces (design), security, performance and mobile browser compatibility are important areas.

  6.  Get Aware of Types of Mobile Apps Testing:-

Similar to general Software Testing, Mobile Software Testing also includes:-

  • User Interface Testing (Color scheme, Menu styles, Consistency of UI over various Devices)
  • Functional Testing (Testing core functionality of Mobile App as per specification)
  • Performance & Stress Testing [Behavior of Mobile Application in Low resources(Memory/Space), Behavior of mobile website when many mobile user simultaneously access mobile website)]
  • Usability Testing (Testing of usability aspects of Mobile Apps)

Apart from above mentioned testing types, some key testing types may include the following.

  • Testing for Compatibility:-Testing the compatibility of your application with native device features (i.e. To make sure your application is not hampering native device functionality)
  • Certification Compliance Testing:-For downloadable mobile applications, there are various Third party Mobile Quality Certification program for various platforms. True Brew Testing(for BREW Apps), Java Verified program (for J2ME apps), Symbian Signed Test Criteria (for Symbian Apps) are some examples. Apart from regular functional testing, you may need to test your application against the test cases/Testing criteria provided by these certification processes. However, it depends on your client, whether they want to certify their application or not.
  • Submission Guidelines Compliance Testing: – The application needs to adhere to the specified submission guidelines  to publish it in any mobile application store. Failure to meet these guidelines may result in rejection of your app on mobile application stores. For example failure to comply with application Submission guidelines for Apple App Store may result in rejection of your app in Apple app store.
  • Interruption Testing (Voice Calls, SMS, Charger, Low memory Notification) while application is running.
  • Monkey Testing: – Continual key pad entries via tools to test application stability with various key press events.
  • Low Network/No Network case Testing: – Application behavior when there is no network coverage or Low network strength.

    7 . Go through the Sample Test Cases for Mobile Application:-

For newbie in Mobile Testing, it is always advisable to go through some sample test cases for Mobile Apps. Going through the test cases for any mobile application, gives a complete insight of the kind of testing conducted for Mobile Application. You may ask your seniors to provide you some Test Suites for any mobile project your organization completed earlier. However, you can still go through some general Test Cases for Mobile application here.

     8.  Explore the Capabilities of Simulator:-

Simulators always play big role when there are no mobile devices available for testing. Though Device testing is always preferred as it represents more likely end user scenarios, the importance of simulators cannot be ignored. In order to have effective testing over Simulator, It is recommended to explore all the capabilities of Simulator.

    9 . Take Help from Remote Device Access Service-

Due to a large number of devices available in the market, it is not feasible to buy a new device every time. At the same time Simulators are not completely reliable enough to launch a mobile app based on testing conducted only on simulators. RDA (Remote device services) can be a good solution to deal with these challenges. The remote device access services enable access to a live device over the Internet. As a Mobile Apps Tester, you should be aware of such services and should suggest your managers about the capabilities of such Services.

Some Available RDA Services are:

Advantages of RDA:

  • You don’t need to purchase actual device.
  • User can select different Carriers  e.g.  Verizon, T-Mobile, AT & T.
  • RDAs are more reliable than simulators as they are real devices.
  • Some RDA Service like Device Anywhere also has automation capabilities.

Disadvantages of RDA:

  • Since you access devices remotely it takes time for any action or key event.
  • Sometimes the needed device is not available due to prior reservations.
  • Higher Service Cost

     10 .  Explore Tools and Utilities:-

There are many software tools and utilities available in the market which may help you in testing of your Mobile Application effectively. Some of these tools are available in SDKs itself. However you may still dig out the internet for such tools on various platforms.

  • Tools to check Battery Consumption while your app is running. E.g. Nokia Energy Profiler.
  • Tools/Software to capture screenshot: – There are many tools available for various mobile platforms to capture screenshot from device itself. E.g Screenshot tool for Symbian S60 Devices.
  • Tools to Generate dummy files to test behavior of mobile app at Low EFS. e.g. Maxfilecnt utility from QUALCOMM for BREW mobile apps,Fill Device Memory Lite for Android apps.
  • Tools to Generate Random key events. e.g. Monkey tool(Android), BREW Grinder(BREW), Hopper Test Tool (Windows Mobile)
  • Tools to Capture Logs. E.g. Apphance for Android.

       11.  Explore Automation Tools for Mobile:-

Along with Manual Mobile Testing, be ready to explore your potential in Mobile Automation Testing as well. Mobile Testing is a new field and many automation tools are coming in to market gradually. If you get any opportunity to work on any mobile automation tool, it is well and good. But if you don’t get such opportunity, it is better to explore on your own. Don’t wait for the time when you will get an opportunity to work on Mobile Automation Tool. Believe me, sooner or later you will definitely face a question from your Interviewer- “Have you worked on any Mobile automation tool ? ”

Here are some automation tools available for Mobile Apps Testing:-

  • TestComplete
  •  M-Eux
  • TestQuest Countdown
  • Test Quest Pro
  • Robotium
  • VNC
  • Sikuli
  • Deviceanywhere
  • FoneMonkey (iPhone)
  • Eggplant (iPhone)
  • TestiPhone( For iPhone Mobile Web)
  • IBM® Rational® Performance Tester (RPT)
  • 3P Mobile
  • Expertest
  • MITE (A Mobile content testing and validation tool for Mobile Web app)

    12 . Explore Communities, Forums, Blogs :-

Even if you work for 24 hours a day in exploring various aspects in this arena, I guarantee even 24x 7×365 will not be enough. The reason is very simple. You cannot get opportunities to work in each and every area of this domain and by that time you manage to do that, you will find that there are many more things left to learn. Finally Technology is changing everyday and in Mobile Domain, even at faster pace :)

Hence the solution is to join Communities & forums to learn from each other’s knowledge and experiences. Initiate the discussions and you will find there are many QAs sharing their experiences.

Here are some Sites and links in mobile testing arena which may prove helpful to you.

In our upcoming articles, all these topics will be elaborated and we will take a closer look on all the aspects of Mobile Apps Testing in details.Till then Stay tuned.:)

Hey…one more thing…I would like to connect with you all…if you wish the same then:-

Follow me on Twitter:-@anuraagrules,@mobileapptest,@mobileqazone

Join Me on Linkedin:- Anurag Khode, Mobile Apps Testing(Mobile QA Zone)

Like us on Facebook:-Mobile Application Testing, Mobile QA Zone

Join Me on Mobile QA Zone:- Anurag Khode on Mobile QA Zone

 

Posted in Mobile Application Testing. Tags: , , . 8 Comments »

Android Test Cases (Android Testing Criteria)

July 22, 2011 — anuragkhode

Hey Friends,

As shared with you all earlier,UTI(Unified Testing Initiative) have released one testing criteria for Android Application just few months back.The android test criteria will provide you a complete testing criteria/test cases  for your Android Application.I suggest you all to just go through this document and make these test cases an integral part of your Test Suite.I hope this will definitely help you to deliver a Quality Android Mobile Application.You can download Android test criteria from here

Posted in Android Application Testing, Test Cases. 11 Comments »
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