Emulators vs Real Devices: Which Is Best for Mobile App Testing
Mobile App Testing: Are you a developer who has been given the task of testing mobile applications before launch? In that case, you could be looking for devices that can help complete the mobile app development process. Without conducting a series of tests, you shouldn’t release the mobile application on the market. If certain bugs are present in the application, it could derail the overall user experience.
As, the data available on the internet suggests that 70% of mobile applications are removed by consumers due to facing technical issues. However, through rigorous testing, you would be able to identify those bugs that might be hindering the smooth processing of your application. Even a small change can have an overall impact on the user experience of your developed mobile application.
Thus, you need to check the results of mobile testing while trying to make it function on different devices. This mobile app testing procedure is conducted mainly on two types of devices, i.e., emulators and real devices, where the results could differ from one another. In this article, we have pointed out some key differences that could help you get an idea of their respective mobile app testing capabilities.
Understanding both Emulators and Real Device Testing Capabilities
Let us start by understanding the emulators and real devices in brief and then proceed to understand their use cases.
Emulator
Emulators are generally software tools that mimic the behavior of a typical mobile device operating using a particular system. These systems are beneficial for developers to quickly test their application back-end code without a need to invest in some specific real device. This is a convenient and time-saving way to test the application and understand its real-world use cases. They are great tools that developers can use to run code and debug it without much investment.
Real Devices
These are on the other end of the spectrum; real gadgets running on a separate operating system help to get the use cases of the application in detail. Real devices are known for producing more reliable and accurate test results, which simulators or emulators cannot. This is because these devices reflect true user experience under various real-world conditions. But as they say, all that glitters is not gold; the same is true for real devices.
Testing on real devices is costly, as you must have physical possession of these devices. Also, it is a time-consuming process, as one has to install the code on them and then test the application as a user. However, with the advancements in technology, several cloud platforms are now available on the market.
These platforms allow developers or testers to use various devices without physical possession. Thus, this platform makes real-device testing more convenient and budget-friendly. Pcloudy is one such platform that has more than 5000 different real device and browser combinations for the testers.
Comparison Between the Two Platforms
Now that we have understood the two different platforms, we can start by understanding their differences.
1. Accuracy and Realism
If you ask for convenience and time, then emulators are always at the top of the list. However, they are themselves code generated by another developer, and they might not give a proper representation of the issues or bugs that may be present between lines of code. Emulators may also overlook some of the device-specific nuances, which can be avoided if you use a real device. Real-life devices are more accurate, and if there is any problem, then they crash and indicate that mobile app testing is inaccurate and needs improvement.
2. Performance and Speed
If you are asking for performance and speed, then just understand that emulators are far speedier in development. However, they are not subject to device-specific problems efficiently. Emulators may, at times, be slower than their real device counterparts. This is due to the lags and online mode of data transfer between the systems. For mobile app testing, it is always recommended to use real devices as opposed to emulators, which do not have that higher level of accuracy.
3. Hardware is hard to find!
If you think that emulators are always your friend, then you are wrong. You must understand that emulators do not have any hardware fitted. They are just source codes for refining your mobile application testing capabilities and understanding problems. If you are using a real device, then mobile application testing offers a better insight into what is going wrong, and you can fix it as soon as possible. Moreover, they are also important for meeting guidelines for the development of some specific heavy usage applications.
4. Network Conditions
If you are using an emulator, then it is hard for you to identify the issues that an application may have when it is in low network stability conditions. However, you use an emulator in a high network setting. This does not allow you to identify problems when the network conditions become turbulent. Real device testers allow you to identify the performance of the application in a low network strength condition and optimize the mobile application testing interface as per your needs.
Best Practices to optimize Mobile app testing properly
Some of the best optimizations that may allow you to optimize the general application development process are as follows:
1. Go for a hybrid mode of testing via emulators first and then use it in real-world mobile applications.
2. Check the mobile application testing, which extends to several devices and is not limited to some platforms only. Otherwise, it is not possible to create an ideal application. Refine your mobile application testing capabilities.
3. Leverage automation, where the mobile app testing process becomes streamlined due to the emulator and real device mix. The real device and emulators are very useful for making sure that you manually do not waste much time in understanding the devices.
Conclusion
By carefully evaluating the strengths and limitations of each approach and adopting a hybrid testing strategy that leverages both emulators and real devices, developers can ensure comprehensive testing coverage and deliver high-quality mobile applications that meet user expectations and market demands.
