The last decade has seen a huge increase in people using smartphones. It’s now the principal means through which people access the internet. This has led to an explosion in the number of apps available as companies and organisations look to secure a permanent, easily accessible, place on users' phones.
The user experience of apps can be mixed. Excellent, high-functioning and useful apps rub shoulders with apps that are littered with frustrating glitches.
Testing is key to ensuring that quality levels are maintained, but there are a growing number of challenges for developers when it comes to testing.
What are some of the primary testing issues when it comes to app development and how can they be addressed?
The number and diversity of gadgets
The global explosion in smartphone use is predicted to reach 1.5 billion within 20 years. This makes it difficult to anticipate the diversity of mobile devices that will be used globally, creating issues for digital mobile app development teams.
Development teams will need infrastructure that includes testing tools that verify an app works on all or most gadgets globally.
Different screen sizes
Another challenge mobile app development companies have to overcome is posed by a variety of screen sizes. As a result of the diversity of screen sizes and resolutions, often on the same model, app developers need to ensure that apps are flexible enough to work well on both the smallest and largest screen sizes.
To tackle this problem, app development teams will need to fully evaluate the user experience, assessing variables such as the operating system, network and devices.
Network bandwidth
Testing mobile network bandwidth is now an essential component of mobile application testing. Users soon lose patience with apps that are slow, so the development team need to be alert to problems caused by bandwidth issues.
To tackle this problem, app development teams need to assess user data and rectify any in-app issues that may be contributing to slower performance.
Battery hungry applications
A diversified, well-tested mobile application should function on any battery without exhausting the device. Apps that are too battery hungry will soon be removed from the device.
Smartphone firms now provide larger batteries, but there are limits to how far this can go. One of the biggest mobile app testing concerns is ensuring that programs are not consuming excessive electricity. Minimizing battery drain is critical for providing an excellent user experience.
Mobile app development companies need to ensure that they don’t inadvertently create battery-hungry apps that lead to customer dissatisfaction.
Keeping track of the user experience
The user experience of apps is determined by a range of different factors. Firstly, the interface they use to access the app’s features is important. It needs to be intuitive and relatively straightforward.
App developers need to ensure that the app provides all the expected functions without being overly bulky and sluggish.
Doing this requires thorough user experience testing, both during the development stage and after the app has been released.
Is a tailored solution meeting all of the requirements that were set out for it when it’s being used in the real world?
While this can be a relatively easy question to answer with in-house apps used in the field by company employees, it can be much more difficult for apps that are used by clients and the general public. Good user experience data and analytics are essential.
The InTeck approach
At InTeck, we work to ensure that any app we develop is effective, meets all of the requirements set out at the commissioning stage, and provides a good overall user experience.
To find out more about how we work, call 0800 368 5220 or email info@inteckltd.co.uk today.