Selecting a Mobile Test Automation Tool

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Selecting a Mobile Test Automation Tool

A Focus on Mobile Application Testing for the Web, Part 1 of 4

  Written by Paul Wu

  Introduction:

Mobile testing is an important topic in   industry; it not only includes hardware testing, but also software testing, which can be further divided into Mobile Application Testing for the web and Embedded (Native) Application testing.  Generally, when talking about mobile testing, people mean Mobile Application Testing for the web.  This topic is a hot topic since mobile is inherently dynamic and therefore has no defined testing standards, guideline and strategies.

The PC-based test automation market is mature, and testing tools, such as HP QTP, IBM Rational, are dominant and extensively used; however mobile device automation testing is a fairly new and increasingly complex world.

“By 2013, some analysts expect mobile app revenues to exceed $21 billion. By 2014, expectations for smartphone shipments worldwide will be over 600 million”[1].

"By October 11, 2011, “Android smart phone accounts for over 50% share in the smart phone market. The estimated number of applications that can be downloaded for Android were more than 300,000, three times more than that of the Apple store. Apple’s iPhone has market share of barely 4%, but it accounts for more than 50% of the total profit that global cellphones generate” [1].

There is a big market out there for companies to win and fighting unnaturally large battles is part of the technology industry’s DNA.  So what will become the leading mobile application testing tool for automation? Which Mobile Test Automation Tools should a company consider today?

Unlike the computer, mobile device users are not likely to install a different operating system. Once an OS style is chosen, the supported applications and functions are determined. To ensure a website looks good in multiple browsers/platforms, obviously the test must be conducted separately. This article attempts to inform a company that is selecting a Mobile Test Automation Tool regarding their attributes to help select the right one.

Background:

Testing is integral to creating and designing a mobile web application.  Manual testing is discussed on several sites including Jbenchmark, and Sitepoint; however, for automation testing, the challenges are as follows:

• Resource constraints (Limited Memory) of device hardware
• Managing different OS
• Finding an appropriate tool
• Security testing methods are immature for mobile web service

This article will introduce and explain current Mobile Test Automation Tools for single-platform or cross-platform usage.