Real device testing checks app performance and functionality in live environments on various devices to ensure maximum quality and performance for customers. Emulators allow debugging app flows during development but cannot fully replicate a real testing environment. The optimal testing approach uses both real devices and emulators, with real devices for usability, performance, and interoperability testing and emulators for initial testing during development when real devices are unavailable.

1. Testing on Real
Devices vs.
Emulators

2. Introduction
EMULATOR
Emulator is a software program
that lets your mobile imitate
another system’s or device’s
features to assess their
functionality on your
product/application/software.
"Emulators allow you to debug flows as you're testing
the app"— Ahmed Hassan, senior QA and test
automation engineer Huddle
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REAL TESTING DEVICE
Real device testing checks app
performance and functionality
in live environments on various
devices. It assures that the
application will perform
efficiently in order to achieve to
customer satisfaction
"Real devices are good for testing your
application under less than optimal
network conditions"— Lubos Parobek,
vice president of product Sauce Labs

3. “
“To avid issues later when you
distribute your app, you should
test your app running on
actual devices.” — APPLE, INC.
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4. Real Device Vs.
Emulated Testing
Let’s figure out the differences…
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5. Want big impact?
Use big image.
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6. Emulated
Emulated tools are available for
various OSs and are used
commonly both in manual and
automation testing, also, they
provide a rich set of development
tools.
However, they can never test in
the real testing environment.
Avialability of Real Device and Emulated Testing
Real Device
In this type, mobile applications
are directly targeted and tested
on real devices since testing in
real environment on real devices
is important to ensure the
maximum application quality
and performance.
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7. Pros of Real Device
Testing
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▫ The real device allows testers to test almost all the real-time scenarios
which can be tested for the mobile applications.
▫ It allows testers to test usability issues like the look and feel of the app,
screen color resolution, picture brightness under both day and night
conditions etc.
▫ The real devices allow the rigorous Performance Testing.
▫ More reliable in terms of interoperability testing.
▫ Real devices easily simulate any incoming blockers as well as the exact
color displays.
▫ Faster performance.

8. Cons of Real Device Testing
▫ Costly, thereby, projects under budget
and timeline constraints may risk
productivity as well as the sustainability
of the overall project.
▫ The wide range of mobile devices makes
it very hard for the testing teams to
arrange all type of mobile devices.
▫ Turns out difficult during the developing
stage for Unit Testing and thus leads to
debugging issues.
▫ Requires continuous connection with
the USB ports of the machines. In case,
any USB port stops working properly,
the testing would stop posing many
security risks.
▫ Manual writing of the URL is required
to open up the web application under
testing. For this, a tester may need to
create phone bookmarks, short URL
services, etc. which requires aplenty
memory space and time.
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9. Pros of Emulator
Testing
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• Helpful in situations where the deadlines to produce text execution results are
short, and sometimes purchasing the relevant mobile device might not be
possible in the runtime.
• Can virtually test a wide gamut of mobile devices.
• Emulators are mostly open source software that can be easily downloaded
online.
• Reliable in web application testing when it comes to opening the web application
via URLs.
• Easily captures screenshots of the issues.
• Suitable for certain types of functional test case executions.

10. Cons of Emulator Testing
▫ Doesn't simulate the battery
issues.
▫ Emulators aren’t able to
simulate the incoming
interrupts/blockers for SMS
and incoming calls.
▫ Can’t imitate the exact color
display and picture
brightness of the devices.
▫ Doesn’t support the
complete gamut of mobile
applications.
▫ Slow performance at times.
▫ Can lead to costly app
purchases.
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11. So, which one
should you
Choose?
Seeing the pros and cons of both, it appears that the optimum testing
solution for mobile testing is not “choosing one out of the two”, rather
executing the combination of both.
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