Mobile application testing is a process by which application software developed for handheld mobile devices is tested for its functionality, usability and consistency.
It is similar to software testing but the testing will be performed on a mobile device instead of performing on a system.� Mobile applications either come pre-installed or can be installed from mobile software distribution platforms
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Types of Mobile Application
There are three types of Mobile Application:-
1. Web Applications
2. Native Applications
3. Hybrid Applications
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What is Web Application
Web apps are not real applications; they are actually websites that open in your smartphone with the help of a web browser.
Benefits:-
1. Easy Access
2. No installation is required, as compared to native or hybrid app
Downside:-
1. Users won't have the app's icon on their home screen as a constant reminder. The website needs to be opened in a web browser only.
2. While native and hybrid apps appear on the App Store and Google Play, web apps won't
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What is Native Application
Native apps are developed for a specific mobile platform using particular programming languages and technologies. IOS apps, for example, are written in Objective-C and Swift, Android apps in Java or Kotlin. C++ is used for native Windows and Blackberry apps. Example:- Instagram
This means that a separate version of the app must be developed for each platform. You can't reuse any piece of code from another platform version, as it is written in a completely different programming language. That's why native app development is considered to be the most time-consuming and most expensive.
Pros:-
1. Native mobile apps provide fast performance and a high degree of reliability.
2. Users can use some apps without an internet connection.(Ex. Video games)
Cons:-
1. Expensive to develop.
2. Long development time
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What is Hybrid Application
A hybrid app is a program that is built using HTML 5, CSS and JavaScript and wrapped in native container. The native container loads maximum information on the page as soon as the user navigates the application. Example:-Linkedin
Advantages:-
1. Reusing the code:- the code is written once and deployed across all mobile platforms.
2. Reducing development time and cost:- the code is written once, which substantially reduces development time and costs compared to native apps which require development for iOS and development for Android.
Disadvantage:-
1. Slower performance and transition between pages.