Testing iOS app – The one of its kind!

Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS are operating systems used primarily in mobile technology, such as smart-phones and tablets. Android, which is Linux-based and partly open source, is more PC-like than iOS, where its interface and basic features are generally more customizable from top to bottom. However, iOS’ uniform design elements are sometimes seen as being more user-friendly.

Developing applications for iOS is not like developing applications for Android OS. Google is much more open to what can be submitted to Google Play store, whereas Apple has strict guidelines that could stop your development efforts in their tracks; this will become a balancing act of developing useful mobile apps and garnering Apple’s approval.

The biggest advantage the iPhone has over Android phones is its massive app ecosystem. It was the first major App Store, and as a result most developers will opt to build their applications for the iPhone before any device. For example, Instagram was available only on the iPhone for a very long time, and Facebook redesigned its app for the iPhone before finally upgrading the Android application. Apple said during its last earnings presentation that it had more than 700,000 apps on the App Store.

If you are planning to use a third party application on iOS that worked on Android OS, leave your thought then and there. Chances are it isn’t approved by Apple. It is enough to make many mobile app developers weary of developing for iOS.  One reason that comes to mind is the lack of fragmentation of devices and OS versions. This immediately makes developing and testing iOS apps significantly easier.

Due to the closed nature of iOS, fragmentation is not as big of an issue as Android. Apple currently has several supported devices and your testing shouldn’t just include iPhone. The iTouch and iPad have access to the same iTunes store as their iPhone counterpart, but some of the requirements in screen resolution and aspect ratio will differ.

Apple will even reject your app proposal if your app has no perceived usefulness or if you are targeting a specific market while leaving other markets out. But there are some serious benefits to this approval process. For security purpose – privacy is very important to all users in any market. If your app willingly grabs users’ information without their consent, you will surely get a ‘big turn down’ from Apple.

This is where you will kick-start an App Distribution Guide provided by Apple. An Ad Hoc provisioning profile will need to be created for distribution of the beta version of your mobile application. This will allow your beta users to use your app without needing access to Xcode (the only development IDE for iOS applications). This will also be a great way to get your team use to the submission process that Apple uses.

Unlike Android, Apple has gone to great leaps to make sure that apps provided on the iTunes store are of the utmost integrity.  Also, it is on you to use processes, such as manual testing and test automation when necessary to maintain mobile app quality. Remember, app quality equals user acceptance and that’s the road to app success. You should choose your smart-phone and tablet systems carefully, as switching from iOS to Android or vice versa will require you to buy apps again in the Google Play or Apple App Store. Android is now the world’s most commonly used smart-phone platform and is used by many different phone manufacturers. iOS is only used on Apple devices, such as the iPhone.

image credit: mxphone.net