Device Fragmentation is Still a Major Pain Point for Developers

Device fragmentation has evolved over the past few years as iOS and Android have dominated the mobile landscape while others such as Windows Mobile and BlackBerry continue to try to make dents in Apple and Google’s dominance. However, we continue to see fragmentation with devices and further, with the OSs on these devices, specifically in the Android market. As for the iOS market, Apple has continued to release new devices over the last several years along with multiple OS upgrades. For app developers, this phenomenon is becoming a major pain point and it has become critical to test on a variety of device and OS versions since there are consumers using each and every device and OS in the market. Refraining from testing a single device or OS version would mean cutting out these particular users from getting a quality-assured app, risking bugs and performance issues. This makes the need for cloud-based testing tools that much more important. Recently, Chandranshu Singh, senior analyst of IT solutions at Ovum said that mobile developers and companies building their own apps should utilize the benefits of cloud-based testing because it “makes a lot of sense” since when it comes to testing mobile apps, “the device and platform are key considerations”. Therefore, engaging with a software testing provider that offers access to the different platforms on a subscription basis saves times and costs, making it a “no-brainer”, Singh noted.