I need to test my app on different virtual devices

Question

So I'm currently helping to develop an app and I've been asked to test it on as many devices (virtual/non virtual) as possible and then make it adjust it to as many different screen sizes and even tablets as possible.

Now I'm not sure where exactly to start because I don't know if Android Virtual Device Manager in Eclipse has every possible screen combination.

So, would setting up and running all of the 21 virtual devices in Eclipse do the job? Or is there something else I should try doing? Any kind of information would be helpful, thank you!

Answer 1

You need to weigh up how much virtual testing will achieve the desired amount of consistency you want between all possible device screens, testing on as much devices as possible would simply be a waste of your time because many devices have similar screen densities, resolutions and features that don't really effect how your view is presented unless you have placed your objects at static points. For example using pixel (px) measurements instead of density independent pixel (dp) measurements when setting your views.

My advice would be to set up about 10 AVD's with varying screen sizes, densities and features. Test your app on these and collate any oddities you spot between each device. If they are occurring at a specific resolution or screen density then you can begin to narrow down the possible reasons why the oddity is occurring.

Of course there isn't any real replacement for a physical device so the more physical devices you can test on the better.

Answer 2

Experitest's SeeTestAutomation can provide you with the ability to create one script on the app to run on all devices, real or emulators (same OS or even different OS) Here is a link to the SeeTest online guide: http://experitest.com/studio/help2/WebHelp/help.htm It is recommended to start with the "Getting Started" section.

Answer 3

And another testing service with real and virtual devices that you can remotely control is testobject It is just for Android apps at the moment, but still a really nice tool to test with.

Answer 4

There's a few mobile app testing services that are available. These services include remote virtual access to most major devices available. Note these are real devices and some actually have live connections to some of the most popular telecoms.

Here are three of them:

Perfecto Mobile

KeyNote DeviceAnywhere

Less Painful

Answer 5

If you need to test for specific devices, Samsung has a remote test lab, this way you can test real devices virtually and a large variety of devices.

Additionally, you can use the Amazon Device Farm which has Samsung phones as well as other Android, Fire, and iOS phones.

Update 03/29/2023: At this point I would highly recommend Firebase Test Lab by Google which allows for you to test on both virtual and real devices for both Android and iOS phones.

Answer 6

You cannot test "every" device, it's almost impossible (and probably a waste of time).

You should check specifically for the most common devices (like Samsung S2/S3/S4) and other common resolutions. To find out which one are the most popular I suggest you to visit this page. It contains data about all the devices that visited the Google Play Store in the prior 14 days.

Answer 7

In Android Virtual Device Manager you can create any device you want. Then just create or use existing virtual device to check support for general screen categories http://developer.android.com/guide/practices/screens_support.html#qualifiers