Full Stack Testing

Chapter 11. Mobile Testing

Imagine a day without your mobile!

Ever since the advent of smartphones, mobile devices have become like an additional limb to many of us. They have brought sophistication to our lives by delivering everyday services to our doorsteps with a touch and a swipe. I can’t think of a single other object that serves the multitude of purposes that a smartphone does. We use them to shop for groceries, outfits, home appliances, and other basic necessities. We use them to read books, watch movies, and play games to entertain ourselves. Smartphones facilitate banking, paying bills, and organizing our calendars. Even more, they bring us a sense of psychological safety as we know that help is only a call away!

With all of these benefits and uses, it’s no wonder there are 6.6 billion smartphone users across the globe. What may be surprising, though, is that there are well over 8 billion mobile subscriptions—significantly more than there are people on the planet! The scale of adoption is staggering, but studies correlate these numbers with extensive usage too. For example, one recent study found that Americans, on average, check their phones 344 times a day, or every 4 minutes. Similarly, an average smartphone user across the globe reportedly accesses 10 apps per day and 30 apps every month. And this extensive smartphone usage is not confined to any specific age group: 18- to 24-year-olds are estimated to spend 93.5 hours each month on smartphones versus 62.7 ...