Real Devices vs. Emulators: Choosing the Right Testing Approach with Appium

The concept of application development and testing has changed a lot since the initial years of technology. In modern times, the development and testing phases are merged for better coordination, quality, and reduced development time. Moreover, in the modern generation, mobile applications are starting to claim lots of popularity due to the high demand for portability in the end user’s life. So currently the application developers have to create apps for multiple platforms at the same time. However, it is a very complex process to verify the functioning of these applications on multiple platforms. Advanced testing processes like real device testing play a critical role in this step. Moreover, multiple tools like Appium help to verify the performance of mobile applications.

So, with this article, we’re going to understand how application developers can choose the right testing approach with Appium-based mobile application testing. We’ll also try to understand the drawbacks of using either real devices or emulators in the application development life.

Basics of Mobile Testing

As we already discussed earlier, with mobile gadgets, application developers can achieve desktop-like performance while being able to fit in their pockets. Currently, some of the most affordable and useful portable devices include smartphones, tablets, and even smartwatches. However, the mobile market is very diverse as all the devices are different in terms of screen size, hardware, operating system, and many other parameters. So, it becomes almost impossible for application developers to generalize the test cases when they’re working with mobile devices. Currently, the three most popular mobile operating systems include Android, Windows, and iOS. For reference to the diversity, we can consider that only in the Android platform, over 1000 new smartphones arrive in the market annually.

However, it is almost impossible to neglect the importance of the mobile platform from a developer’s point of view as more than 55% of the Internet traffic comes from mobile devices. So, the application developers need to customize the test cases accordingly.

Integration of Automation Testing and Appium

With the help of automation testing, it is possible to eliminate the involvement of human developers in the application testing lifecycle. This is because the system can mimic various forms of user interactions with the help of a text file that supplies all the required parameters and datasets. After these interactions and communications, the system will generate a detailed report that will determine the usability and stability of the application undergoing the development process. Based on this report, the app companies can conclude whether the application is ready for the open world. It is also possible to make significant changes in the automation test data to ensure that the final report is customized according to the application undergoing the development project.

Test automation also allows the reusability of existing data in future projects. However, the developers and testers must be wary of the initial investment charges that come with automation testing. Therefore, it is very important to have enough revenue resources and investments to justify this transition.

Appium is an open-source testing tool that allows application developers to verify the proper functioning of all the user interface elements present in a mobile application. With the help of Appium, application developers can verify the proper functioning of native and hybrid applications. Appium also allows application developers to run mobile automation test cases on multiple platforms like Android, iOS, and Windows. The open-source infrastructure also allows small companies and individual creators to access all of its features without any investment. With the help of Appium, application developers can get rid of the hassle of writing individual test cases for all respective mobile platforms.

Understanding the Basics of Real Devices and Emulators

As the name suggests, real devices are physical devices that are stored in a testing laboratory for verifying the performance of mobile applications. These devices often allow the application developers to understand the impact of various physical parameters on the functioning of the app. Some of the most common examples include the use of low battery, fluctuating bandwidth, or various forms of user interaction errors. However, the process of setting up, configuring, and maintaining a real device lab is very expensive. This is because the app developers have to constantly update these labs based on all the new additions.

On the other hand, emulators use a form of software that can replicate mobile interactions. This means that with the help of this software, the application developers can run multiple mobile instances on their computers. So, with the help of emulators, it is possible to eliminate the need for mobile devices. However, it is very important to remember an emulator cannot replicate the physical parameters of a mobile device. So, depending on the requirements of the project, emulators might fail to generate highly accurate test reports.

Choosing the Right Testing Approach with Appium

To help the new automation testers and developers with their choice of emulators and real devices, we have created a list that will briefly mention the advantages and disadvantages of both emulators and real devices:

 Advantages of Real Devices

• It provides real-world testing on actual devices as they provide a more accurate representation of the application’s performance based on various physical parameters and performance characteristics.
• Using real device testing, the application developer can monitor the performance of the application based on parameters like response time, battery consumption, and multiple usage patterns.
• Real device testing helps to understand how the end users will feel while navigating and using the application. It is one of the most important parameters to ensure end-user satisfaction.
• It is possible to verify the stability of the application irrespective of network shifts with the help of real device performance.

Disadvantages of Real Devices

• As we already mentioned earlier, it is a very expensive process to set up and maintain a real device testing lab. Moreover, certain devices are no longer available on the market and cannot be integrated with this test bench.
• Real device testing is slower compared to emulators due to multiple potential delays and the physical setup process.
• The application developers have to constantly maintain the real devices and update them which can be time-consuming and lead to a delay in the application development process.
• While using real device testing, the application of parallel testing is limited due to availability and hardware constraint issues.

Advantages of Simulators/Emulators

• Emulators are cost-effective as one software can generate multiple instances of several mobile devices.
• Emulators are highly efficient in the test execution process and can generate faster reports compared to mobile devices.
• It is possible to initiate multiple test instances on different configurations and machines at the same time while using emulators and simulators.
• While using emulators, the application developers can control the environment and ensure the consistency of the test reports.

Disadvantages of Simulators/Emulators

• Emulators provide a very limited representation of real-world scenarios and use cases. They cannot understand the impact of various hardware-specific issues on the functioning of the application.
• Although it is possible to replicate mobile networks with emulators, it cannot properly show the availability and behavior of multiple mobile networks available globally.
• While using emulators for user interface testing, the app developers might come across multiple discrepancies and variations in the UI elements.
• Multiple mobile applications quickly detect the presence of an emulator and might not work properly or completely fail to launch. This is a common issue that can happen with emulators due to the presence of a different underlying architecture.
• Multiple emulators are dedicated to different tasks. For instance, certain emulators are good at running game applications while others strive for productive apps. So, depending on their application development project, the app developers might need to have multiple emulators in the testing process which can further lead to confusion.

Making The Right Choice

• It is very important to have a distinct idea about the allocated budget for the application development project. This will allow us to understand whether it can cover the expenses of setting up or the physical device testing lab.
• The app developers can consider the objective of the testing like user experience, device-specific features, and real-world scenarios to understand the most suitable platform.
• In case the application developers are looking for a broader device and operating system coverage they can consider emulators as they allow testing on a wide range of configurations at the same time.
• Factors such as time restrictions can help application developers to consider emulators as they allow faster execution of multiple and complex test cases.
• When app developers are looking for specific bugs and issues that can arise due to the physical parameters of a device, real device testing becomes necessary.

A great middle ground between real devices and emulators would be the integration of cloud platforms. This is because, with the help of cloud platforms, it is possible to access real devices present on remote servers through the Internet. So, the developers can eliminate the physical hassle while achieving similar test results with these solutions. Cloud platforms also have other advantages like the elimination of geolocation barriers and the integration of legacy devices. We can understand more about them by using LambdaTest as our example:

LambdaTest stands as a sophisticated, all-in-one cloud-based testing platform designed to optimize digital experience evaluations. By expediting test execution, it enables businesses to achieve faster time-to-market while ensuring superior quality releases and a swift digital transformation. With support for both real-time and automation testing across a vast array of 3000+ environments and genuine mobile devices, LambdaTest outshines other cloud testing solutions.

With an impressive clientele of over 10,000+ enterprises and a user base exceeding 2+ million in 130+ countries, LambdaTest has solidified its position as the go-to choice for testing requirements.

The Conclusion

We aimed to spread the proper awareness regarding the use of emulators and real devices while running Appium-based test cases. This is because, with the help of this knowledge, the application developers can properly configure their test bench. Moreover, the proper integration of automation testing is highly crucial for maintaining the quality of the application in this competitive segment of the industry. We also recommend that app developers constantly update their knowledge regarding the new trends, innovations, and additions in the segment of real device testing. It is also important to choose the correct tool or platform to complement the requirements of the project. Finally, we would advise the app developers to conduct constant market surveys to gain adequate information regarding the requirements of their target audience.