The answer seems obvious, or does it? After all, the application on a mobile device has the same functionality as the application on a standard desktop computer or laptop. Well, the difference is that mobile apps have to be tested for their non-functional aspects (such as usability) on mobile devices and not just primarily focused on functional testing.

1. Mobile testing – is it similar to application testing?
The answer seems obvious, or does it? After all, the application on a
mobile device has the same functionality as the application on a standard
desktop computer or laptop. Well, the difference is that mobile apps have to
be tested for their non-functional aspects (such as usability) on mobile
devices and not just primarily focused on functional testing.
There are a number of challenges that are a direct result of the unique
features of mobile devices and wireless networks:
Mobile context – interaction between the users, applications and the
surrounding environment that may distract user’s attention
Connectivity – slow and unreliable wireless network connection with
low bandwidth is a common hindrance for mobile applications
Screen size – physical constraints of mobile devices, especially small
screen sizes
Display resolution – display capability of mobile devices supports
much less display resolution (usually 640×480 pixels or lower)
compared to PCs
Processing capability – computational power and memory capacity of
mobile devices lag far behind PCs
Data input – providing input to small devices is difficult and limits users
effectiveness in entering data
Most challenges listed above are contextual in nature and they need to be
factored in properly while performing mobile testing. Most likely, testing has
to be done in real-time environment and not in a laboratory environment
towards minimizing the potential effects of usability in the field.
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