Test on the Right Devices
Way back in 2015, Google announced that the number of searches from mobile devices surpassed desktop for the first time ever. Last year, independent web analytics company StatCounter reported that more people accessed the web through mobile devices than desktop machines. Mobile world domination is old news. There’s simply no way around it: If you want to reach the most people around the globe, you need to test your sites on mobile platforms.
But which ones? There are countless mobile devices running different operating systems, screen resolutions, and web browsers. Testing your site on an infinite number of combinations isn’t efficient — or cost effective. Luckily, there are tons of testing solutions out there. One of them is Mozilla partner BrowserStack. Developers using BrowserStack have performed millions of tests over the years, and the testing company has compiled data on mobile device usage based on those tests. They created lists of recommended devices for different types of businesses. They looked at market share, popularity, OS versions, screen sizes, resolutions, launch year, manufacturers, and more. Here’s what they learned.
Test to your audience
Before you run hundreds of tests, think about who you’re trying to reach and why. A startup’s audience will look very different than a large international bank’s audience. Tech startups may target iOS and Android users almost exclusively, while a large bank will need to ensure its site works on nearly every smartphone and tablet out there. BrowserStack recommends that startups test on a smaller range of devices and OS combinations than large established enterprise companies.
Go beyond the analytics
Analytics and marketing data can tell you a lot about your audience, but you can’t rely on them exclusively. Your existing website may not get enough hits to give you an accurate picture. Even if your site does receive enough visits, data will be skewed toward the devices that work best, not the ones your target audience use the most. Additionally, no existing data will include upcoming devices or operating systems.
Go global
You should test on devices that are common where your audience lives. It’s also a great idea to test on devices that are common where you’d like to expand. The two most common devices in China, for instance, are the Xiaomi MI 2 and the MiPad. If you live in the US or Europe, both devices may be difficult to come by, so virtual machine testing makes sense. With virtual machine testing, devices are simulated on servers within data centers. For one, that means you can test on devices that are difficult or impossible to get. Mobile browser use also varies by geography. Germany likes Firefox more than Chrome, IE is big in Japan, the Australians choose Safari, and a flavor of Chromium called Cốc Cốc is popular in Vietnam.
Test across browsers
Safari isn’t the only browser for iOS and not every Android device runs Chrome. And not every mobile user is running the latest system and browser. According to NetMarketShare, about 22% of mobile users run Chrome 57, but 8% run Chrome 56. About 10% run Safari 10.1, but 6% run Safari 10. And about 5% of users run the Opera Mini browser. Those percentages may not seem huge, but as developers it’s our job to reach as many users as possible regardless of what device/browser they use.
TL;DR
Here’s the lowdown: The bigger your audience, the more tests you should run. You need to think about which OSes, browsers and devices they use, where they live, and even their preferences. Plain and simple. Here are the suggestions from BrowserStack based on company size:
Source: https://www.browserstack.com/test-on-the-right-mobile-devices
And to celebrate the Mozilla-BrowserStack partnership, users get unlimited testing on Firefox for Android and iOS on real devices, via the Real Device Cloud for one full year. Check it out.
