In this version of mobile testing experts series, we will share the latest mobile testing trends. We will talk about the mobile operating system adoption trends in the United States as well as worldwide. This data may be a reference point for your engineers and stakeholders who wish to make an informed choice for choosing the mobile operating systems while creating the Mobile Testing Device Matrix.
Mobile Operating Systems Market Share, Global vs US
Tip: Provide weightage to testing on iOS platforms when targeting US market and on Android platforms when targeting the global market
Android and iOS are the two most popular mobile operating systems worldwide. iOS continues to be the leader in the US market, whereas Android is leading the global OS market. For QA engineers, it is critical to make an informed decision when prioritizing operating systems.
Android Operating System Market Share, Global vs US
Tip: Phase out Android devices running on version 7.x or below.
The adoption of the newest Android version has taken longer than expected, particularly when you compare it to the adoption of the latest iOS. The latest released Android 11 (released in September, 2020) still has less than 3% of market share. Therefore, it is recommended to keep the versions until Android 8.x in your scope of testing.
iOS Market Share, Global vs US
Tip: Phase out iPhone devices running on version 12.x or below.
The latest iOS version (iOS 14 released on September, 2020) has more than 70% of the market share with around 14% users on iOS 13.x. Therefore, it is recommended to prioritize iOS versions 12.x and above to create your mobile testing device matrix.
Tips To Identify an Ideal Mobile Device for Testing:
- Gather the age group preference that you want to target with your app
- Check for the availability of the mobile devices and operating systems in the geographical area you want to target
- Analyze the resource usage of your app and decide on variety of devices with different configurations for thorough testing
- Use devices with different screen sizes to test the application UI
- Check for the latest trends of operating systems
News Flash
Mobile OS SDK Release Updates
- Xcode 12.4 supports developing apps for iOS 14.4, iPadOS 14.4, tvOS 14.3, watchOS 7.2, and macOS Big Sur 11.1. It supports on-device debugging for iOS 9 and later, tvOS 9 and later, and watchOS 2 and later. Xcode 12.4 requires a Mac running macOS 10.15.4 or later.
[Download link | Release notes]* Links to iOS versions are only accessible through an Apple developer account - Google released a new Android Studio version 4.1
[Download link | Release notes]
Open-Source Mobile Automation Tools Release Updates
- Appium released a new version 1.20.2
[Download link | Release notes]
Mobile OS Release Updates
- Apple released a new version iOS/iPadOS 14.4, which now are bundled in Xcode 12.4
[Download link | Release notes]* Links to iOS versions are only accessible through an Apple developer account - Google released a new version Android 11 (API 30)
[Download link | Release notes]
Conclusion
Developing a Mobile Test Matrix can be challenging, however, we hope that the above data and tips will help you make the right decision. We at QASource have custom PDA labs and a trained resource pool that is experienced in working on diverse mobile testing projects.
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