How to test mobile apps in a fragmented world
Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2025 4:15 am
Mobile apps are today's primary gateway to digital services. We all expect them to work smoothly from the first touch, but the reality for development teams is much more complex, as the fragmentation of the mobile ecosystem—devices, operating systems, resolutions, customization layers, hardware—makes testing a real challenge .
Smartphones have been part of our daily lives for over 15 years, yet the experience of using a mobile app is still not universally seamless. Despite technological advances, what for users may seem like a simple interaction, such as tapping a screen and expecting an immediate response, is fraught with challenges for development teams. One of the biggest: mobile fragmentation.
What is Mobile Fragmentation?
Mobile fragmentation isn't about broken screens, c level contact list but rather the wide variety of device combinations, Android/iOS versions, resolutions, processors, sensors, and other features available on the market.
Manufacturers: Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, OnePlus... each with their own custom layers and behaviors.
Operating Systems: Multiple versions of Android and iOS coexist. On Android, updates are particularly fragmented.
Screens and resolutions: from compact phones to foldable ones, tablets, or screens with holes and curved edges.
Hardware: GPUs, cameras, sensors, and different CPU ranges affect the behavior of apps.
It's impossible to cover everything, but understanding the problem allows you to set priorities and make smart decisions.
The real cost of fragmentation
It's not just a technical challenge; if not managed well, fragmentation directly impacts the user experience and the business:
Poor experience: visual errors, crashes, lags, poor performance.
Bad reputation: Bad reviews for specific bugs drag down your overall score.
Churn: Users abandon an app that doesn't work well from the start.
Overwhelmed support: Each problematic device generates tickets that are difficult to diagnose.
Reduced development speed: Ignoring testing leads to always working in “firefighting” mode.
A testing strategy is not a formality, but an investment in quality, speed, and user satisfaction.
Smartphones have been part of our daily lives for over 15 years, yet the experience of using a mobile app is still not universally seamless. Despite technological advances, what for users may seem like a simple interaction, such as tapping a screen and expecting an immediate response, is fraught with challenges for development teams. One of the biggest: mobile fragmentation.
What is Mobile Fragmentation?
Mobile fragmentation isn't about broken screens, c level contact list but rather the wide variety of device combinations, Android/iOS versions, resolutions, processors, sensors, and other features available on the market.
Manufacturers: Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, OnePlus... each with their own custom layers and behaviors.
Operating Systems: Multiple versions of Android and iOS coexist. On Android, updates are particularly fragmented.
Screens and resolutions: from compact phones to foldable ones, tablets, or screens with holes and curved edges.
Hardware: GPUs, cameras, sensors, and different CPU ranges affect the behavior of apps.
It's impossible to cover everything, but understanding the problem allows you to set priorities and make smart decisions.
The real cost of fragmentation
It's not just a technical challenge; if not managed well, fragmentation directly impacts the user experience and the business:
Poor experience: visual errors, crashes, lags, poor performance.
Bad reputation: Bad reviews for specific bugs drag down your overall score.
Churn: Users abandon an app that doesn't work well from the start.
Overwhelmed support: Each problematic device generates tickets that are difficult to diagnose.
Reduced development speed: Ignoring testing leads to always working in “firefighting” mode.
A testing strategy is not a formality, but an investment in quality, speed, and user satisfaction.