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At the forefront of our offerings as a testing partner for hundreds of companies globally is our unwavering commitment to quality. We want our clients to trust that when they bring their website or application to us for testing, we’ll put it through the exact same scenarios their users will face, and more, so they can be certain that it’s ready for a global launch. One way we are able to achieve this is through real devices testing; opting to execute test scenarios only on real, physical devices that we have access to in our on-site Device Lab.
Our Device Lab is comprehensive and there is a good reason for this: the global audience of devices in use is quite diverse. Just in the last year alone, the top mobile vendor market share globally was made up of more than just the top brands like Apple or Samsung; it also included devices from Xiaomi, Oppo, Huawei, Motorola, and many more. Most users also don’t own just a single device — in the US for example, the average household has nearly six internet connected devices with many upgrading their devices each year. That’s a lot of devices and potential screens for your app or website to appear on.
Users expect that no matter where they choose to access a website or application, the experience will be seamless and our Device Lab helps our clients achieve that result. Read on to learn more about how our Device Lab got started, the benefits of testing on real devices, and how we are able to manage the significant number of devices that we support for testing.
History of our Device Lab
When PLUS QA was founded in 2008, one of our original goals was to demonstrate the importance of testing across all browser configurations. We accomplished this initially by investing in multiple Windows and macOS workstations, and after demonstrating the quality of results we were able to achieve, we expanded our device offerings to include testing on iOS in 2009 and, a year later, on Android in 2010.
Since then, we have created a unique and extensive device library that includes over 500 devices. Unlike a lot of other QA companies, we decided to manage our entire ecosystem of devices internally and not ask any of our testers to use their personal devices. This helps us ensure a maximum level of security and confidentiality.
In addition to that, maintaining a library of real devices (both new and old) allows us to provide a historical view of an application across device generations. Whether it's taking screenshots on unique or legacy screen sizes or testing on older operating systems, our device lab helps our customers be confident in the compatibility and performance of their application on more than just the latest devices.
How We Manage a Massive Device Library
With over 500 hundred devices and growing, managing our Device Lab is no small feat. Testers are able to freely check out devices as their project demands, which means that there is a high volume of devices coming in and out of the Lab throughout the day. Testers also need to know which devices are available and, in some cases, make sure that they are reserved for their project ahead of time; otherwise they risk overlapping with another team. Devices also need to be maintained so that they perform optimally for testers and operate in accordance with PLUS QA’s high standards for security and compliance. We do all of this and more using our Test Platform.
When it became clear that our device library would be too difficult to manage using third-party tools, we opted to create a custom solution that could be built around the way that we work and make the process more efficient and effective for our testers and administrative team. Each device in the Device Lab is registered with a unique ID along with specification information about it to help testers locate it in a database. This includes its name, type, platform, OS version, serial number, IMEI, checkout status and more. It can also include important notes about what the device is primarily used for, if it contains a SIM (for connectivity testing), the last time it was checked out, and anything else a tester might need to know before they utilize it.
Each project requires a different scope of test coverage and when the selection of devices in our Lab is so large, it can be difficult to narrow down which devices to choose. Thankfully, the Test Platform Device Lab includes a variety of search and filtering options that users can take advantage of to more easily find the right device for a test run or when a desired device is unavailable, what their next best option would be.
Test Platform also makes it easy for our administrative team to add new or retire existing devices from our Device Lab. After unboxing, we can have a device added to the Device Lab and made ready for testing within 10 minutes — perfect for clients who are looking to hit the ground running testing their app on day 1 of an exciting new hardware release.
The Advantage of Testing on Real Devices
We’ve built our business around testing with real devices because we understand the tremendous value that comes with it. While some companies may opt to leverage emulators, simulators, or device farms as part of their test strategy, the only way to guarantee accurate results is by running test scenarios directly on the same devices that your potential customers are using.
Testing on devices goes beyond just what computer hardware or software version it is running — real, physical devices also have unique nuances that contribute to the experience of an application user. Whether it is the device’s screen size and touch sensitivity, network connectivity performance, battery usage, or any other device specific hardware or software features (e.g. the dynamic island on some iPhone models), these all must be taken into account during the testing process and real devices make this easier to accomplish.
To learn more about what benefits testing on real devices can offer, visit our service page or check out one of our previous deep-dive blog posts.
What Devices Do We Support Testing On?
As we shared, our Device Lab is complete with the latest and greatest as well as generations of legacy devices. Each is maintained with care and organized based on the associated platform and release year. Take a look below to see some of the devices we support for testing across a variety of device types. (Last Updated December 2024)
Mobile
iOS
All iPhone generation models starting with 16 Pro Max, going as far back as the original iPhone. Also included are various iPad models in different configurations and screen sizes.
Samsung
Samsung Galaxy models starting with S24, going as far back as the original Galaxy S models. Also included are various Galaxy variants such as foldables, non-galaxy and tablet versions.
Google Pixel
Nearly all Google Pixel models starting with Pixel 9 Pro, going as far back as the original Pixel devices. Also included are Pixel tablets and Chromebook devices.
Other Android Devices
An assortment of non-Samsung or Google Android devices from a variety of manufacturers. This includes Motorola, LG, Oppo, Xiaomi, OnePlus, and more.
Desktop
Windows
Windows desktop, laptop, and 2-in-1 computers running OS versions as new as Windows 11 Pro and as old as Windows XP.
macOS
macOS desktop workstations and laptops running OS versions as new as macOS 15 and as old as macOS 10.
ChromeOS
Chromebook devices running OS versions as new as 130 and as old as OS 102.
Wearable
A variety of smartwatches, fitness trackers, health monitoring devices, headphones, and more.
Mixed Reality
AR, VR, and XR devices like Apple Vision Pro, Meta Quest, HoloLens, Vive, and Samsung Gear VR.
Keeping Our Device Lab Up-To-Date
We make it easy for our clients to maintain a competitive edge by making sure we always have the latest device releases available to test their apps against. Whether it’s the latest iPhone, Samsung, Google Pixel or devices from other manufacturers, we pride ourselves in having a quick turnaround from the time a device is released to having it available to start testing on in our Lab.
In addition to this, we collect data annually about device usage and market share statistics. A thorough recap of these stats are published on our blog (Android or iOS) and provide valuable insights that can help us make recommendations to our clients as to which devices they should prioritize as part of their test plan. In many cases, devices that are 2 to 3 versions older than the latest release maintain a large market share which is why we generally recommend testing on them as well as the newest version.
Conclusion
For the most accurate results and the best representation of how an app will perform in a real-world environment, testing on real devices is the clear answer. This is why we continue to invest in and grow our Device Lab each year.
Our clients love the access they gain to testing their product on the same devices their audience uses and, after testing their app with PLUS QA, can have confidence that the results they receive during testing will be consistent with the experience of their users after launch.
Want to learn more about our Device Lab, the devices we have available, or what testing services we can offer your business? Click the button below to schedule a consultation with our team.