Have you ever been tempted to use the iPadian simulator to test an app bound for the Apple App Store?
As someone who has tested performance, security and compatibility for thousands of iOS apps over the past 15+ years, I cannot stress enough – resist that temptation!
In my experience guiding major development teams like Disney, ESPN and The Weather Channel, over-reliance on tools like iPadian during the testing process results in ugly crashes, dismal ratings and frustrated users once an app goes live.
- In this in-depth guide, you‘ll learn:
- Drawbacks of using the iPadian emulator for testing
- Critical importance of real devices to find issues
- How BrowserStack gives you instant access to all iPhones and iPads
By the end, you’ll know exactly why putting apps through their paces on genuine iOS environments is the only way to deliver 5-star experiences users rave about.
What Exactly is The iPadian Simulator?
First off, what is iPadian? And why do its free and easy nature make it enticing for testers?
iPadian is an iPad simulator for Windows desktops. When launched, it mimics the visual design of iOS on an iPhone or iPad.
Looks just like an iPad right? But keep reading…
Key things iPadian provides:
- Pixel-perfect iOS graphical interface
- Ability to demo iOS user flows
- Comes with own marketplace of basic apps
So what’s the catch?
iPadian only replicates iOS skin-deep. Under the hood, it is still entirely Windows WITHOUT any actual iPad hardware or software capabilities.
And there‘s the red flag when it comes to testing…
While iPadian may be fine for quick demos, treating it as a substitute for real devices has painful consequences.
Why iPadian Crashes Apps (and Reputations)
Remember that highly-addictive game your company poured months of development into?
It sailed through iPadian tests without a hitch…yet was ravaged by angry 1-star ratings as users reported constant lag, crashes and bugs on their real iPhones.
As a testing expertConsultant, I’ve witnessed far too many variants of this scenario play out:
- App testing stops at iPadian (or other simulators)
- Performance issues crop up only on users‘ devices
- Support tickets and bad reviews ensue
- Company scrambles to issue patches and explain
All of which leads me to my number one lesson learned over 15 years and 3500+ iOS projects:
There is NO replacement for testing apps and websites on REAL user devices and environments before launch.
But why does software break out in the wild after an iPadian clean bill of health? Let‘s break down key gaps:
1. No Actual iOS Features or Functions
When apps tap into native iOS elements like the camera, Apple Pay, notifications etc. – nothing happens in iPadian. It simply CANNOT emulate iPad/iPhone hardware or software capabilities.
Common features unsupported in iPadian
2. No Access to Real Mobile Apps
You cannot install or test apps from the Apple App Store on iPadian. It comes with a limited marketplace of mostly outdated demo apps.
3. Mouse/Keyboard != Touchscreen
iOS is built ground-up for touch input on mobile devices. Using a mouse and keyboard with iPadian completely alters the experience.
Have you ever tried zooming a map by scrolling vs pinch to zoom? Clunky is the polite way to put it.
4. Security Concerns
As open source software, iPadian poses potential malware threats you don‘t want touching test devices. Safety first.
Let me tell you about the time I foolishly ran beta tests of a banking app exclusively on the iPadian simulator…
Spoiler alert – it did NOT end well once real world users started accessing sensitive payment data. 💸
Real Devices Prevent These Pain Points
As I learned firsthand, the shortcomings of simulation testing rear their heads once apps are subjected to real-world mobile conditions:
- Real cellular networks with spotty connectivity
- Battery drain challenges
- Varying device performance across iPhone models
- Actual user behavior and workflows
That complexity is IMPOSSIBLE to replicate outside native environments.
And no simulator can catch bugs triggered by the intimate interplay of custom hardware, operating systems and apps that define the iOS experience.
Instead, bitesizing your app via genuine devices and infrastructure across ALL test cycles is the ONLY way to deliver expected quality.
Key Benefits of Using Real iOS Devices
| Real Device Testing | iPadian/Simulators |
|---|---|
| Finds issues triggered by iPad/iPhone hardware or iOS capabilities not replicated in simulators | Limited emulator cannot match actual functionality |
| Tests latest iOS versions as Apple releases updates | Often outdated builds without recent OS changes |
| Matches testing to real usage contexts | Usage always differs from simulated behavior |
| Confirms UX quality on various iPad/iPhone screen sizes | Fixed desktop screen size fails to catch responsiveness bugs |
| Exposes system compatibility issues across iPhone models | |
| Verifies security on genuine devices and networks |
Let‘s look at a better approach…
Introducing – Real Device Testing with BrowserStack
So how can you easily tap into real iOS environments to bulletproof apps like the experts do?
BrowserStack makes it possible in minutes with on-demand access to 2000+ genuine iPhone and iPad devices.
Instead of buying and managing your own fleet, BrowserStack handles everything via the cloud.
BrowserStack offers every popular iPad, iPhone and iOS version instantly in the cloud
I leverage BrowserStack‘s real iOS devices and infrastructure across manual testing, automated testing and specialized app testing:
Manual App Testing
- Install your app build directly on real devices using BrowserStack App Live
- Interactively test UX flows through intuitive mobile dashboards
- Use real gestures like pinch, zoom, swipe and more
Automated Testing
- Integrate BrowserStack automated testing tools into your CI/CD pipelines
- Schedule tests to run 24/7/365 so your team doesn‘t have to
- Cut test times from hours to minutes with parallel testing
Expert App Testing
- Confirm visual quality via automated UI and screenshot analysis
- Measure real-world app performance metrics like crash rate and CPU usage
- Test upcoming beta OS releases to future-proof compatibility
And with highly flexible plans for individuals and enterprises, getting started is fast and affordable.
"We have been able to test so many different types of mobile devices that we would not have been able to otherwise. BrowserStack has improved our testing efficiency, helping us find issues faster."
– Testing Manager, Top 5 US Bank
Let‘s quickly contrast some of the key advantages of BrowserStack for app testing teams:
| Self-owned Device Lab | BrowserStack Device Cloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Expensive to purchase and maintain every device model and iOS version | $79/month for unlimited testing access |
| Overhead | Dedicated hardware staff for setup and management | No maintenance needed since everything is in the cloud |
| Speed | Weeks lead time to acquire devices and infrastructure | Instant access to 2000+ devices and growing |
| Agility | Difficult to scale across projects and test needs | Flex access allows dynamic allocation across various tests |
Transform Testing: What You Can Achieve
With trusted support across 50,000+ customers including leaders like Adobe, Starbucks and CBSi – BrowserStack is my top recommendation for effortless access to real devices.
Here are a few ways it can be a gamechanger for your team:
Deliver Higher Quality Apps
💯 Eliminate real-world issues before apps go live by testing on genuine environments
Protect Your App Reputation
🔒 Avoid brand damage of unstable or vulnerable app releases
Streamline Release Cycles
⏩ Release faster by detecting bugs quicker on CI/CD integrated devices
Empower Innovation
🚀 Enable developers to build cutting-edge user experiences previously gated by limited test devices
Scale Team Testing
👥 Flexible access allows contributors across locations to tap devices required for specific test scenarios
Future-Proof Apps
🔮 Validate compatibility with pre-release iOS versions so updates don‘t derail apps
Start Testing Like The Experts
I hope walking through common pitfalls around simulation testing sheds light on the importance of incorporating real devices.
Avail instant access to the full range of 2000+ iOS devices on BrowserStack. Sign up now to unlock the reliability, innovation and user delight made possible by comprehensive testing.
With BrowserStack, say goodbye to app-breaking surprises and deliver the unmatched experiences today’s mobile users demand.
Over to you – let me know if any other mobile testing questions come up! With 15 years of war stories under my belt, I‘m always happy to chat approaches for bulletproofing apps bound for the hands of users.
