Fragmentation
Also called: Device fragmentation
The huge variety of device models, screen sizes and OS versions an app must support.
Definition
Fragmentation describes the large number of different device and OS combinations in use, especially on Android, where many manufacturers ship different screen sizes, hardware and custom versions of the OS. It means testers must choose a representative set of devices to test on.
In practice
The app works on Samsung and Pixel phones, but on a Xiaomi device the aggressive battery saver kills it in the background and notifications never arrive.
Learn it in context
Lessons that use this term.
Related terms
- Compatibility testingChecking the product works across different devices, OS versions, browsers and screen sizes.
- Real deviceA physical phone or tablet used for testing, as opposed to an emulator or simulator.
- EmulatorSoftware that imitates a real device's hardware and OS on your computer, like the Android Emulator.