Remember all those stories about Android device fragmentation, and how it’s been keeping companies like Netflix from rolling out their apps across the entire Android ecosystem? Apparently, it’s not all that bad: Netflix is now seeing its service used on close to 1000 different Android devices each and every day, according to a post published on the Netflix Tech Blog Wednesday afternoon.
So what does it take to test your app for this multitude of devices? Apparently, not that much:
“We have taken stock of all the devices we have in house and classified them based on their specs. We figured out the optimal combination of devices to give us maximum coverage. We are able to reduce our daily smoke automation devices to around 10 phones and 4 tablets and keep the rest for the longer release wide test cycles.”
A subset of those ten devices that are bing used for daily testing is depicted on the image below:
Image credit: Netflix.
It’s worth noting that Netflix isn’t apparently just conducting those tests with devices scattered around on a hardwood floor, but that it is also including custom ROMs like CyanogenMod 7 and CyanogenMod 9 in its tests.
Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.
- Connected world: the consumer technology revolution
- What Amazon’s new Kindle line means for Apple, Netflix and online media
- Bunker Sessions: Is App TV Coming Next?
