Easier way to develop mobile apps

By Luke Collins

Developers working on applications for T-Mobile can now test their work on remotely accessible versions of more than 70 devices the network supports.

This should speed up application development and the porting of applications between devices.

The T-Mobile Virtual Developer Lab enables users to develop, test and monitor applications on real handsets that are live on the network.

DeviceAnywhere, which provides the service for T-Mobile, claims the approach is better than emulators, since it uses real hardware and enables developers to do anything to the handsets that a user could, including pressing buttons, tapping on touchscreens, connecting and disconnecting the battery, viewing the LCD, listening to ringers and speakers, and opening and closing the handset.

"Developers need to have tools that will allow them to shorten the application development process across multiple devices," said Venetia Espinoza, director, partner programs, T-Mobile USA. "With the T-Mobile Virtual Lab, developers can now more efficiently build next-generation mobile content."

The T-Mobile Virtual Developer Lab offers access to 70 of T-Mobile's most popular devices. New handsets will be added as they come out.

The T-Mobile Developer Lab devices are available to T-Mobile developers through a web browser.

DeviceAnywhere also offers automated testing services and 24x7 quality of service monitoring as remote services.