Did you know that over 225,000 iPhone Apps have now released, it is now obvious that a shift to these types of applications is not just a passing phase, but more of a software revolution. So what can iPhone App developers do to ensure that their App is successful, especially if there is so much competition?

An iPhone App developer has full control over the design and software code, but what about the quality? this is information not easily obtainable without professional knowledge and experience in the world of software testing. To release an App and make it stand out from the crowd, it must be well designed and well coded. The only way to ensure this has been achieved is by using a professional iPhone App Tester.

If you are considerable choosing an App Testing company to perform the testing, then there are some things you can check, such as:

1. Ensure the App will be tested on real devices (not simulators). Some companies will offer you very cheap testing, but this will often be performed on a simulator which nothing more than a web browser made to be the same size an iPhone screen. A simulator is very limited and cannot check memory usage, CPU usage, battery life, network issues, or signal weakness. Check that a real handset is going to be used, because that is what the customer who purchases your App from iTunes will be using. Make sue the testing company gives you the UDID's of their available test handsets. with these, you as the developer will need to make provisioning files to be included along with your App when you send it for testing.

2. Ensure an extensive range of handsets is available for testing, e.g. iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad and iPod-Touch. You do not want to release your App only to find out that iPhone 4 users are experiencing crashes. Most good testing companies will offer a discount if you opt to test on multiple devices. if they don't then ask them!

3. Make sure the testing will be carried out using the latest firmware available for that device. Most iPhone users will upgrade straight away as soon as new firmware version is released. Its and obvious decision to make sure your App operates correctly with the latest firmware for each handset.

4. Don't be afraid to ask the iPhone App Testing company about Usability testing. A good tester should be able to identify weaknesses relating to Usability and report them to you. This type of testing should include creating typical user scenarios and playing them out to test the usability factor of your App prior to its release. This is an important aspect to the success of an iPhone App which is often overlooked.

5. Ensure that you check a test report will be given to you. You don't want someone you don't know simply telling your App is fine. You need some kind of document containing a checklist of the areas that were tested along with any subsequent test results.

6. In addition to the standard Exploratory testing methods used, a testing company should provide you other testing techniques including; Boundary Value Analysis and Equivalence Partitioning. These techniques are very useful on areas of your App where a user is required to select or input any kind of information. This is traditionally the most probable area of an App that will contain defects.

7. As a developer you will probably want to get your App released ASAP, and so it is likely you will need a quick turnaround. A good testing company should be able to provide you with a quick turnaround for testing your App, and get the results back to you fast.