Android Device Specific Bugs

Question

I am developing Android apps and running into issues during QA. The app behaves strangely under some condition only on some particular devices.

For ex, on a HTC Hero, when I invoke Google Maps to display a particular location from inside my app, pressing BACK makes it go back two screens instead of just one. On every other device I tested on, it works perfectly.

There are more issues like this one that I am coming across. Is there a database of sorts that has device specific bugs. Tried googling it, but no useful result. Any ideas?

Answer 1

HTC seem to be the bad boy. I cannot make a list, but I can help you:

• On HTC flyer, the layout is large and not xlarge, what make all my tablet optimized layout invisible and they got the phone version.

• On HTC Desire and Tattoo ( and for sure many other devices) the Intent to create a shortcut doies not work.

• On some Acer, Motorola, Samsung devices, the MyLocationOverlay in Google Maps API does not work. you need to overwrite it: http://www.java2s.com/Open-Source/Android/App/seattle-bus-bot/com/joulespersecond/seattlebusbot/MyFixedLocationOverlay.java.java-doc.htm

I would be glad to hear more stories like that and maybe share some workarounds.

Answer 2

On HTC Mini One if your create custom theme and try to change the ActionBarTabStyle based on a API call you can't... LayerDrawable.setDrawableByLayerId refuses to work at least in this phone (Sense 5.0)

Answer 3

I think the closest thing you'll find is Here (The official Android issue tracker). Searching that may help you when you come across these oddball bugs.

With that being said, I have heard MANY horror stories about HTCs Sense UI causing apps to behave erratically (although I can't confirm this, since I've never used an HTC device).