bad implementations of good ideas: how systematic inattention to performance can kill your mobile...

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Doug Sillars

Bad Implementations of Good Ideas

AT&T Developer Advocacy@Dougsillars

How Systematic Inattention to Performance Can Kill Your Mobile App


Mobile Innovation

• “There’s an app for that.”© Apple Computer

http://bit.ly/1PH8sie


Mobile Innovation• “There’s an app for that.”

© Apple Computer

iOS: 1.5 M appsAndroid: 1.6M apps

• “There’s probably a couple of apps for that.”


• Apps with Multiple & Frequent updates:• Dial in usage• Squash Bugs• Improve Performance

Killer App

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2403624


Mobile Performance

https://t.co/7bMT4A1PIt


Testing is Key

• 44% of all issues are reported by users• 20% issues were only found because of

complaints in app reviews

http://info.perfectomobile.com/rs/perfectomobile/images/why-apps-fail-infographic.pdf


Mobile Performance

Is Performance REALLY that important? Yes!https://t.co/7bMT4A1PIt


Innovation & Performance

Innovates fastKiller

App



App

Getting to a Killer App

Testing

Learning From Mistakes of Others


• Memory• CPU• Screen Rendering• Battery Life• Network Connectivity

Getting to a Killer App

Testing


App


• AT&T’s Application Resource Optimizer• Free• Open Source• iOS/Android (no root)

• Network traces on Device• Grades against 25 Best Practices• http://Developer.att.com/ARO

Testing Your App’s Network Performance


App

http://Developer.att.com/ARO


• Cellular Networks are High Latency Environments• Not Optimizing Your Content can lead to delays:• 500ms:

• 26% frustration• 8% engagement

• Amazon.com & Walmart: • 100ms delay• 1% revenue

• 4% of mobile users admit to throwing their phones

Mobile Apps Are Highly Network Dependent

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9009139@N08/1263954439http://blog.radware.com/applicationdelivery/applicationaccelerationoptimization/2013/12/mobile-web-stress-the-impact-of-network-speed-on-emotional-engagement-and-brand-perception-reporthttp://www.mobilejoomla.com/mobile-joomla-blog/172-responsive-design-vs-server-side-solutions-infographic.html


Mobile Networks Drain Battery

• Data Connections account for:• 40% of battery use (screen on)• 70% screen off


AT&T DriveMode

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texting_while_driving#/media/File:NotextinganddrivingWestUTX.JPG


AT&T DriveMode - 2013

Good IdeaStop Device from receiving phone calls and SMS when the phone is in a car > 25 MPHRoute to Voicemail/ Send SMS reply “I’m Driving.”

Poor Implementation

Google Play reviews: excessive battery drain

40


AT&T DriveMode for Android - 2013

3 min

480 GPS connections/24hr

~20% Battery

Good Idea

Poor Implementation

Fix bug:App was going into “drive mode” when not driving.


AT&T DriveMode for AndroidUse activity APIs to identify when your users are in motion

11 minute trace

DetectedActivity.IN_VEHICLEDetectedActivity.ON_BICYCLE:DetectedActivity.ON_FOOT:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baby_goats_jan_2007_crop.jpghttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Goat_in_a_car.jpghttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2009_goat_and_bicycle_in_India_6512003001.jpg


“Its déjà vu all over again.”• Yogi Berra

AT&T Drive Mode – iOS (2014)

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yogi_Berra_1956.png

New application is getting poor reviews in app store for battery drain


AT&T Drive Mode - iOS

Good Idea

Poor Implementation

Collect Analytics


AT&T Drive Mode - iOS


• Excessive Battery Drain• Android

• Long background testing• iOS

• Network trace while driving

• Test!

AT&T Drive Mode Similar Symptoms - Different Culprits


Streaming Radio App


Streaming Radio App

DATA:45% metadata15% Images

<40% of data consumed is Music!

Good Idea

Poor Implementation

Critical KPI – report what is playing on other “channels” with 10s accuracy.


Streaming Radio Metadata


Metadata

DATA:18% metadata20% Images

~60% of data consumed is Music!


• Ensure you have Gzip enabled in your app, and on your server.

• Cache files• Send only changes

Streaming Music Metadata


Music Streaming –Album Art

Good Idea

Poor Implementation

Use a CDN to host all Album Art

API call uses a 302 redirect to access image files

16 requests8 API calls - 302 redirect

1.16s8 CDN calls – download images

1.25s


Redirects Add Latency

115s of added latency ~10% of test


• Have API retrieve the image and send to the device

• Eliminate request• Eliminate several RTs

Redirects add Latency


Broken Links

21% of redirects have no target


Track Movement

• New version: • 18x more connections than this app’s architecture team expected• The triage team discovered that IP/port collisions = loss in sales

Good Idea

Poor Implementation

• Connecting to the network every 5 seconds –• reusing the same connection

Created a new connection every 5s


World Famous Goat RacingWas $79, Now $39

User has to wait for image to load

Image Usage

Downloading the same image twice, in different sizes, doesn’t make sense.Download it once and use it in multiple ways.

54 kb

198 kbWorld Famous Goat Racing Was $79, Now $39

Good Idea

Poor Implementation

App with Rich image usage


• Apps with Multiple & Frequent updates:• Dial in usage• Squash Bugs• Improve Performance

• Testing!

Killer App


http://bit.ly/HighPerfAndroidApps


Q&A

http://knowmyapp.org/

http://www.appqualityalliance.org/aqua-performance-test-criteria

http://developer.att.com/application-resource-optimizer

http://bit.ly/HighPerfAndroidApps


Thank You