How can I know an app will work on a device that I do not own?

[formerlyapple4]

I'm completely new to android coming from (you guessed it), the apple world. However, I am suffering from fear of fragmentation. Before I purchase my first android device, I would like to know how I can tell what apps will work properly with the device (tablet) I wish to purchase. If there is no way to do this, realistically then, how much trouble does app fragmentation cause? Specifically among tablets? For reference, I am very interested in the new Dell Venue 8 7000.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! There is no way to know unless you have the device, unfortunately. Incompatibility is often related to screen resolution--incompatibility issues seemed to spike when the G3 came out, which was the first (or one of the first) QHD (quad-HD) phones. But now that there are quite a few QHD devices out there, I would guess that most developers are taking resolution into account much more often. There used to be some risk of incompatibility with Intel devices, but that has mostly resolved, the last time I read about the issue.

 

[James_Watson]

A good solution is to try the trial and full-free edition of some app prior to make a decision to purchase the full-featured and paid edition.

 

[formerlyapple4]

So if I purchased a device, like the Dell, with a QHD display, I can expect most apps to work like they should: fill the whole display, perform at optimal resolution, etc?

 

[Rukbat]

Your best bet for finding apps that will work with your device is to buy a common device. Dell isn't a big name in tablets, so if their tablet has any quirk, the developer usually won't know, and won't have one to figure out a fix. Stick with the big tablet/phone names - Samsung, Motorola, Nexus, etc. Then you might find someone in that forum who uses the app or will download it and try it to let you know if it works on the device. (I do that quite often on my phone.)