My QA Journey: Testing LG Smartphones at Brisa

How It All Started

In September 2012, I joined Brisa Sociedade para o desenvolvimento da TI as a QA Intern, marking my first step into the tech industry. What I didn't know then was how this experience would build the foundation for my entire career. My primary responsibility? Testing LG smartphones before they reached consumers and validating firmware fixes for devices already in the market.

Testing New LG Smartphones

One of the most exciting aspects of my role was getting my hands on LG smartphones before they were available to the public. Our team was responsible for ensuring these devices met quality standards before market release. This process was both methodical and comprehensive. 

<h3>The Pre-Market Testing Process</h3>
<p>
  When a new smartphone model arrived at our testing lab, we would follow these steps:
</p>

<div class="process-steps">
  <div class="step">
    <span class="step-number">1</span>
    <div class="step-content">
      <h4>Initial Device Setup</h4>
      <p>Unboxing the device, documenting its physical condition, and performing initial setup with various account configurations.</p>
    </div>
  </div>

  <div class="step">
    <span class="step-number">2</span>
    <div class="step-content">
      <h4>Test Case Execution</h4>
      <p>Running through predefined test cases that covered every aspect of the phone's functionality, from basic calls to complex multimedia features.</p>
    </div>
  </div>

  <div class="step">
    <span class="step-number">3</span>
    <div class="step-content">
      <h4>Exploratory Testing</h4>
      <p>Performing unscripted testing to discover issues that might not be caught by standard test cases, especially around user experience.</p>
    </div>
  </div>

  <div class="step">
    <span class="step-number">4</span>
    <div class="step-content">
      <h4>Performance Benchmarking</h4>
      <p>Running benchmark tests to evaluate speed, battery life, and thermal performance under various conditions.</p>
    </div>
  </div>

  <div class="step">
    <span class="step-number">5</span>
    <div class="step-content">
      <h4>Regression Testing</h4>
      <p>Ensuring that newly implemented features didn't break existing functionality.</p>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

Firmware Fix Validation

For devices already in the market, our team was responsible for testing firmware updates designed to fix reported issues. This involved: 

<ul class="feature-list">
  <li>
    <strong>Reproducing reported bugs</strong> - We had to verify that we could consistently reproduce the issue before testing the fix.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Testing firmware patches</strong> - Applying the new firmware and verifying that the issue was indeed resolved.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Regression testing</strong> - Ensuring the fix didn't introduce new problems.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Performance impact assessment</strong> - Evaluating whether the fix affected battery life, system speed, or other performance metrics.
  </li>
</ul>

<div class="info-box">
  <h3>Common Issues We Encountered</h3>
  <p>
    During my time at Brisa, I encountered numerous issues with LG smartphones, ranging from minor UI inconsistencies to critical system stability problems. Some of the most common issues included:
  </p>
  <ul>
    <li>Bluetooth connectivity problems with specific devices</li>
    <li>Camera app crashes under specific conditions</li>
    <li>Battery drain issues with certain background applications</li>
    <li>Touch sensitivity problems in various environmental conditions</li>
    <li>UI rendering glitches after extended use</li>
  </ul>
</div>

Bug Reporting to the Korean Development Team

Perhaps the most critical aspect of my job was effectively communicating discovered issues to LG's development team in Korea. Language barriers and time zone differences made this particularly challenging. We needed to be precise, thorough, and provide irrefutable evidence of each issue. 

<h3>Our Bug Reporting Workflow in HP Quality Center</h3>

<div class="workflow-diagram">
  <img src="/api/placeholder/700/300" alt="Bug reporting workflow diagram" />
  <p class="caption">Our standardized bug reporting workflow using HP Quality Center</p>
</div>

<h4>Creating Effective Bug Reports</h4>
<p>
  Each bug report in HP Quality Center needed to include:
</p>

<div class="report-structure">
  <div class="report-section">
    <h5>Bug Summary</h5>
    <p>A clear, concise title that communicated the issue in one sentence</p>
    <div class="example">
      <strong>Example:</strong> "Camera app crashes when switching from rear to front camera while recording video in low light"
    </div>
  </div>

  <div class="report-section">
    <h5>Environment Information</h5>
    <p>Details about the testing environment</p>
    <div class="example">
      <strong>Example:</strong> "Device: LG G3, Firmware version: V20a-EUR-XX, Android version: 4.4.2, Network: WiFi 802.11n"
    </div>
  </div>

  <div class="report-section">
    <h5>Reproduction Steps</h5>
    <p>Numbered, detailed steps to reproduce the issue</p>
    <div class="example">
      <pre>

  1. Open Camera app

  2. Set to video recording mode

  3. Dim room lights to below 10 lux

  4. Start recording video

  5. Tap the camera switch button to switch to front camera

Expected vs. Actual Behavior

Clear description of what should happen versus what actually happened

Expected: Camera switches to front camera and continues recording
Actual: Camera app freezes for 2 seconds then crashes to home screen
Severity and Priority

Assessment of the bug's impact and urgency

Severity: High (Crash)
Priority: Medium (Common but has workaround)
Supporting Evidence

Attachments that provided proof of the issue

Evidence Collection Techniques

To make our bug reports more effective, we developed several techniques for gathering compelling evidence: 

<h3>Video Documentation</h3>
<p>
  Recording video evidence was crucial, especially for issues that were hard to describe in text. We used both:
</p>
<ul>
  <li>
    <strong>External camera recordings</strong> - Showing physical interactions with the device and visible results
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Screen recording software</strong> - Capturing on-screen behavior directly (once Android made this possible)
  </li>
</ul>

<div class="quote">
  <p>"A single video demonstrating the bug could save dozens of back-and-forth emails with the development team."</p>
</div>

<h3>Log Collection</h3>
<p>
  System logs were often the most valuable evidence for the development team. We collected:
</p>

<div class="code-snippet">
  <h4>ADB Logcat Commands We Used</h4>
  <pre><code>

Basic logcat capture during issue reproduction

adb logcat -b all -v threadtime > logcat_error_12345.txt

Filtered logs focusing on a specific component

adb logcat -b all -v threadtime *:E CameraApp:V > camera_crash_logs.txt

Getting bugreport for comprehensive system state

adb bugreport > bugreport_issue_12345.zip 

<p>
  These logs provided developers with crucial context about what was happening at the system level when issues occurred. For more complex issues, we would annotate logs with timestamps corresponding to our reproduction steps.
</p>

<h3>Screenshots and Annotations</h3>
<p>
  For UI issues, we took screenshots at each step of the reproduction process, often with annotations pointing out specific problems. This visual documentation was particularly helpful for:
</p>
<ul>
  <li>Text rendering problems</li>
  <li>UI alignment issues</li>
  <li>Color discrepancies</li>
  <li>Touch target sizing problems</li>
</ul>

Communicating with the Korean Development Team

Working with LG's development team in Korea presented unique challenges. We developed several practices to ensure effective communication despite language barriers and time zone differences: 

<div class="tips-box">
  <h3>Effective Cross-Cultural Communication Tips</h3>
  <ul>
    <li>
      <strong>Use simple, clear language</strong> - Avoiding idiomatic expressions and complex technical jargon when possible
    </li>
    <li>
      <strong>Number all steps sequentially</strong> - Making it easier to reference specific points
    </li>
    <li>
      <strong>Provide visual references</strong> - Using diagrams, screenshots with arrows, and annotated images
    </li>
    <li>
      <strong>Anticipate follow-up questions</strong> - Including additional details that might be needed
    </li>
    <li>
      <strong>Schedule synchronous meetings</strong> - For complex issues, arranging video calls during overlapping work hours
    </li>
  </ul>
</div>

<p>
  Our feedback cycle typically worked like this:
</p>
<ol>
  <li>Submit detailed bug report in HP Quality Center</li>
  <li>Korean team reviews and may request additional information</li>
  <li>Development team works on fix and provides test firmware</li>
  <li>We test the fix and provide verification or additional feedback</li>
  <li>Once verified, fix is scheduled for public firmware release</li>
</ol>

Key Skills I Developed

My time testing LG smartphones at Brisa helped me develop several skills that proved valuable throughout my career: 

<div class="skills-grid">
  <div class="skill">
    <h3>Systematic Problem Solving</h3>
    <p>Learning to approach problems methodically, isolating variables, and identifying root causes.</p>
  </div>
  
  <div class="skill">
    <h3>Technical Communication</h3>
    <p>Conveying complex technical issues clearly and concisely to diverse audiences.</p>
  </div>
  
  <div class="skill">
    <h3>Detail Orientation</h3>
    <p>Developing an eye for subtle inconsistencies and potential issues in software behavior.</p>
  </div>
  
  <div class="skill">
    <h3>Cross-Cultural Collaboration</h3>
    <p>Working effectively with international teams across language barriers and time zones.</p>
  </div>
</div>

How This Experience Shaped My Career

My QA experience at Brisa testing LG smartphones laid a solid foundation for my subsequent roles. The rigorous testing methodologies, attention to detail, and systematic approach to problem-solving that I developed during this time continue to influence how I approach software development and AI solutions today. 

<p>
  The ability to think from a user's perspective, anticipate potential issues, and communicate technical concepts clearly are skills that have proven invaluable throughout my journey from QA to AI development.
</p>