Glossary

Plain definitions of the terms you meet when you work with phones in the cloud.

D

Dedicated deviceA dedicated device is reserved for one purpose or one customer instead of being shared. Here is how it works on Android and Apple devices, what dedicated means for hosted hardware, and five questions to ask a provider.Read the definition Device as a service (DaaS)Device as a service (DaaS) is a subscription in which a provider supplies laptops or phones and manages them from setup to retirement. Here is how it works, a worked example, the hosted variation, and how DaaS differs from SaaS and from leasing.Read the definition

E

EmulatorAn emulator is software that reproduces a phone's hardware on a computer so its operating system and apps can run there. Here is how it works, how it differs from a simulator and from a real device, and the limits that Google's and Apple's own documentation point out.Read the definition

I

iOS SimulatorThe iOS Simulator is Apple's Xcode tool for running iOS apps on a Mac without an iPhone. Here is what it is good for, what Apple says it cannot replicate, why it is not an emulator, and what changed with Device Hub in Xcode 27.Read the definition

M

MCP (Model Context Protocol)The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that connects AI assistants to external tools and data. Here is how it works, how it differs from an API, what to check before you connect a server, and what it looks like in practice.Read the definition

R

Real device cloudA real device cloud hosts physical phones in a data centre and lets you use them from your browser. Here is how it works, why it gives truer results than simulators, and where it is used beyond app testing.Read the definition

T

Two-factor authentication (2FA)Two-factor authentication (2FA) asks for two different kinds of proof before you sign in. Here is how it works, how passkeys, authenticator apps and SMS codes compare, and why every person on a team needs their own account and second factor.Read the definition