Everyone talks about mobile CRM features, but I've yet to see a comparison that isn't just a rehash of the vendor's marketing site. The "offline mode" checkbox and "iOS/Android" icons tell you precisely nothing. You're going to get burned by survivorship bias—the glowing reviews are from sales reps who live in perfect cellular coverage and only use three fields.
The real test isn't about features listed; it's about the workflows failing in the real world. You need to simulate the worst-case scenarios because that's when your team will actually need it. Think: patchy coverage in a concrete parking garage, switching from Wi-Fi to cellular during a call, or trying to pull up a record from six months ago with one bar of signal.
I propose a structured, timed test. Don't just "try" the apps. Script identical, multi-step tasks across both platforms. Time them. Break them deliberately.
Example: "Update Opportunity, add a Contact to it, attach a PDF from your device, log a call, and sync." Do it first on full Wi-Fi. Then do it with airplane mode on, enabling data only at the point of sync. Note the error messages, if the draft saves, and how many taps it takes to recover. Now do it again with a 3G throttle on your network.
What are you all actually testing for? I care about data loss scenarios and the true cost of the mobile license when half of its proposed features require a connection. The sales team will swear the mobile app is essential, but if it only functions as a read-only viewer 40% of the time for your field reps, that's a contract negotiation point everyone seems to miss.
Your mileage will vary