Creating iPhone App Demos

To demo an iPhone App without a phone for a presentation, video demo etc. there are a number of options each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

1. Screen captures

Use the built-in screen capture shortcut (hold the "home" button, then hit the "power/sleep" button) to capture of your screen as a photo. You can then use these images to create an animation or include in a PowerPoint presentation.

Advantage: No extra software or equipment required.

Disadvantage: Not a true capture of the app use, just a series of screen shots.

2. Video Camera

Use a video camera to show someone using the app.

Advantages: It shows a true working scenario.

Disadvantages: Relatively easy to do but difficult to do well i.e. camera needs to be stable, the lighting needs to be correct to prevent glare on the screen and the users hands can get in the way of the screen.

3. Screen capture the simulator

If you have the Xcode IDE and the iPhone Simulator installed on a Mac then you can run the app in the simulator and capture the screen then use a tool like iShowU to do a video capture of the simulator on your Mac screen.

Advantages: Good representation of the working app.

Disadvantages: The simulator is not an exact copy of the iPhone device and not everything works the same especially if you are trying to show features like dialing a number or a hardware feature such as the camera which is not included in the simulator.

4. Capture the iPhone screen

The final option is to record the iPhone screen itself. This is something when you first go to do it you think there should be a straight forward way either via a built in feature or an app but there isn't.

This can however be done as follows but only on a jailbroke phone:

1. Install ScreenSplitr via Cydia on the iPhone
2. On the Mac install iDemo
3. Install iShowU on the Mac (or a similar tool)
4. Start ScreenSplitr on the iPhone
5. Launch iDemo on the Mac (the iPhone may ask you to accept the connection) - it will list available phones (this will work via. USB or WiFi)
6. Launch iShowU to record the session.

I have only tried this on the iPhone 3 with ScreenSplitr but Display Recorder may be better  but only runs on 3GS and higher.

Advantages: Allows you to record a true life demo directly from the iPhone device.

Disadvantages: You need a jailbroke phone and there are allot of pieces to get working.