emulator
software that pretends to be a phone on a computer
An emulator runs a copy of a phone's operating system on a computer. Apps install and run on it as on a real phone. Teams use emulators to test many phone models without buying each one. Some behaviour, such as sensors or speed, can differ from real hardware.
Think of it as
A flight simulator: close to the real cockpit, cheaper to use, but not the same as flying.
Ideas that use this term