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Hello, all.
I've got a confession to make: I like apps. A lot. To an unhealthy degree. I've got a huge stash of apps on my phone, and an even larger collection of .apk backups waiting to be reloaded whenever I feel like it. I love finding new apps to try out, and deciding which ones are worthy to be added to my collection. A lot of the apps that I find and want to try out are paid apps; without finding many thorough reviews on them, I don't know whether they are worth my money - but I can't stand the thought of missing out on the Next Big Thing. And so I buy them, download them, install them, and test them out anyway. If it's an awesome app and well-worth the money, I tell my friends. If it is money that could be better spent on another app that I've tried before, I tell my friends that, too.
Unfortunately, not all of my friends are interested in my opinion on apps. They only listen to me because of my rugged good looks (my theory). This makes me sad, because I spend a lot of time (and money, in some cases) trying apps out - someone else needs to benefit from that time (and money) as well. Until someone decides to pay/reimburse me for all the apps that I evaluate, the next-best thing I can do is offer up reviews to the community of any apps that I have found particularly useful. This is the driving force behind my desire to make this thread.
I will be running down my list of currently-installed useful applications and entertaining games. I will include screen shots, AppBrain links, and as much detail as I can muster up. My hope is that the rest of the community may find some benefit from these reviews - and who knows, maybe you'll find a kick-ass app you'd never heard of.
I'm open to questions, ideas, requests, suggestions, and pretty much any other type of communication or input that could be provided. I only ask that you be respectful - both of me, and of the app developers. And if this list helps you find a neat paid app to try out, please do support the developer(s). Piracy is bad, mmmmkay?
Enjoy!
-codesplice
Credit where credit is due: All screenshots are made using the free ShootMe app.
NOTE: Now that the Android Market has a shnazzy new web interface, I'm going to change the primary links for apps to reflect this. I will add the AppBrain links as a secondary, and hope to add direct market links at some point once I find a site to reliably provide this information. Stay tuned!
Reviews:
Minimalistic Text (Widget)
Clutch Pad(Multitasking App) UPDATED 2/24/11
CircleLauncher (Widget)
Swipe Pad (Multitasking App)
Keyboard Manager (App) UPDATED 2/23/11
Shift Puzzle Game (Game)
ElecroDroid (App)
Hella Umbrella (Game)
Digital Wall (LWP)
Shortyz Crosswords (App)
Elixir (System Info App)
Google Authenticator (App)
Zeam (Launcher)
Lookout / WaveSecure (Mobile Security App double-feature)
If you don't want to subscribe to this thread, you can follow me on that twitting thing, as I will post updates about new reviews there.
Minimalistic Text (widget)
App Name: Minimalistic Text (v.2.1.3, @AppBrain)
Developer: Devmil
Price: FREE
There is quite a handful of text-based widgets available on the Market, and a lot of them are very nice. There are widgets for displaying the time as text, the weather as text, the battery level as text.... but this is one widget that does it all. Just about every aspect of the widget is configurable, from the text alignment and rotation to the font size and colors to even the format for different types of data. You've got several options for the display type, whether you want to use digits or words or even a bar (for days of the week or percentage of battery charge). There is also an optional "blur" text effect which works wonderfully for making accented text appear to be illuminated. To top things off, this widget also functions as a plugin for Locale or Tasker and can be used to display variables from either of those applications. For instance, if you want a small text-widget to display what Locale/Tasker profiles are currently active, this is your answer for a very configurable solution.
For each widget you are also able to define an action to perform when tapped - whether it is launching another activity (my clock widget launches my alarm clock), opening the widget preferences page, or even reading out the text currently displayed on the widget. You are also able to save and restore your widget settings, so don't be afraid to experiment.
Given the sheer amount of customizations available to you with this widget app, the configuration menu may be a little bit overwhelming and complex when you first get into it. Play around for a few minutes, and you're bound to get the hang of it.
This is a fabulous widget, and one that I highly recommend to anyone who will take the time to tinker with it.
Verdict: A highly-configurable text-based widget to display pretty much anything you want, especially with Tasker integration.
Screenshots:
1) Widget(s) in action. I should note there are three separate widgets displayed: Time / weather up top, day / date on the bottom, and a battery level bar on the right-hand side.
2) Preferences Manager for all widgets
3) Text Style menu
4-5) Custom Layout configurator
(tested on NexusOne / Kang-o-rama 1.2 T1 (CM7.n13 / GRH78C / Android 2.3.2))
Clutch Pad[APP]
App Name: Clutch Pad (v.1.3v.1.4.2, @AppBrain)
Developer: stevealbright
Price: $0.99 $1.99
Clutch is an application that seeks to optimize and streamline the way you multitask on Android. It is currently in beta status, but is very functional in its current state. It is a powerful supplement to the built-in Recent Apps feature.
Clutch manifests itself as a small semi-transparent "trigger" area, which functions similar to "hot corners" on a Mac (I think. I'm a Linux/PC guy). This small region rides at the very top layer of the Android interface (in a user-configurable position) and is accessible no matter what application you may be working in. You can tap this region to instantly bring up a small grid displaying your recently-accessed applications. You can customize how many apps you want to be visible, configure the application to ignore your Home (Launcher) app in its list, and to visually distinguish currently-running applications from terminated apps. This makes it very easy to quickly determine if that app you just exited is still running or if it has been shut down as it should, as well as providing a quick (and lightweight) task switcher.
Nice, but nothing terribly fantastic. Yet. Clutch also has configurable swipe gestures - the most useful (to me) of which is a Last Task functionality. For instance, if I Swipe Up from the Clutch region, I instantly switch to whatever my previous app was. If I swipe again, I am moved back to the app I just switched from. This functions similarly to just pressing ALT+TAB quickly, and is very useful for quickly jumping between two apps.
This little utility is quick and lightweight, and I have found it to be extremely useful. It is still in development, and has many more features planned (and a price increase to accompany them - so get it quickly!) including support for additional gestures (open/close notifications, for example), on-click task control (press-and-hold to kill, for example), and configurable transition animations.
If you've got a dollar to spend, you would do well to add this application to your device in its current state, and I can only imagine the app's versatility and usefulness will increase with the further planned updates.
Update (2/24/11): Clutch Pad has recently been updated to version 1.4. With this update, the application has dropped the "Beta" tag, gained an additional "Pad" in its name, and has added additional features and configurable options. At the same time, the price has also been increased to $1.99. New features include additional swipe gestures, configurable transition animations (that are quite pretty), the option to toggle the trigger button via a press-and-hold on the Search hardware key, and a Favorites option to quickly launch your favorite apps. Options have also been added for additional visual tweaks and adjustments of both the trigger icon and the popup lists, and all known bugs have been fixed. With each incremental update, this app gets more and more useful and I find myself relying upon it more all the time. Even at the increased price, this is still one of my must-have applications.
Verdict: An innovative way to access recent apps, and the Last App gesture functionality is every bit as useful as Alt-Tabbing between apps on your desktop.
Screenshots:
1) Trigger icon
2) Recent apps list
3-5) Settings pages
(tested on NexusOne / Kang-o-rama 1.2 T1 (CM7.n13 / GRH78C / Android 2.3.2))
CircleLauncher (widget)
App Name: CircleLauncher (v.1.5.2, @AppBrain)
Developer: db-ware
Price: ~$1.37 (free, limited version here or @AppBrain)
As mentioned previously, I have a lot of apps. One of the problem with having a lot of apps is running out of room on your homescreens for app shortcuts. There are various widgets out there that propose a variety of solutions to this problem, but they often leave you with tiny, almost unusable icons. This would have been fine in the days where the trackball reigned supreme, but this is the oh-tens. It has to be finger-friendly.
One true solution that I stumbled across the other day is called CircleLauncher. What it does is really very simple, but it does it very well. It allows you to create a single widget to group similar applications together (I've used location-themed apps and clock-based apps in my example). Tape the 1x1 widget, and a lightweight menu appears to launch your apps. Pretty standard, but this menu is laid out (by default - you can change this in the settings) in a ring around the icon. As you slide your finger or thumb around the ring, the currently selected application icon grows to make selection a bit easier.
Note that CircleLauncher includes other layout types (configurable from the widget's config menu, which you access by selecting the widget and then press-and-holding the center) including horizontal and vertical lines. I was also very pleased with the way that the widget's application menu adapts to its position on the screen - stick it in a corner, and your full selection of apps will be displayed within a 90-degree pie slice.
Obviously, a menu such as this is a bit limited to a relatively low number of apps (more than 9 or 10 and the ring will be just too cluttered to be functional), but if you need to have quick access to just a few more apps from your homescreen, this should do the trick. Since there is a free version available, why not give it a shot and see if this widget can help you to organize your home screen a bit?
Verdict: An easy way to combine several app shortcuts into one.
Screenshots:
1) Plain widgets (labeled GPS and Time) - you can dress them up a bit more if you are artistically inclined.
2) One widget opened showing the full selection ring.
3) The corner widget open showing the adaptation to the position.
4) One icon expanded while my finger hovers over it.
5) Settings menu
(tested on NexusOne / Kang-o-rama 1.2 T1 (CM7.n13 / GRH78C / Android 2.3.2))
Keep going mate
gruzman said:
Keep going mate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I surely intend to! Just have to figure out which app to post next
Thanks for the encouragement though. It is appreciated to know at least someone is reading over all this mess!
SwipePad Beta [APP]
App Name: SwipePad Beta (v.0.7.5, @AppBrain)
Developer: Conduction.mobi
Price: FREE
Keeping on the theme of "apps to help you access your apps", we come to SwipePad Beta. Similar in some regard to Clutch, this app also gives you "hot corner" functionality. Use the settings menu to establish what corners (or regions) you want to be active, and then slide your finger from a specified region to the center of the screen. Hold it for just a moment, and a 3x4 grid of application shortcuts magically appears. You can, of course, fully customize what applications should appear on this grid by simply pressing your finger on an empty square or by holding your finger over an existing icon until it is highlighted. The hot corners/region and swipe gesture should work pretty much any time that the screen is unlocked, and is a great way of quickly launching a new app without returning to your home screen.
The application offers to integrate task managing application by the same developer (which is a paid app) that I haven't tried out yet. Personally, I've got plenty of other ways of killing apps at this point - particularly once the function gets built into Clutch.
SwipePad is very nicely polished and quite responsive. It does what it does quite well. My only issue with it is that I just don't use it very frequently. I almost forget that it is there; I must be thoroughly conditioned to launching apps from the home screen. It's free, though, so give it a whirl and see if it can further help to optimize the way you launch apps from within other apps
Verdict: Clever use of hot-corners to gain quick access to up to 12 user-defined apps; non-intrusive to the point that you might forget to use it.
Screenshots:
1) SwipePad in action. Note that putting a link to SwipePad on your SwipePad gives you a quick way to access the settings screens.
2) SwipePad settings, with the hot corners highlighted in red at the bottom.
(tested on NexusOne / Kang-o-rama 1.2 T1 (CM7.n13 / GRH78C / Android 2.3.2))
is there a video demonstrating the use of Clutch? I want to watch it before paying for it.
Deff fav'ing this. Am looking forward to all reviews
(*is thinking about getting clutch)
Epic is as Epic does
Nice! Thanks bro!
waichung said:
is there a video demonstrating the use of Clutch? I want to watch it before paying for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I imagine there should be a video somewhere on the youtubes. Let me know if you find one and I will add it to the post. I'm about to go into work so it will be another 12 hours before I have access to the full internet, but I will look then if you haven't found anything.
Very good! Thanks
Keyboard Manager [APP]
App Name: Keyboard Manager (v.1.1) Keyboard Manager (v.1.4)
Developer: ne0fhyk
Price: FREE $1.99
NOTE: This app requires root!!
It took me quite a while, but I finally weened myself away from requiring a physical keyboard on a mobile device when I got my NexusOne. With the multitude and variety of available software keyboards available for Android, I haven't really missed the physical keys. The only annoyance at this point is that I find keyboards that work great for one-handed operation in portrait orientation, like Swype or 8pen (if you're in the mood for adventure and don't really care how long it takes to get a message completed ), but are next-to-worthless for dual-thumb landscape input. With a physical keyboard, you'd just slide that bad boy out and away you go. For those of us with only a touchscreen and maybe a few additional buttons, it can be a bit of a chore to manually change the selected input method each time we rotate the device. If only there was a way for the device to read my mind and select the appropriate keyboard.....
As luck would have it, XDA member ne0fhyk has provided us with a solution to this difficulty, in the form of his Keyboard Manager application. Simply select what keyboard you want to use in each orientation (I use Swype for portrait and SwiftKey for landscape), and the app will handle the tedious business of choosing the appropriate input method. It's that easy, and it works.
Mostly. The app is a bit of a hacked solution, and requires root permissions to be able to get around the Android security feature which prevents applications from changing the input method. Installation is not always straight-forward (instructions are available in the first post of the application thread, and it may cause a few software keyboards to force-close if you change orientation while the keyboard is displayed. The current version (1.1) has come a long way from the previous releases in terms of usability, stability, and reliability, and I haven't had any major issues with it. I highly recommend that you give this application a shot and see if it will help you out with your input needs.
Update (2/23/11): Keyboard Manager is no longer available for free, but is now installable from the Android Market. The now-current 1.4 version has fixed most of the install issues and should be a very easy set-up for you. If you run into any issues with the purchased version, please contact the developer - he helped me solve issues specific to my device, and the application works like a charm now.
Verdict: A functional hack to auto-select the appropriate software keyboard based on device orientation.
Screenshots:
1) The optional persistent notification icon. Activating the notification will give you quick access to the Keyboard Manager settings page, and I recommend you leave it enabled until you get things set up the way you want. After that, disable the persistent notification at your own risk (the persistent notification keeps the process in the foreground and prevents Android from terminating it).
2) Settings screen
3) Selecting which keyboard to use
4) Demonstrating that the app has automatically selected Swype for portrait...
5) .... and SwiftKey for landscape.
(tested on NexusOne / Kang-o-rama 1.2 T1 (CM7.n13 / GRH78C / Android 2.3.2))
Shift Puzzle Game [GAME]
App Name: Shift Puzzle Game (v.1.2, @AppBrain)
Developer: Handmark
Price: $1.99 (Free ad-supported version here or @AppBrain let's you try out 15 levels; full version features 40 additional levels and no ads)
The Shift Puzzle Game is a tasty Android port of the ever-popular SHIFT game by Armor Games, which you can play free in your Flash-enabled browser at the Armor Games website. If you're not familiar with the original (as I wasn't until I found this app just an hour ago), then let me fill you in on the skinny.
Shift is a new take on the classic adventure-puzzle platformer game. Your mission is to get from point A to point B, dodging whatever nasty traps and obstacles may be in your path. The twist is the ability for you to literally shift the game universe upside down. White becomes black, up becomes down, and you find yourself walking on the flip side of the surface you were just standing on. You can (and will) use this clever maneuver repeatedly in order to successfully navigate each challenging level. Not quite tracking? It can be rather tough to explain... Hopefully the screenshots below will help clear it up (or go play the flash version for free here).
This implementation for a touchscreen device is phenomenal. The controls are large and appear on either side of the landscape display - and you don't even need multitouch. Just tap the left arrow to move left, the left-up diagonal to jump left, and the SHIFT button at the top to do that groovy shift thing. The gameplay is engaging, and the levels can be quite challenging (and quite addictive). The game is worth trying out (the free version) solely for experiencing the joy that is puzzle-solving by twisting the fabric of the universe, and you might just get hooked enough to purchase the full version. It would be two bucks well spent.
Verdict: Quickly becoming my latest Android gaming addiction.
Screenshots:
1) Main menu
2) First level
3) First level - SHIFTED!
4) It gets twisted!
(tested on NexusOne / Kang-o-rama 1.2 T1 (CM7.n13 / GRH78C / Android 2.3.2))
This is a little off topic but is anyone attempting a Tor app?
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA App
jinsfch said:
This is a little off topic but is anyone attempting a Tor app?
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just slightly off topic, but no worries.
A quick search on AppBrain found Orbot: Tor On Android. Impressive, since Android still doesn't have proper proxy support on its own...
Can't find clutch video on youtube...
Btw,i think swipepad is better than it as swyping from the bottom is easier than from the right
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
waichung said:
Can't find clutch video on youtube...
Btw,i think swipepad is better than it as swyping from the bottom is easier than from the right
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I looked for Clutch videos as well and was disappointed to see that there aren't any. I may try to shoot a video once I get home from the desert in a few weeks (hopefully).
You can change the position of the Clutch region to really any spot on the screen. And I don't really see the two as competing anyway as they have entirely different purposes: Clutch gives you quick access to your recently-executed apps, while SwipePad offers a fixed menu of apps for you to launch.
codesplice said:
I looked for Clutch videos as well and was disappointed to see that there aren't any. I may try to shoot a video once I get home from the desert in a few weeks (hopefully).
You can change the position of the Clutch region to really any spot on the screen. And I don't really see the two as competing anyway as they have entirely different purposes: Clutch gives you quick access to your recently-executed apps, while SwipePad offers a fixed menu of apps for you to launch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The likely alt-tab function of clutch is really fantastic but does it show the recently-executed apps or the running apps? I use swipepad together with the virtual task switcher which allows switching among the running tasks. These 2 apps are completely free and no need to paid $1 for the "swipepad: tasks". But I prefer quick accessing recent tasks to showing those apps running at the background.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
waichung said:
The likely alt-tab function of clutch is really fantastic but does it show the recently-executed apps or the running apps? I use swipepad together with the virtual task switcher which allows switching among the running tasks. These 2 apps are completely free and no need to paid $1 for the "swipepad: tasks". But I prefer quick accessing recent tasks to showing those apps running at the background.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The set {recently-executed} apps includes the subset {running apps}. The default behavior of Android is to show all recently-executed apps under the Recent Apps functionality, regardless of whether those apps are still running or have been terminated. I thought that Visual Task Switcher behaved the same way, but based on the application page it does appear to only display currently-running apps. Personally, I prefer to see recent apps (with a visual distinction between those that are still running and those that have been terminated), as I often end up re-launching the same app over and over; of course, you could also just pin a shortcut to those frequent apps to SwipePad. We all operate our devices in different ways, so either option is of course valid.
Visual Task Switcher (at least the last time that I used it) tended to make my phone lag significantly for whatever reason; I did use it for quite some time though, and was pleased with its functionality as a complete Recent Apps replacement (after configuring the long-press home trigger to launch it via CyanogenMod settings). Also note that the free version includes ads (which may contribute to the lag I was experiencing?) while the full version will set you back $1.99.
Claystone is a new 3D Android home screen replacement, media player, and launcher. We currently distributing developer preview betas to improve the product and get valuable feedback from the developer community. We are looking for feedback about the UI, stability, and overall functionality before we launch on Android Market.
What is unique about this home screen replacement is a 3D user interface with embedded viewers for video, photos, file browsing, web browser, YouTube, contacts, RSS news feeds, and more. The UI was designed for browsing content while you are viewing content.
Feature Summary
- Android 2.1 and higher home screen replacement
- Smart phone optimized
- 3D interface taking advantage of OpenGL
- Integrated media viewer apps for video, file browser, YouTube, web browser, photos, contacts, RSS reader, with more to come…
- Viewer apps bring functionality to the home screen and extending what you can do directly from your home screen in Android
- Claystone reduces the dependence on starting separate app for each media content type and our goal is to provide a more convenient and integrated experience
Widgets
- The Beta 3 widget experience will be replaced with a more standard widget implementation in Beta 4
Getting Started Tips
- Use the swipe left-right gesture to move through the stacked 3D panels
- The following items on the Home panel allow integrated viewing of content in the 3D interface: YouTube, Video, Photos, Contacts, File Browser, Web Browser, RSS Feeds
- Use the press-and-hold gesture throughout Claystone to access additional functions and options
Claystone is Now Available in Android Market
- Claystone is now available in Android Market
- Search for the keyword "Claystone"
Sounds sweet. I hope it won't force me to use popups for anything?
On my phone HTC HD2 (Android 2.3) will work?
Rosa Elefant said:
Sounds sweet. I hope it won't force me to use popups for anything?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Claystone launches Android Apps full screen and the panels load in a 3D stack that you can scroll through using a left-right finger swipe.
Great, worth a try then thanks!
vespend said:
On my phone HTC HD2 (Android 2.3) will work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android 2.1 and higher are supported so Android 2.3 should pose no issues.
We have tested on HTC devices and the screen resolution is also ideal for claystone.
Let us know if you have any issues.
Doesn't display well on HVGA screen...LG P500
> Doesn't display well on HVGA screen...LG P500
We've been working on getting a bunch more devices to test on. Stay tuned!
Hi. On my Original Droid when a screen is enlarged, it is off to my left and never 100% visible. Also, it was very slow. This may be due to my phone being rooted, but I had to uninstall.
cyanide911 said:
Doesn't display well on HVGA screen...LG P500
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 I can confirm that. The dock icons are huge and the widgets misaligned.
Anyone tried this on a Droid X?
I'm gonna give it a try this evening. I think I tried the earlier beta a few days ago and it had issues as if the screen was off to the left etc. I attributed it to possibly a bad install or something.. I'll give beta 3 a go and report. Screenshot anomolies, etc.
Always a fan of new UI development.
Seems smoother, apps scoll much better-still not fluid yet. Widget screen is bigger. Will give overall in a little while. Limited widgets. Missing recent box-I liked that
On the right track though...
Love the concept of this launcher, but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to get portrait mode working. Using HD2 on 2.3.3 and it is always in landscape, and has no bottom bar.
Try it on the hd2 with cm7 and it work good I would make the 3d windows or what they are called a little bigger and maybe customizable options but other then that good work
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA Premium App
Added Widgets gone after a reboot to be never seen again. <-beta 2 retained these
Still sluggish
Would be nice to be able to resize/move panels
No picture/video bar across top on tablet
SD card (sd2) still not being seen only main storage
You tube still unstable, but better than beta 2
cannot see/launch launchbar
Keep up the good work-it's getting there
unfortunately, I still cannot use this as my daily launcher.
I think you will have more customers if you made a fully customizable one of these...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=13070948
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=907551
On my phone, the window isn't centered, its too far right and down.
Also the dock is huge.
Nevertheless, this is a fresh idea and I see some potential.
Sent from my HTC Legend
It looks nice maybe i will try this on my sgs
Looks a bit like the palm os with the cards. Works fine at all, but it would be nice if the stacks were a little bigger. Maybe it would be possible that the cards go fullscreen when they get focus, and with the homebutton you can make them smaller to see them like its now in standard view.
But thats just a little idea.
Glad to see where this is going.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App
Beta 3
Still off to the left somewhat but better centered. Complicated to figure out. Videos are small and do not play in landscape and it's difficult to tell which windows are open esp difference between home, app..............Editing launcher bar is nice. Is there a settings (not the one for the phone or info for contact available via the app?
Hi
Anyone found a way to group apps in the appdrawer ? as in folder structure and so on?
Been trying my darnedest with no luck... On the other hand my LG G3 ( also with lollipop) allows me to do what I need with no issues
Suggestions ladies and gents?
You'll need to use a different launcher...
Sent from my SHIELD Tablet using XDA Free mobile app
Any suggestions regarding a clean and simple launcher?
Wouldn't mind a recommendation
I'd wait to hear if anyone else has any suggestions, but I hear many like Nova Launcher (I believe you'd need the "Prime" version for folders/groupings in the app drawer though).
Personally, I'm using ADW Launcher Ex and like it quite a bit, but can't recommend it as it hasn't been updated in a LONG time and many suggest it's been abandoned (although the dev recently tweeted something that indicates otherwise...)
Let us know what you try.
Sent from my SHIELD Tablet using XDA Free mobile app
After testing back and forth I ended up with Nova ( paid for the Prime edition, worth it)
tested ( not in any particular order):
Google Now = Too focused on Google now features ( that I don't use), didn't add much, and I still couldn't app folders to appdrawer
ADW = Felt a tad sluggish compared to Nova, tons of themes and such but hasn't been updated for a while ( like An Droid said) still a good launcher, seems to have more options then Nova, so better for tweaking and customisation
Apex = A toss up between this one and nova. This one might have more features, but I found the functions on nova more user-friendly. I'd say "too close to call "on this one
Yahoo Aviate Launcher = In short, too automated, it tries to learn from you, predict your actions and such. Like grouping the apps based on auto defined categories and trying to constantly come with suggestions on how to use , where to use and when to use it. Most things can be tweaked and customised, like groups and folders for apps, suggestions for apps and automation level. It just wasn't for me. Too busy and a bit of a resource hog . Though some cool features were tempting, like the location based home screen and app drawer organisation. One sett of settings and home layouts for when the tab senses it's at work, and another for home, then another for evening and another for... and so on.. tons of possibilities. I'm just not into the automation stuff
Buzz Launcher= Very interesting launcher , very customisable, tons and tons and tons ....and tons of themes. But a bit too much. Though you can always tweak everything , and if you don't like your, icon pack, home design, appdrawer etc... you just download someone else's. Tons of option...but felt a bit like everything and the kitchen sink. Don't get me wrong , found some fancy stuff in there, cool themes that go far far far beyond a desktop wallpaper tweak with funky icons. I't just more for the designer that doesn't mind fussing over 30++ pages of themes and icon + wallpaper combos, then spend a while adjusting them. But it ended up being a launcher where I spent more time testing other people "launcher" setups, then actualy using the function of the launcher it self ( if you catch my drift) if I spent long enough I'm sure I would have landed on a favourite theme ..... eventually
Action Launcher Pro = A bit like aviate, but not so automated. decent set of features, some automation and habit pattern recognition ( sees what you do and tries in certain cases to predict what you need)... but left me with a bit of a "meh" feeling. Not bad, just not great
I spent 2-3 days with each ( I know it's not nearly enough time, but gives you a sense whether you might like it or not)
WHY NOVA?
Well, it's
sleek
simple
fast
minimal resources
A decent selection of features , the the possibilities to add more
Gesture based actions and short-cut customisation
Intuitive menus and settings
In short simple enough download and leave as is, but still open to a decent amount of tweaks. very fast and responsive.
NOTE Non of the launchers were really something you would call sluggish. We are talking about a tiny margin, and a very subjective opinion! And the Shield is a beast after all
As a point of reference, I also own a note 10.1 2014 32 GB, and it's sluggish ( even after several factory resets and barely any apps / services running), not rooted though ( warranty issue ), Running stock touchWiz "enhanced" Kitkat.
Keep in mind I went on the hunt simply recourse I wanted to find a way to sort out the folders in appdrawer issue. With NovaI found that as well as a few features I didn't really look for , but welcomed non-the less.
Nova is very much Recommended!
hopes this helps
Cheers lads!
Game Launcher
Hyperlapse
Motion panorama
Quick Call
Bye-Bye-App-drawer
New Edge UI
Always On Display
Motion Panorama.
too many to list. but I guess off the top of my head:
the display:
literally the best consumer display in the world with virtually perfect professional reference level color fidelity, paper-like clarity with no diagonal edge bias (due to innovative proprietary diamond subpixel arrangement), infinite contrast and eye punching brightness that maintains perfectly even saturation and contrast unlike with lcd. Moreover the Screen calibration feature allows for various color space standards which is a must-have for professional photography or graphic work. Extremely High sensitivity screen allows for gloved use. Only just enough bezel to allow for screen edge swiping with a case installed leaving the device as narrow as possible making it much more nimble for one handed use and a bit less pants pocket stretching. Always on display is great as it allows me to check the time, date and notifications without having to turn on my phone--far superior in so many ways to the old way of decoding the color and speed of the flashing led.
Samsung pay:
their proprietary technology allows the device to simulate a magnetic card swipe which works anywhere unlike android pay and apple pay which only work on certain terminals. It constantly amazes everyone.
IP68 water and dust proof:
As beautiful as the S7 is it is indeed a fingerprint magnet. This is a problem with many phones so stylishly slick but unlike other phones when the S7 loses its lustre you can simply rinse it off under the sink and polish it off with a bath towel--good as new.
Powered USB otg with support for so many add ons:
gaming controllers, midi keyboards, file storage, keyboards, mice. I was surprised to find that I can charge another device with my phone and even spin up and operate a USB hard disk without any need for additional power cables.
the camera:
so amazing I use it for augmented vision. Not only can I inspect from the distance whether that little spot on the wall is a fly or a spider without getting off my lazy ass but I can see and read things where it would otherwise be far too dim for my eyes to see without need for additional lighting. Oh yea, and it also takes amazing pictures in just two clicks. I never miss a shot because even in the rare times when I would I can rely on motion photo to reverse time and recapture the picture just how I wanted. The expanding library of camera modes just kick it over the edge of awesomeness. In real world use I tend to switch between auto, pro, rear selfie, slow motion, and gif maker. I use burst a lot too which is available whenever you press and hold the shoot button.
ui:
I've found split screen and pop up mode more and more useful for working with and between multiple apps. Web browsing and reading while streaming music or watching YouTube and/or chating just feels great. I use my laptop so little these days which is so much better for my posture. Text selection is also improved paired with the hypersensitive screen. You can rely on the precision of the tip of your thumbnail and not the blunt tip of your finger. The adjustable dpi hack gives you more work space immediately expanding the usefulness of large screen.
I haven't even begun to touch on so many other things but I can definitely go on if anyone wants me to.
This is by far the most satisfied I've ever been with a phone and I've been using smart phones since when they were called PDAs. I never thought I'd be so satisfied with a non rooted android device but I don't find myself missing anything except perhaps the stereo sound hack and the Xposed framework but with all the features I'm discovering and looking forward to the gear vr Im sure I'll find enough ways not to care.
I don't use any of the features you listed, but i'd say my favorite "features" are (no particular order)
-Double tap home for camera shortcut
-Theme engine
-Split screen
-triple tap home for one handed use
Best hardware features are easily the screen and the camera. Build quality is amazing, honestly feels better in the hand than metal IMO, and IP68 is just an awesome feature to have.
Samsung has activated Display scaling in the newest Galaxy S7 firmware, it gives the user greater control over how much information is packed onto the screen.
That one isn't hidden anymore. Nice!
Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk
jamesava said:
Samsung has activated Display scaling in the newest Galaxy S7 firmware, it gives the user greater control over how much information is packed onto the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how do you get to that setting?
konoplya said:
how do you get to that setting?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the display menu if you received the last update, otherwise you have to download Nova Launcher and activate through a specific nova action (you can then uninstall Nova).
Steps to follow :
Step 1: Head on over to the Google Play Store and download Nova Launcher
Step 2: Launch Nova Launcher. There's no need to set it as a default.
Step 3: Do a long-press on the home screen and tap on Widgets.
Step 4: Look for the Activities widget and bring it to the home screen.
Step 5: Look for Settings and tap on .DisplayScalingActivity. This will create a shortcut on the home screen.
Step 6: Tap on the newly created shortcut. There you have it, the option to go either Standard or Condensed.
exploreresp said:
In the display menu if you received the last update, otherwise you have to download Nova Launcher and activate through a specific nova action (you can then uninstall Nova).
Steps to follow :
Step 1: Head on over to the Google Play Store and download Nova Launcher
Step 2: Launch Nova Launcher. There's no need to set it as a default.
Step 3: Do a long-press on the home screen and tap on Widgets.
Step 4: Look for the Activities widget and bring it to the home screen.
Step 5: Look for Settings and tap on .DisplayScalingActivity. This will create a shortcut on the home screen.
Step 6: Tap on the newly created shortcut. There you have it, the option to go either Standard or Condensed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the last update you're talking about is the one from T-Mobile? I have T-Mobile and I got one update from Samsung and one from T-Mobile.
Nop, it's a Sammy update that began to roll out a couple days ago fixing some side touching issues, photo stuff too and a lot of other things too
S7 here..Stock..TouchWiz Launcher..T-Mobile carrier
#1 Feature: Samsung Pay. When I saw my wife use her Note 5 to pay at WalMart, my MotoX Pure suddenly became obsolete.
#2. SD Card has returned. 32GB onboard isn't sufficient for me and now with 128GB extra, I'm content.
#3, Android 6.0.1. Battery Optimizations net me 20 total hours on battery with a 4-6 hour Screen On Time. Wow!
#4 Gear VR compatibility. I have the VR and it is stunning and so next-generation.
#5 Speaker is loud. While not idea for cranking up the tunes, it's perfect for voice calls and voicemail.
#6 SideSync and SmartSwitch. These two apps fill in the features that iTunes backup and Continuity brought to iOS.
#7 TouchWiz is scaled down enough to not get in the way of using the phone. Still packed with options, but it works right out of the box.
Does anyone have a port of a rom from say the S20 for Android 11 on the Fold 2 I want those new features.
Would have been nice if Samsung did a Android 11 beta with the Fold 2 as well and not just the S20.
I hear you. You would think Samsung's most expensive phone would get the best service. Samsung should have a team working to get it out FIRST. I know they had to make some major changes, but Android 11 adds a lot of the multi screen stuff native.
Samsung said the the phone needs extra attention so it will be later. (From a Samsung Tweet).
AquaticXi said:
Does anyone have a port of a rom from say the S20 for Android 11 on the Fold 2 I want those new features.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let the S20 owners "test" all the bugs in the beta and give us Fold2 owners a stable build for Xmas
JagXK8 said:
Would have been nice if Samsung did a Android 11 beta with the Fold 2 as well and not just the S20.
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Click to collapse
The Note line doesn't even get the beta.
It's simply because the S20 series phones have the largest user base, so it makes sense to target them for the best possible and consistent bug reporting.
Samsung users don't really see the huge benefits of each iteration of Android, because generally new features have already appeared within OneUI. Seems Google take on cool Samsung features each year
So I am much more interested in what OneUI 3.0 is going to bring to the table (following info is from September 2020, so more features and amendments are likely since this release):
One UI 3.0 based on Android 11 – Beta Changelog September 2020
Home screen
Touch and hold an app to add an associated widget
Turn the screen off by double-tapping on an empty are of the Home screen. You can turn this on in Settings > Advanced features > Motion and gestures.
Lock screen
Dynamic Lock screen now has more categories,, and you can select more than one.
Lock screen widgets are improved.
Quick panel
See your conversations and media more conveniently in their own sections when you swipe down from the top of the screen.
AOD
Always On Display widgets are improved.
Accessibility
Get quick access to the most important accessibility settings during device setup.
Get recommended accessibility features based on what you use.
Set the Accessibility shortcut more easily in settings.
Sound detectors now work with your SmartThings devices such as TVs and lights to give you more visible alerts when the doorbell rings or a baby is crying.
Samsung Keyboard
You can find the keyboard in settings more easily under General management in Settings, and the settings have been reorganized to put the most important ones first.
Samsung DeX
You can now connect to supported TVs wirelessly.
New touchpad multi-gestures let you change screen zoom and font size more easily.
Internet
Added ability to block websites from redirecting you when you tap the Back button.
Added warnings and blocking options for websites that shot too many pop-ups or notifications.
Rearranged menus to make things easier to find.
Added several new add-ons, including one that translates websites.
Added option hide the status bar for a more immersive browsing experience.
Increased maximum number of open tabs to 99.
Added ability to lock and reorder tabs.
Improved design for tab bar which is now supported on all devices.
Ended support for Samsung Internet edge panel.
Contacts & Phone
Added the ability to edit multiple linked contacts at one time.
Added an option to help you quickly delete duplicate contacts.
Enhanced the search experience.
Extended the storage period of the Trash bin from 15 to 30 days.
Phone/Call background
Added the ability to customize the call screen with your own pictures and videos.
Messages
Created a Trash bin to store recently deleted messages.
Call & Text on other devices
Added the ability to turn Call & text on other devices on or off with Bixby Routines.
Calendar
Events with the same start time are now shown together in month and agenda view.
Reorganized options for adding and editing events.
Improved layout for full screen alerts.
Reminder
Improved layout for full screen alerts
Digital wellbeing and Parental controls
Added trends to your weekly report. You can see how your usage has changed since the previous week and check your usage time for each feature.
Added phone usage time while driving to the weekly report.
Added a lock screen widget so you can check your screen time without unlocking your phone.
Added separate profiles for personal and work modes so you can track your screen time separately.
Camera
Improved auto-focus and auto exposure functionality and usability.
Improved stabilization when taking pictures of the moon at high zoom levels.
Photo editor
Added the ability to revert edited pictures back to their original versions.
Bixby Routine
Grouped preset routines help you get started quickly and learn how to build your own routines easily.
You can now see what actions are reversed when a routine ends.
New conditions have been added, such as a specific start time, the disconnection of a Bluetooth device or Wi-Fi network, a call from a specific number, and more.
New actions have been added, including talking to Bixby and accessibility actions.
You can add a customized icon for each routine and add routines to the Lock screen for quick access.
.
Hex Themes users have to think that way used for theme installation is hacky. There is a big chance new iteration of OneUI will block it and there will be no way to apply it any more.
I wish OneUI would let you use Icon Packs from the Google Play Store, like OxygenOS on 1+ phone does. These icons from the Samsung Theme store are pretty terrible and they dont cover as many icon as the Icon Packs do.
CtK4949 said:
I wish OneUI would let you use Icon Packs from the Google Play Store, like OxygenOS on 1+ phone does. These icons from the Samsung Theme store are pretty terrible and they dont cover as many icon as the Icon Packs do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It can be initially tedious but using Nova Launcher allows you to customize your icons. So if you have some preferred set of icons (even like iOS ones from the JB community) you can manually apply them and save a back up.
burrzoo said:
It can be initially tedious but using Nova Launcher allows you to customize your icons. So if you have some preferred set of icons (even like iOS ones from the JB community) you can manually apply them and save a back up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem is that Nova forces the cover display to mimic the main display layout, which forced either poor use of the real estate on the main display, or extremely cramped cover display. On top of that, Nova + native gestures don't work too well and is a bit buggy. I've learned to appreciate Samsung's default home and use GoodLock + hex to make small changes.
But if OneUI were to allow us to use icon packs from the play store - I'd be absolutely besotted and would never even think about using Nova again. I hate ugly icons so much that I'm using Samsung's browser (which admittedly isn't bad at all since it works well on the Fold 2) because I hate looking at Google's ugly icon on my dock. I'll occasionally use Nova since it's already setup, but I miss bug-free native gestures + the awesome animations that come with the stock launcher.
burrzoo said:
It can be initially tedious but using Nova Launcher allows you to customize your icons. So if you have some preferred set of icons (even like iOS ones from the JB community) you can manually apply them and save a back up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would use Action Launcher, but it doesn't work that well on this phone.
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AhsanU said:
The problem is that Nova forces the cover display to mimic the main display layout, which forced either poor use of the real estate on the main display, or extremely cramped cover display. On top of that, Nova + native gestures don't work too well and is a bit buggy. I've learned to appreciate Samsung's default home and use GoodLock + hex to make small changes.
But if OneUI were to allow us to use icon packs from the play store - I'd be absolutely besotted and would never even think about using Nova again. I hate ugly icons so much that I'm using Samsung's browser (which admittedly isn't bad at all since it works well on the Fold 2) because I hate looking at Google's ugly icon on my dock. I'll occasionally use Nova since it's already setup, but I miss bug-free native gestures + the awesome animations that come with the stock launcher.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm looking into cloning KLWP as I've heard you can use a separate Preset on the cover so as not to have the issue you spoke about (& still use Nova).
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