The Android mobile operating system is an open source technology that gives individual manufacturers the freedom to modify the system and add their own applications. Most smartphone and tablet manufacturers provide certain applications built into the devices. One of the most important components that come built in is the user interface. Although Google has its own set of design guidelines that are implemented in its Nexus series, other manufacturers pre-install their own user interface software on top of the Android system. While Samsung is known for its TouchWiz UI, HTC phones have the Sense UI installed on all of their devices. These components load up your home screen, help you navigate through a list of your apps, and also provide advanced features like facial recognition, pattern-based lock, and more.
However, the user is free to choose their own launcher and customize their phones. Several individual app developers have released their own Android launchers on the Google Play store, which can be downloaded and used on top of their manufacturer’s user interface. These launchers give you a home screen, Windows navigation, and certain touch actions. In the past few months, a couple of interesting launcher apps have been released that have taken the Android user experience to a whole new level.
has. Aviate – This launcher is still in beta, but can only be used based on invite codes. Even in its beta phase, the look and feel of this app is extremely polished. The unique thing about this launcher is that it uses contextual information to redesign the home screen with the apps that users are most likely to need. Based on the location obtained from the GPS sensors and some simple settings made by the user, it can intelligently determine if the person is at work, home or on the road, and will also present the user with applications for that purpose. Additionally, it classifies installed apps into different collections, making it easy to find them in times of need.
b. Themer: Themer is not just a launcher but it allows the user to set the entire theme of their phone. The power to configure even the smallest detail of the appearance of the phone is in the hands of the user through this application. Various themes are available in its own library, and users only need to apply one of these to enjoy a new look. All available themes are equally impressive and cater to a wide range of individual tastes. The home screens themselves provide many important features that make browsing through the list of installed apps redundant.
