Table of Contents
Introduction
A large number of first-time users, who take the hands of the smartphone after the push-button phone, just does not understand its interface. Even though the friendliness of Android OS. Further, they have a question, “It’s a smartphone and then everything is possible, right? How can I make it easier to interface? “The answer is not less simple – replace the” launcher. ” Snag only on what.
From the standpoint of the common man in all the shells have a lot of desktops, folders, and some of menus. Such “launchers” not credible for beginners who need something simple. For these users, a good option is Smart Launcher 2. What is it and how it works?
History
In August 2012 has been officially launched shell Smart Launcher. She went very minimalistic and simple but with each update received new features and capabilities. February 15, 2014, developers have released the second version of the program, which is described as «Simple. Light. Faster »(« Simple. Easy. Fast “).
Interface
Smart Launcher application does not look like any of the existing shells. In his mind it’s hard to understand what kind of system costs on a smartphone.
The interface itself looks very exclusive and quite unusual.
The main screen shell, so to speak, is presented work desk with some two widgets differently and not to say. The first consists of the upper dial electronic clock (time is displayed in 24-hour format) and date (day, week, month, year). Date is highlighted strip, which, as it divides the two themes symbols and allocates time, because it is urgent. Naturally, by pressing on the dial will reference to a standard alarm clock, timers and stopwatches, and pressing the send date to the calendar. Everything is standard here.
The second widget is much more interesting. It looks like a flower, however, for some reason, with six petals. If a little aside from that and look at the settings, you can find out what they are called bubbles, and on Google Play the whole structure is referred to as a flower.
Each petal – an improvised application icon. Icons are used own: handset – “dialer” note – audio player, Earth – does, and so on. By default, they are made in white style, but when I select a new theme and changing the color scheme.
If need to add labels other applications, then click in the center of the widget and add the necessary touch of the button. It turned out that not only can add programs and games, but also folders. The latter is very practical.
When you open a folder, you can see the software icon located there, they are not signed, so I have to find the right application “to the touch.” It’s not as convenient, developers could implement the mapping name as an option. But it is what it is. Perhaps this feature will be presented later as “launcher” is under active development.
It is worth noting that the updates come out very often – weekly, if not more often.
And now a few words about the wallpaper. You can install any, live wallpapers are also supported.
The following discussion focuses on the standard. There are four species, exactly the kind of one, but four colors. They are quite attractive.
Placing widgets on the home screen, the shell can not. There is a special table, or rather several. Their number can be set at the discretion of the user in the program settings. Work tables are turned over very smoothly if you use more than one table, you can include specific indicators.
the only disappointing fact that the tables with the widgets are only available in the paid version of the expanded Smart Launcher 2. Widgets are placed on the tables in the standard way, support scaling.
applications menu is opened by clicking on the corresponding icon in the right lower right corner. But get into it in another way. Smart Launcher 2, as well as many other applications, follow the trend and support your application. The current trend – swype (text input method does not leave your finger on the screen). “Swipe” from the left side of the display, you can go to the menu with the applications, as well as move into categories. And all this without having to open your finger from the screen. By default, both methods are available, but if necessary can be left one of them.
On the left side we appear categories of applications, and in the right directly to the applications themselves, which are in the appropriate category. Five categories. They correspond to the basic types of applications: communications, internet, games, media, utilities and settings. Icons look quite clearly and made in the style of the shell. I think the icon with a gamepad can be understood that these are games and entertainment applications, and for the icon with globe expected hiding applications associated with the Internet.
For convenience, the wallpaper in the menu “shadowed”, so icons and their labels stand out. This option is enabled by default, but it can be turned off in the settings.
In automatic mode, the application themselves” laid out “on the desired shelves. This is done based on the requirements of the application, and, possibly, through its own database, if there is one. Implemented is not always correct. Games and some unpopular programs are often not in their categories, and in the subject with communications. If you want to move the application icon to a different location, then click on it and after the opening of a special menu can move it to the desired category. By the way, from this menu, you can run the application, change its icon, delete and even hide. That is, we do not have to do much fuss for elementary actions.
In order to understand in which category we are in the moment, you need to pay special attention to the indicator, located on the border, or to look at the proper inscription at the top.
Sort in the categories themselves going by the name of the application. The option of sorting by popularity use, that is often used applications will be at the top, in a conspicuous place.
Of the additional features include a quick search of the installed applications. This is done by clicking on the magnifying glass at the top right of the screen. The interesting thing is that the method is quite unique input names. There is not a standard keyboard, and the private, the authors of this application. It looks like he “launcher”, specifically.
However, this approach has one significant drawback – the lack of Russian language, but English and a single step of the way.
a button next to the search icon is leading in Google Play and the settings of the Smart Launcher (settings and hidden apps). No other menu items.
If you turn your smartphone or tablet to 90 °, the “launcher” to change its orientation. Yes, it does not achieve a specific level, but it is worth noting the fact that both in landscape and portrait orientations, everything looks good. Many GUIs have problems with this, here we have tried to solve them.
The effects of the transition between the categories of applications are not bad, although something special, as in Buzz Launcher, should not wait. Animation about a dozen, that’s only available in the free version are just a few effects, to be more precise, five, as well as the standard animation and its absence. In addition, there is another interesting feature – the animation when writing applications. Effect there is one, but it’s available in the free version of the shell.
Options
The most difficult in the modern world has to people who prefer to use the left hand – left-handers. Neither the engineers nor the developers are usually not considered with their needs and requirements.
In order to avoid such incidents, and in another the situation and did not call, developers Smart Launcher 2 made the appropriate mode. He mirrored changes the location of all the elements, leading ergonomics to “normal” for left-handed form. By this function, no complaints, on Google Play can be found only positive reviews and the “five” from the left-handers.
And where do without gestures? In Smart Launcher 2 provided their full support. The word “complete” is meant not to use one finger or a single action, as in the same GO Launcher EX . You can set up to run any application on double tap, “swipe” left “swipe” right double “swipe” down.
The only minus is that the double tapas work only in version 2 Smart Launcher Pro.
If you are kind to the device and the “downtrodden” settings, then surely be delighted backup function settings. Create a “backup” and restore it may be right in one click, of course for each of these actions.
Over time, the developer plans to expand functionality with special plug-ins . Already, you can download and install addition, allowing to select the number of missed events, it is called Smart Launcher Notifications. And for a double tap of the screen off answers Smart Launcher Extra. Maybe later there will be other functions.
From the already available and can be noted in advance preset function ” Hidden applications. ” From a special menu, which was mentioned above, it is possible to hide any application. However, to get it in two clicks, what is the point of such a decision? With this add-in can set a four-digit password. Of course, this is not a 256-bit key, but it’s better than nothing.
Supplement “Locker»
One of the global innovations Smart Launcher 2 was the lock screen. It is made in the style of the shell and looks absolutely well. Missing only widget with quick start-up applications.
Instead, it provides” classical “ring unlock: pull to the left – the camera, pull to the right – Unlock. Other features and capabilities not, but this is understandable, since the function works in beta mode.
Among the additional advantages include the ability to hide the status bar . Modest, very modest. The question arises, why use a lock screen application Smart Launcher 2, if there is a “standard”, which you can assign up to four functions or applications? The answer is simple and logical.
First, this “locker” corresponds to the program. Secondly, it is perfectly optimized and does not consume RAM (at least, the basic process Smart Launcher as consumed 25-30 MB to enable this feature, and uses a similar amount of memory when it is activated).
For the lock screen, there are issues that are changing not only appearance, but also the location of the ring unlock or sliders (depending on the topic). At the moment, they are few, only two and both are paid.
Themes
As with any decent “launcher” at the Smart Launcher 2 is support for themes. After downloading from Google Play respective application can further refine the form of the shell.
Samih so quite a lot, besides there is the theme of the third-party developers, and the API to create them is available on the official website of the program. As a consequence, there are free and paid themes, in each case in excess.
Themes are new icons, fonts, wallpapers and texture elements of the application, for example,” flower “, or categories. In general, the predominant abstract variation. Because of the simplicity of the shell even simple landscapes look, to put it mildly, is not the topic, let alone the other types of wallpaper and say no. Yet, to each his own.
To me cite a few examples of design envelope Smart Launcher 2. first couple of screenshots to standard, the next – third-party themes.
Standard interface theme.
Subject BlankOn SL.
Theme Glass Theme.
It is worth noting that when you install the theme, and this is done through the option in the menu, you can choose what to use. All anything, but just point out, even if the “Use Icons”, then they would not be replaced by any of the subjects. We have to do it manually, which is very inconvenient.
By the way, to set as the logo can be any icon, as their own, and from the theme, good choice is often wide.
Performance and application requirements
Of course, in terms of smoothness and stability equal Smart Launcher 2 no. And it’s not a joke.
It supports all versions of Android, starting with 2.1, processor architecture can be anything with any ARMv6, ARMv7 with either x86 or no problem.
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