Post by Admin on Nov 3, 2013 14:35:17 GMT -2
Aviate Launcher is a new, and very different, homescreen launcher. Currently only available via invite only, the app boasts some exciting and intuitive features including intelligent organisation, customisation, themes and integrated ‘spaces’ where apps are categorised and suggested at the right time. It currently lacks the same kind of personalisation you find in apps like Apex or Nova Launcher, but if you’re ready for something quite evolutionary, you’ll want your name on the waiting list
Price: Free (Invite Only)
Tested on: Nexus 4
Content Rating: Low Maturity
AndroidTapp.com Android App Review:
Pros & Cons:
Pros
Clean, smooth and customisable user interface!
Automatic organisation!
Easy to use and navigate!
Very productive layout and automation features!
Cons
Needs more settings.
Features:
I’m incredibly skeptical of launchers. I tend to prefer those based on the native Android experience (screens, widgets, shortcuts, dock, app drawer, etc). Therefore I tend to stick with stock on my Nexus 4 or, if I’m feeling a little creative I’ll go with Apex Launcher. And, when I recently received an email from Aviate, with an invite to their new launcher (I had applied a few weeks before), I was curious but not optimistic that it would be anything that would blow me away. I’m still only a few days into it, but I beginning to realise how wrong I was.
Aviate Launcher is quite unlike any homescreen replacement app you’ve ever come across. You really only get three screens. There’s no dock or app drawer. You can only realistically add a few widgets and offers only a light and dark theme. To top it all off, there’s not even a wallpaper! However, I’m gradually beginning to love it and, so far, am putting off going back to stock.
So, you essentially have three screens. First, is kinda home screen which is separated into three sections. A ‘space’ space (explanation later), a widget space and a favorites space. The next screen is made up of collections; Work apps, special apps, news, music, games and so on. There’s a wide selection of these collections categories to choose form and you can add as many as you like. Finally you have an A-Z Apps page which is about as close as you get to an app drawer; listing your applications alphabetically with lettered shortcuts along the side.
At the top of your homescreen are ‘Spaces’. These present various app collections based on what you are doing and the time of day. If it’s early in the morning, you have a selection called Morning Routine (email, news, weather, etc). If you’re out and about, you might get information about local attractions or the ‘Going Somewhere’ menu (Maps, Google Earth, etc). I tend to like the Time space which is a slick-looking clock and weather forecast. The thing is, the space is dynamic and will be relevant based upon your surroundings.
The second screen consists of all your collections. There are loads and loads to choose from in the settings and you can have as many or as few as you like, a bit like preset folders. Unfortunately you can’t create your own yet but this is only an alpha release! The third screen is the A-Z list. From here you can hold and drag apps into the collections or favorites group.
Because much of the app is automated, it’s great for productivity and no app is more than a couple of swipes away. Collections can easily be re-arranged and common-used apps shifted for faster access. There’s a certain amount of customization to be found, but it’s quite limited compared to other launchers. The bottom line however is that it looks and performs superbly and resembles something painstakingly crafted on mycolorscreen.com. If you’re big on productivity, this is simply awesome.
The app clearly removes much of the personalisation you might be used to and this is going to put people off. However, the overall cleanness of the app and its absolute ease of use is very enticing, even for someone like me who really enjoys homescreen editing. The app lacks plenty of settings, like the ability to add more screens or widgets or create/name new collections. This does suck a little and I hope this is opened up in future updates but I can live with it.
Overall, I’m really excited about Aviate and I would strongly recommend you get yourself on their invite list. If you want something productive, simple, powerful and intelligent, this is most definitely something you should check out. Really, now that I’ve tested Aviate, I could go back to stock or Apex. The problem is, I don’t think I want to.
Usefulness:
For automatically cleaning up your homesreen into a mean, lean productivity machine, Aviate is simply awesome. It does lack some customisability, but if you like the design and set up, it’s already excellent.
Ease of Use:
Very! It did take a few minutes to get used to the app, but it’s highly intuitive and no problem to get your head around.
Frequently Used:
Every time you use your phone. Plus, as the app is dynamic and suggests apps and solutions that might be useful to you at that given time, you might find even more reasons for using your Android..
Interface:
The interface is incredibly simple but fluid, smooth, beautifully designed and very responsive. You’d be hard-pressed to find a launcher as intuitive to use.