Probably one of the best qualities of Android is its apparent ability to be customized and skinned to reflect the individuality of its user. One of the easiest ways to do this is installing a home replacement app or a launcher. However, majority of the launcher apps in Google play are merely slightly revised versions of the default Android launcher and offers little innovation on the look of a handset.
By Zy Gonzales
Probably one of the best qualities of Android is its apparent ability to be customized and skinned to reflect the individuality of its user. One of the easiest ways to do this is installing a home replacement app or a launcher. However, majority of the launcher apps in Google play are merely slightly revised versions of the default Android launcher and offers little innovation on the look of a handset.
But every once in a while, we come across some apps, whose cutting-edge designs, impresses us because of its clever construction and uniqueness. One good example of such app is the home replacement app called TSF Shell.
TSF Shell is a 3D launcher developed by TSF Studios that offers smooth, unique and as the developers put it a “customized man-machine interactive operation experience”. The launcher offers great flexibility to users in terms of customisation and ease of operation.
USER EXPERIENCE
TSF Shell basically follows the same layout as other Android launchers but it has the added flair of beautiful 3D animation and transitions. In fact, almost all activities done within the app features animation transition effects including deletion, addition and menu showing-up or vanishing to name a few.
The launcher also features a dock bar that you can move around for convenience. The dock bar also accommodates more than the typical set of four or five shortcuts and is also fully customisable. Just like other launchers in Google Play, users can play with a number of homescreen panels which can be populated by icon shortcuts and widgets. However, these panels can be viewed in 3D.
Icons can also be grouped into folders, which open and scroll with a nice and fluid animation. The launcher also gives an option to users to adjust the positioning of icons on the homescreen, including its horizontal and vertical alignment. Users also have the option of selecting multiple icons at once thanks to the launcher’s lasso mode and multi-select mode.
TSF Shell also support gesture based controls. Users can assign specific actions or open applications with a certain gesture. In total, the launcher supports 9 gesture commands including double tap, swipe up and down, pinch in and out and two-finger swipes.
WIDGETS and EXTRAS
Aside from the typical Android widgets, TSF shell also offer more than 10 exclusive widgets including a messaging widget, clock ,weather, memo, music and gallery to name a few. TSF studios has also incorporated a number of 3D effects to TSF Shell Widgets that make them unique compared to ordinary Android widgets.
There’s also a side menu bar which features 4 tabs that houses quick toggle buttons, TSF shell widgets, a user’s set of favourite apps and the launcher’s animated decorations. The side menu’s tabs can be reordered by simply dragging each tab into place. It also remains partially hidden when not in use and can be accessed by pulling the tab on the side of the screen.
TSF Shell also sports a pioneering icon editing tool, which lets users customise different aspects of the icons used in the launcher including background image, text label style and icon accents. Moreover, there are a number of third-party themes available that can be applied for a more custom look.
PROS: High level of customisability, innovative yet familiar design, 3D animation and transition effects, smooth and fluid user interface
CONS: Price (around AU$19), may lag in lower spec’d devices, 3D animation may not be maximised in devices with smaller screens.
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