Smart Launcher 5 vs Apex Launcher Pro

One of Smart Launcher 2's ways of keeping things simple is to categorize your apps. The categorization is quite accurate and is very useful once you learn the categories.

Smart Launcher uses a simple circular layout of apps. It display 6 user-selected apps, date and time and hides everything else from view.

Smart Launcher uses very little resources which is good for performance and saving battery power.

If you have tons of apps that clutter your app drawer even after they’ve been categorized, you can choose to hide certain apps from view.

Smart Launcher is designed with both Portrait and Landscape modes in mind, which means no matter the orientation one wants to use it in it adapts well to either.

As soon as you open Smart Launcher 3 for the first time you will begin the setup process. The steps are easy and you will be up and running in no time.

There is an extra download called Plugin Notifications that allows for the function of notification counts on the users app icons in the drawer and shortcuts on the home screen. It is available for free for Smart Launcher 3 and 2.

Smart Launcher supports using icon packs that are meant for ADW Launcher, Apex Launcher, Nova Launcher, and LauncherPro. You can also change icons on a per-app basis.

Smart Launcher 3 provides a lock screen which helps to maintain an overall cohesive design on your Android device. It is optional for those that still want to use their stock lock screen.

The themes change icons, wallpapers, and colors. Each has its own unique feel, but they all adhere to the same layout.

There is an optional function (on at stock start) that allows users to set their own widgets on extra home screen pages.

Gestures can be enabled to perform Smart Launcher actions or just to open apps. Smart Launcher actions include but not limited to: open app drawer, show/hide status bar, show notifications panel, and show toggle panel.

One search for apps, contacts and web browsing. Also lets use of Google Now.

Users can add "Okay Google" support for voice search by downloading the Plugin Extra plugin from the Play Store.

Smart Launcher 2 offers a selection of themes that change the look of the homescreen.

Live wallpapers are a special type of wallpaper that is animated. Despite the simple and sleek design of Smart Launcher, you can still make it look and feel great, and live wallpapers are just one in a few ways for doing so.

Smart Launcher has HD wallpaper. Very impressive

Apex Launcher lets the user customize the app drawer, including its style (Horizontal Paginated, Vertical Paginated, Vertical Continuous or Vertical List), the method of sorting and the background transparency.

Apex Launcher allows the user to change the grid size of their home screens (up to a maximum size of 10 rows and columns) and adjust the margins on the left, right, top and bottom. Icons can be made larger by as much as 150% or reduced to as little as 50% of their original size.

Made to look like stock Android with additional features.

A marketplace where the user can download extra themes is provided. Some of the themes must be purchased via Google Play, but many are free. Paid version allows the use of themes from other launchers.

There is an option in the Apex Launcher drawer to sort apps by the most used, making for a convenient way for users to get back to their most often used apps.

Apex Launcher also allows users to hide unused or unwanted apps from the drawer.

The free version of Apex comes with swipe gesture support.

Unread count notifications create badges for home screen, dock and drawer icons that let the user know how many unread messages they have.

Infinite scrolling allows you to cycle among your home screens without ever changing directions.

Apex, which requires Android 4.0 or later, boasts a dedicated tablet UI mode. Turning this on enables the persistent search bar at the top of the display, and somewhat inexplicably disables the dock at the bottom of the screen.