Smart Launcher 5 vs LAUNCHER 8 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 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.

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.

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

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 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.

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.

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

Like Windows Phone 8, the design of Launcher 8 consists of brightly colored tiles on either a black or white background. The result is a simple and appealing design. Although simply changing the tile color is not as personal as wallpaper in conventional launchers. Fortunately though any color is possible on Launcher 8 not just the preselected colors on Windows Phone 8.

Windows Phone 8 was never designed to work with Android widgets but that doesn't mean you can't use them with Launcher 8. The developers of Launcher 8 have finally found the right solution to using widgets on the tile interface with new separate pages. In the previous version of the launcher, Launcher 7, the widgets would be squeezed into tiles and the result was rarely good. The new separate widget pages accessible with a swipe to the right are a big improvement.

Launcher 8 uses the same transition effects when opening apps and returning to the home screen as the Windows Phone 8. Not only is this appealing but apps seem to load quicker. The transition to open an app takes a few hundred milliseconds which gives apps extra time to load. The result is an interface that seems quicker than it actually is.

This feature may seem counterproductive at first but it provides a minimalistic appearance that stays true to the original Windows Phone 8. The notification bar will still appear everywhere else on your Android but Launcher 8 will be just tiles.

Launcher 8 supports basic unread counts like phone calls and text messages in the free version.