When comparing LAUNCHER 8 PRO vs Yandex.Shell (Launcher+Dialer), the Slant community recommends LAUNCHER 8 PRO for most people. In the question“What are the best launchers for Android?” LAUNCHER 8 PRO is ranked 12th while Yandex.Shell (Launcher+Dialer) is ranked 13th. The most important reason people chose LAUNCHER 8 PRO is:
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.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Windows Live Tile-like vibrant interface
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.
Pro Separate widget pages
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.
Pro Transition effects
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.
Pro Notification bar can be hidden
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.
Pro Unread counts
Launcher 8 supports basic unread counts like phone calls and text messages in the free version.
Pro Easy setup
Quick setup and easy customization without sacrificing eye candy.
Pro Categories in apps menu
Pro Number of Yandex widgets
Yandex.Shell’s default widgets include: an indicator bar which you can use to toggle various settings, like WiFi and brightness; a weather widget to show local forecasts; a call log widget to show you recent calls; even a birthday widget to track your friends’ birthdays. There are over 25 widgets available.
Pro Transforms your dialer
Not only is Yandex.Shell a launcher replacement, it transforms your dialer as well by giving it a new interface and some new features.
Pro Clean interface
Clean without loosing detail and variety.
Pro Customizable with themes
Cons
Con Difficult to set up
As expected this launcher is much harder to set up than the real Windows Phone 8 launcher. Apps must be assigned to their their corresponding tiles, live tiles are difficult to set up, and setting tiles up to display contextual information is difficult. Fortunately though the developer has been consistently improving these issues.
Con Not enough functionality for advanced users
The in built options are a bit limiting when compared to other popular launchers, which makes it difficult to fit all use cases of users.
