Nokia has announced a limited release of its first Android launcher called 'Z Launcher'. The launcher is designed to minimize the clutter and random app shortcuts on your home screen and give you a customized experience. The Z launcher has been made by a Nokia team that Microsoft didn't buy during the recent acquisition of the Finnish manufacturer.
Z Launcher is a home screen replacement that gets you to frequently-used apps, contacts and sites as quickly as possible. The software learns your habits and surfaces the content you’re most likely to use based on where you are, what you’re doing and the time of day. Z Launcher now supports rooted Android devices as well.At the top of the screen are the time, date and one upcoming calendar event. Tapping the time will open Android’s clock app and tapping the calendar event will open the phone’s Calendar app.
The launcher learns from your using of your smartphone and suggests the top apps to you at the right time. It’s not just the apps. The launcher learns from your web browsing history too. It keeps suggesting you apps and content to access during different time phases – morning and evening to name a few. That is, the launcher will offer different apps when you are at work during morning and different ones when you are at home during evening.Z Launcher learns and suggests apps and other contentZ Launcher learns and suggests apps and other content
The time and calendar widgets are shown above the apps suggestion. Five static apps are shown at the bottom of the apps suggestions. The best feature is Scribble. Scribble allows users to scribble letters anywhere on the launcher screen in order to open an app. So, for example, if the user wants to open Twitter and it’s not currently on the screen, he or she can simply scribble a “T” and then a “W” on the display.As each letter is drawn, a list drills down apps, web pages and contacts until the desired item is tapped. Z Launcher remembers the content you access most often and it will surface those items higher each time you scribble. So next time a “T” is drawn, for example, Twitter might be the first result.
The launcher is in beta form right now and is available for download for a quite few interested users. A dedicated website has been setup for the launcher. Interested users can connect with their Google account, download the APK file and try this new launcher on their device.
The launcher is available only for top selling models like Samsung Galaxy S3, S4, S5 and the Nexus 5 running Android 4.1 and above. The app is not optimized for tablets. Brook Eaton, the lead product manager of Nokia's emerging platforms group stated that they will work and improve the Z Launcher over time and added that it will hopefully be the first of many products that the company is planning to launch under Nokia's new structure post Microsoft's acquisition of its devices business.
"At the end of the day, we're now able to explore new ways to get to market, which we didn't have to first deliver in house," Eaton says. "We're unhandcuffed."