Most Android users have installed, and uninstalled, dozens of
launchers in an attempt to improve or personalize their devices. A lot
of these users find that a cool launcher skin can cover up an outdated
OS interface, but can slow down the device. This is a shame as Android
lends itself so well to customisation and launcher modifications — as
evidenced by our epic coverage of the different available options in our
Customization Month.
With KitKat installations climbing every hour, a lot of space and
processing power on Android devices will be freed up for a better, more
robust launcher that truly ticks all the boxes. MyColorScreen’s Themer is trying to be that launcher.
The company has just announced the launch of the app’s public beta
onto the Play Store. Before this, it had been in private beta and
required an invite code and direct download from their website. Users
running Android 4.1 and up should find their devices supported. Let’s
take a look at the launcher and the amount of customisation it permits.
First Impressions
Initially, I couldn’t understand what all the great reviews on the
Google Play store were about. My first interactions with Themer were
slow and arduous. However, the problem seemed to have been my 3G
connection. In order to fully load-up all the available themes, a WiFi
connection is required. Otherwise, you’ll be waiting for ages.
A popular theme on Themer
To the get the ball rolling, I decided to choose the “City” theme. Themes are downloaded when you click Apply;
after this there’s no futher interaction required and the new
homescreen will launch within twenty seconds or so. The ‘City’ theme’s
simplistic design, great use of the city photograph and the widgets
impressed me. Little did I know, Themer was only revealing a small
portion of what it had in store.
My Top 5 Themer Themes
Unlike rival launchers, Themer has hundreds of themes available – all
of which are totally free and can be downloaded in just a few seconds. I
spent a couple of hours trying out as many as I could. Here are the
ones I liked best.
Breaking Bad
An awesome theme inspired by Walter White and Jessie Pinkman
As a huge fan of the show, this one drew me in instantly. The use of
the periodic table to house core apps (which can be customised to launch
any application) really impressed me. Like a lot of Themer skins, this
one doesn’t launch with the centre panel being the main one. Instead,
the panel furthest to the left is displayed by default (as it contains
the most important shortcuts).
Tiled
Large tiles, slightly reminiscent of Windows 8
Perhaps a little reminiscent of a Windows 8 setup, this theme has a
great fusion of minimalist design with a lot of practicality. It’s a
three-panel design featuring large application buttons for email, phone,
messaging and weather. These can be switched out or their destination
changed. For example, I liked the look of the messaging icon but decided
to reroute it to open Whatsapp as opposed to SMS, as that’s my primary
messaging app these days. The third screen has numerous small
application shortcuts for appaholics along with a large “My Apps” button
which will open the Android app drawer.
Horizon
A colourful setup with stylish fonts
A beautifully designed theme if there ever was one, Horizon displays
only the most crucial information in a visually appealing way. The left
panel is dominated by weather widgets and a cool text font describing
the conditions in your city.
In the main screen, battery condition is displayed as a pie chart
just below the clock, which is encased in a small, shadowed circle along
with the date. Basic app shortcuts are present along the bottom of the
screen for easy access to your browser, camera and other apps.
The right panel contains more shortcuts in grid format but also has
an RSS newsfeed which dominates the lower half of the screen. The
design, look and feel of this theme is very “Miami Vice”.
Beach
One of the many themes with just two panels
This theme is one of the many that only has two panels. The left
(main) one is packed full of app shortcuts and information but doesn’t
appear too crowded. The standard wallpaper of a tropical idyllic beach
compliments all the cacophony going on in terms of text and shortcuts.
Music lovers will happily find a dedicated music player widget in the
right panel, beneath which is a news stream which can be loaded with
your own personal RSS feed preferences.
Glance
A bold, three-panel layout with big fonts
This theme is undoubtedly my favourite and it’s the one I’m sticking
with on my personal device for the foreseeable future. The centre panel
is split diagonally in half revealing the appealing triangular design of
the wallpaper and the crucial information we check our phone for all
the time such as emails, texts, missed calls, battery level, weather and
time.
The left panel is dominated by application shortcuts in grid format
while the right panel is home to a cool music player. This theme’s bold
text, great design and practicality make my phone feel brand new.
Phone’s Performance With Themer
I’ve been using Themer for a couple of days now and I haven’t noticed
any performance issues with my phone at all. It’s just as quick to
unlock, launch apps and respond to the touch of my finger. I have even
been playing a few games with Themer running as my default launcher and
have had no issues.
However, there are some people on the Play Store reporting issues
such as lag when swiping between homescreen panels or the launcher just
crashing and reverting to the default launcher. I guess in many
instances, it’s important to remember that the app is still in beta and
isn’t supported by all phones.
Final Thoughts
Themer is head and shoulders above any other launcher on the Play Store for several reasons:
- It’s very easy to use with no ridiculous settings to trawl through
- Customising a theme doesn’t ruin its look
- Themes are being sourced from approved designers, of which there are
a growing number, meaning hundreds more themes are on the way to
compliment the several dozens already available
- Virtually no performance issues or bloating (on supported devices)
- Supports swipe gestures, including multi-finger gestures
On top of all this, Themer
is totally free and makes it really easy to switch back to your
previous homescreen. It’s extremely rare that a launcher of this
quality, with a dedicated developer behind it, comes along. If you’re
running 4.1 and over, you should really check it out; it’s totally worth
it.
