Personalizing your Android device is one of the fundamental things we like about the platform. From widgets to placing apps where we want them, the simple customization is already a pull. A new study has found that more and more people are using launchers, with the uptick in downloads rising steadily each quarter since the beginning of last year.
Flurry’s numbers shows that launcher download and use has doubled or better the past three quarters, and Q1 2014 is simply massive for downloads. It’s no surprise to us, though. With the rise in easy-to-use launchers lately, we’ve been more apt to try them ourselves. While some don’t fit our needs as we’d have thought (Facebook Home…), they’re still worth using for many of us.
Flurry may be a smaller sampling, but the 4,500 launchers on their platform are likely an indication of launchers becoming more popular overall. We wouldn’t be surprised if Flurry’s metrics are a bit conservative, either. From the new Google Now to EverythingMe, launchers are fast becoming popular among average Android users. Even when we dislike one we pull from the Play Store, we’re open to trying them.
While popular, many current launchers do little more than change the UI of the stock version on our device. As the segment grows, we can look to launchers like Aviate to lead the charge. Contextual information is fast becoming what we look for on an Android device, and the launcher is a great way to deliver that.
Via: The Next Web
The first thing I do when configuring a new phone (or after a factory reset) is to install my trusty Next Launcher. The stock launchers are waaaayyyy too limited for my taste.