We got a look at the latest release of Nova Launcher earlier in the month. At the time we were looking at a beta release of 2.3 and as of today, it looks like the beta tag has been dropped and the update is now available for all users. Perhaps the key perk here, Nova Launcher 2.3 brings the styling of Android 4.4 Kit Kat.
That said, while Nova has the look and feel of Android 4.4, it remains compatible with devices running 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich or later. Looking at the “what’s new” section of the Play Store and we see a handful of references to Kit Kat. These include everything from the scroll indicator to icon theme.
The list includes the following;
- KitKat scroll indicator (Desktop – Scroll Indicator)
- KitKat folders styles (Folders – Folder Background, Light Background)
- KitKat font (Look and Feel – Icon Font – Condensed, Android 4.1+)
- KitKat app drawer icon
- Google KitKat icon theme (Look and Feel – Icon Theme)
In addition, this update also added the transparent system bars, though this one requires the user to be running Android 4.4. As for non-Kit Kat related items, Nova Launcher 2.3 also added the small autohiding tabs in the app drawer and the ability to backup and restore from an external memory card.
That all having been said, Nova Launcher is free to download and free to use. The regular release is feature rich, however there are some features limited to the paid version of Nova Launcher. The paid version can be unlocked with a “Nova Launcher Prime” purchase. The Prime version is $4.00 and includes extras such as folders in the app drawer, unlimited custom tabs, gestures, dock swipes, the ability to hide apps and more.
SOURCE: Google Play Store
Swipe to Google Now?
Nope. Translucent dock and notification bars on lock screen aren’t present either.
It is for me on newer devices. Note 3 and N7. N10 doesn’t have transparency though.
I stand corrected. I just received the 4.4.2 OTA on my Nexus 4 and low and behold, it now has transparancy on lock screen. AWW YEA.