It was supposed to be just one of the cool features of Paranoid Android’s custom ROMs, but Peek is now actually doing well on its own after being released as a standalone app in May. Users will be glad to know that Peek 2.0 has just dropped at the Google Play Store on June 13, and makers of the app have promised a lot of requested features – including a number of fixes – in store for those who get the update.
Peek is essentially a device notification handler – and we know that this description sounds so boring it does not do justice to how cool the app actually is. If you are familiar (and impressed) with Moto X’s “Active Display”, Peek is the closest that you are going to get to it without buying a Moto X device. The moment a notification comes in, Peek queries your device’s sensors – mainly the motion and proximity sensors – to see if you’ve reacted to the notification by moving your phone. If you do this within 10 seconds of the notification coming in, Peek turns your screen on automatically – without you actually pushing any buttons – and shows you your notification.
Peek app developer Jesús David Gulfo Agudelo calls this version a “huge update”, with the number of tweaks and fixes included in the new build. The very first updated feature was the most logical one, we thought. The 10-second sensor polling time period meant that if you moved your device after that and you press your power button or any other button to turn on your screen, it will no longer show you Peek. That got changed, and users are now able to have the screen show Peek even after the sensor polling time. New prospective users also need to know that Peek can be installed to your devices without root access.
Aside from this, a number of fixes have been included in the build, including a fix for a bug that made the “unlock” sound repeat itself multiple times. Also, the developer team has promised that it has updated its motion sensor algorithm so that the app is more precise in polling your phone’s sensors. Lastly, it is worth mentioning that the developers have unlocked the app’s hardware requirement support. This means that Peek can now be installed (at your own risk, of course) to any device even without motion or proximity sensors.
Peek 2.0 is available for devices running Android 4.4 (Kitkat) and above as a paid app in Google Play Store for USD$3.99. Grab the app here.
So if a notification comes in while the phone is in my pocket and I am walking or moving in some way… this will just keep turning the screen on to kill my battery?
If your phone is in your pocket, it will only listen to the proximity sensor, so no, this will not eat your battery.
Does this replace or augment an app such as Cover or CM Locker? Thx