We’d like to think we’ve gotten launchers all figured out on our Android devices. And for the most part, we’d be correct. A launcher normally consists of multiple sliding panels, where widgets and shortcuts can be placed, an app dock for your most accessed apps, an app drawer that’s opened with a grid-like icon, and maybe some custom themes and icons to choose from. Of course, these aren’t strict requirements. We’ve covered plenty of fantastic launchers with their own twists and perks, but they’re more or less modifications of your standard launcher template.
Which is why XDA Senior Member Suxsem‘s Slide Launcher is such an intriguing concept. Despite billing itself as a “launcher,” Slide Launcher strays away from the standard in many ways, one of which is the fact that it only runs when you want it to. This is achieved with its ability to launch only when you slide up from the home capacitive button, overlaying itself over the app that’s currently running. This means that unlike your conventional launcher, Slide Launcher doesn’t run in the background eating up RAM and battery when you’re not using it. It also means that you can have Slide Launcher run concurrently with another launcher if you wish.
Once activated, Slide Launcher displays a personalized arrangement of shortcuts to apps, contacts, and actions such as a direct call or message. If you’re running a Paranoid Android ROM, apps can also be launched in halo mode, which is another nifty feature. As far as customization goes, you can adjust and change just about every element of the launcher, from icon arrangements and size, to background transparency and color, to haptic feedback.
Slide Launcher is definitely a launcher you’ll want to check out if you’re looking for something different and unprecedented, or even as an alternative to the popular sidebars. Suxsem has made the app free to download, and is compatible with Android 4.0 and newer. For more information, visit the application thread.