Android App Review: Themer Beta

The Android OS has a wide selection of apps that allows users to personalize their devices. There are launchers, lockscreen apps, and widgets that have a thousand and one skins to choose from. Themes allow users to show off their personality through their devices, and new themes can give your phone that brand new feel.

My Color Screen (developer of Themer)

I personally enjoy customizing my devices, and I love me some beautiful home screens! That's why I've been a big fan of My Color Screen. It's a website where Android and iOS users can share their homescreens, wallpapers and apps. My Color Screen themes require more than basic knowledge of the Android OS though (can't speak for the iOS themes).

For example, setting up the Evangelion NERV theme involves downloading 2 apps and a zip file, and knowing how to place overlapping widgets, to pull everything off. Some My Color Screen themes come with tutorials. However, following the instructions to the T does not guarantee that you can perfectly recreate a theme on your device sometimes due to device or software compatibility issues. Here's an example:

Theme on my Samsung Galaxy S II

Evangelion NERV theme sample

See how the 'AT Field readings' (which is actually a System Monitor widget) on the left screenshot isn't filling up the entire space compared to the one on the right. (BTW, I edited the image using GIMPshop to change 'AT-Field WIFI' and "BAT. TEMP" to "A.T. Field Active" and "INTERNAL POWER SUPPLY" because it's a static image and not an actual Battery Temperature widget. That and I thought it suited the theme better.) It was only when I placed the widget that I noticed the System Monitor didn't fit well. Another issue is the Music widget buttons. Even though I had the recommended widget installed on my device, it still turned out differently compared to the sample screenshot. Regardless, the widget worked as intended.

Now, not all of My Color Screen themes are as challenging to set up as the Evangelion NERV theme. There are ones that are easy enough to recreate. But for those who doesn't have the time nor the patience to go through all the steps necessary to recreate a theme, My Color Screen has made the theming process much easier with its new app: Themer Beta.

You can now transform your device in one click! No need to install other apps and no need to set up widgets one by one. Not all My Color Screen themes are Themer compatible. However, there's also no shortage of themes either (237 as of writing). If you want to view the available themes without having to download the app, click: HERE.

What is Themer Beta?

Themer Beta Settings

Menu Button or double-tap on your homescreen

Categories

Categories

Tag your shares #HomescreenEnvy

How to Use Themer Beta

Step 1: Browse the gallery

Step 2: Choose a theme

Step 3: Click APPLY

Step 4: ???

Step 5: PROFIT!

Congratulations! You have now successfully themed your device!

Optional:

You can view theme info, upvote, add a theme to your favorites list and share a theme:

Click on the Menu to access the additional options

Additional Feature: Smart Categories

Themer Beta also has a Smart Category feature. The app automatically categorizes your app drawer for you.

You can manually Manage each category

Complete app list

Favorites Tab

Themer Settings

Applying a theme using Themer Beta doesn't necessarily mean you'll have limited control over how your homescreen works. The app actually provides users additional customization options. Take a look:

Themer Settings

 You can set which specific app Themer Beta will launch when you click a widget:

App Preferences

Right now Themer Beta supports 2 weather providers but I'm hoping the dev adds more in the future. You can also change the units in the settings:

Weather

You can also manage the app drawer in the settings:

Manage App Drawers

 Add/Remove Feeds:

News Feed

 Set custom Gestures:

Gestures

 Set default launcher app:

Use Old Homescreen

About Themer

What I like

-One click theme application

ONE. CLICK. No need to install other apps to apply gorgeous homescreens!

-Smart Categories

Smart Categories will make more sense to you once you apply a theme. It makes accessing apps easier and organized.

-No Ads

Themer Beta is free and it is ad-free as well!

What I don't like

Free apps usually come with ads/sponsorships. Themer Beta doesn't have ads, but it does feature sponsors. How does the app do it? By adding sponsored apps to your Smart Categories.

Open Table under Travel & Local

Open Table isn't listed in the App Drawer

I do not have Open Table installed on my phone. If I click on it, I am redirected to the Play Store where Google informs me that the app is not available in my country. I'm not against ads or sponsorships being utilized by free apps. What I don't like is that there's no mention of it in the app's description in the Play Store. A little transparency would be nice, wouldn't you agree?

Update: 3/15/2014

Dev replied to my Google Play review:

to remove this, try this: Themer Settings - Manage App Drawer - Hide Sponsored Apps

At least we know how to hide the sponsored apps now. However, there's still no mention of the Sponsored Apps in the app's description in the Play Store.

Beta version

One thing to remember is that app is still in Beta. This means you will encounter issues/bugs. As a Beta user, you can help the dev out by providing feedback and submitting crash reports (if you experience one).

I've been using the app for around 2 weeks now, but I honestly haven't encountered any app breaking bugs. One bug I've encountered is Smart Categories not remembering apps you've placed in a category after a reboot/crash. I've noticed this applies only to my Games category. This hasn't happened to any other category though. At the moment I only have one game installed on my phone: Cytus. Unfortunately, Smart Categories doesn't recognize the app as a game yet.

Sponsored apps and a few bugs aside, the app is as snappy as the other well-known launchers out there, albeit more beautiful. Themer Beta is definitely a must-install for users who love beautiful homescreens!

What launcher app are you using? Are you going to give Themer Beta a try? What theme are you using? Comment below!

Before I go, I'll leave you with screenshots of my favorite theme so far:

Hardwood Beauty

Hardwood Beauty

Hardwood Beauty

Cherry Mobile Flare HD Unboxing and Review

This weekend I was supposed to publish my review of MomentCam, however, because of recent events I'm going to post an Unboxing instead. My Samsung Galaxy S2 is now an expensive paperweight! My backup phone is also acting up on me. (Maybe I'll post about that in the future.) So I needed a new one, but because it's on such short notice I had to get something affordable and within my budget.

On buying new gadgets

Before I go ahead with the unboxing. I'm going to ask you this: do you find yourself buying a gadget and then feeling buyer's remose when a new model comes out months (or even worse - weeks) after your purchase That's technology for you! Years ago you can future proof your gadget for at least 2 years. Now that's not the case because upgrades seem to get released every quarter! What you need is to learn contentment. One way to be content is to buy the gadget you need and not just the 'latest' one. Here's a tip: do your research, figure out which features are important to you, then go draft a 'minimum' requirements list.

I was looking for mid-range phone that at least had a dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, dual SIM capabilities, and a front camera, all on JB. Seems like a tall order? Not really. Especially if you're not afraid of buying from local phone manufacturers. Want to know what made it easier for me? GB SB Techblog. The blog has price-list even for local phone manufacturers! They recently released a 2014 Pricelist that you should check out.

Cherry Mobile Flare HD

After all the research I've done and cross-checking with my wallet (lol) I set off to get a Cherry Mobile Flare HD yesterday. There are a few phones that meet my MIN REQ but I chose the Flare HD because of the IPS display, both SIM slots are 3G capable, and the front camera is 5MP, which is definitely better than my Samsung Galaxy S2's but also better than most of the other phones within its price range.

Here's a video review by Technoclast that I found helpful:

Unboxing

Let's get on with the unboxing shall we? I bought the unit at a Cherry Mobile stall on the 3rd floor of Victory Park and Shop in Antipolo for P5,500. 

Box, jelly case, unit and battery

Cherry Mobile Flare HD

Pictures above were taken with a potato my Cherry Mobile NOVA. Apologies for the pic quality. Now, these next pictures are taken using the Cherry Mobile Flare HD's stock camera app. This right here is the box:

Front

Right

Left

Back

The Cherry Mobile Flare HD comes with:

In-ear headphones

Charger and USB cable

I got a violet jelly case! So far all the reviews I've read and watched online got pink colored jelly cases with their Cherry Mobile Flare HD.

Front (Taken using Camera Zoom FX app)

Back (Taken using Camera Zoom FX app)

If you watched the video review I linked above, the reviewer mentioned the jelly case fitting snugly that when you take out the phone it would sometimes leave the back cover behind. That's exactly what I experienced too:

Back

Front

However, unlike the reviewer's unit mine isn't creaky at all. The back cover that came with the box fits my unit well. I would have taken more pictures if I had a better camera, but then again, you're probably better off checking out pics from tech review sites (they're the professionals!).

I wasn't able to take a picture of the manual, but here's a picture of everything you're getting for P5,499 (SRP) except the unit:

What I liked:

- Jelly case

I'm tickled pink that my jelly case is violet! (teehee~ Sorry had to do it!)

- Front Camera

I don't know much about the about picture quality but I can tell that the front camera is better than my previous phone, the Samsung Galaxy S2.

- Display
The IPS display is gorgeous. 

TIP: While at the store, download Blacklight Bleed Test this app helps check for dead pixels. Doing it in the store should guarantee you can get a replacement unit on the spot. Saves you the trouble of going back to have it replaced. I brought my SmartBRO sim so I could logon to Play Store to DL the app.

- Sim slots

This is my first dual-sim phone and I'm glad that both sim slots are 3G capable. I work from home so I have a SmartBRO postpaid sim, a Globe Tatoo prepaid sim and a Sun Bro Wireless prepaid sim. The SmartBRO I usually have plugged in on a Power Plug-It while I now have the Globe and the Sun plugged in the Flare HD. Toggling between the two sims is fairly easy and you can do it via the notification bar.

What I didn't like:

- No Screen Protector included in the box

I asked the salespeople and they said the bigger stores sell them, but that the box doesn't come packaged with one. I had to go another cellphone shop to buy a temporary one until I can get my hands on an official Flare HD screen protector. The one I got was a clear screen protector that's not anti-fingerproof made for the Flare 2X. It's a little short and does not cover the soft touch buttons but it does have holes up top that fits the front camera and speaker grill. I bought that for P100 and gave the salesperson a tip because she installed it for me for no charge! The other stalls charged P150 for a matte screen protector that they also needed to cut. If you know where to get a Flare HD Anti-Fingerproof Screen Protector purrlease comment below!

- Soft Touch Button placement

Both my Samsung Galaxy S2 and my Cherry Mobile NOVA had the back button on the right while the Flare HD has it's back button located on the left. It's nothing anyone couldn't get used to though. A few more uses and I'll probably get the hang of it soon enough.

- Proximity Sensor placement

Again both my previous phones had their proximity sensors on the right of the speaker grill. The Flare HD has it's on the - you guessed it - left. I don't like this because usually I hold my phone using my right hand, and I use my right thumb pull down the notification bar. Having the proximity sensor on the right of the speaker grill means it's easy to activate it, which means it turns the screen off instead of showing the notifications. My way around this is to pull down on the top left side of the notification bar and not on the right side where I'm used to. I don't see this as a design issue but more about me and how I use my phone. It would definitely take more time to get used to than the soft touch button placement though.

- Bloatware

I don't care much for Start lockscreen app. It's a good enough launcher with built-in Cherry Mobile themes, but since I almost always have lockscreen security on, it's a hassle to have to unlock the phone twice instead of just once. Unfortunately, you cannot uninstall Start and all the other CM bundled apps (except KakaoTalk that you can Disable from Settings > Apps > All Apps > Kakao Talk > Disable). The only way you'll be able to do that is if you Root your Android. WARNING: Rooting your device voids your warranty!

Overall, I feel that Cherry Mobile Flare HD is definitely worth my money. For now it'll be my primary phone until I gather funds for a replacement phone for my dearly departed Samsung Galaxy S2.

That's it for now! I'll update this post or make a new entry if there's anything I find bloggable about the Flare HD. Before I go, Here's the specs sheet:

Cherry Mobile Flare HD Specifications:

• 1.2Ghz Quad-Core MT6589 Processor
• 4.3” 1280×720 IPS Display
• Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
• 12MP Camera + Flash, 5MP Front
• 1GB RAM, 4GB ROM, MicroSD
• 1,800mAh Battery
• Dual Regular SIM With 3G
• Comes with free Jelly Case

[Source: LINK]

Do you own a Flare HD? How are you liking it so far? Comment below!