There are a handful of home replacement applications available for the Android OS now days, but unfortunately, the ones we really want to have on our phones aren’t actually available on the Android Market. There’s another UI in town, which may not be available at the moment, but once launched, it may be the go-to Android home replacement immediately: the Slick UI.
The Slick UI looks, well, pretty damn slick, mixing some of the sexiness of HTC’s Sense, yet it is still completely original. The first thing you’ll notice about Slick UI is the big circle right in the middle of the screen.
Dubbed the Wonder Wheel, it allows you to get information easily from apps like Gmail, Twitter, Facebook, and text messages. Simply turn the wheel to the app you’d like and your most recent text/tweet/status update will appear below, without having to launch an application at all. The creators certainly haven’t forgotten that your smartphone is still a phone, so a large phone icon can be found in the middle of the Wonder Wheel.
The app launcher has undergone a revamp, which looks like it could be a little too complex for some. The launcher is broken into three parts: running applications, all applications, and the center tab is … well, we’re not too sure what the middle tab is, as the demo looks like it just launches all of your apps.
It could be for your most frequently used apps, or possibly a dedicated drawer for your favorite applications. This is great, but it may not be what everyone is looking for. While very functional, some may find the multiple tabs frustrating.
The Slick UI is currently in development stages, so we shouldn’t expect to see the home replacement hit the Android Market anytime soon. But we can expect to see new features in the future, such as a customizable Wonder Wheel, customizable dock, and an “innovative app-drawer.” So, for the time being, the developers have their work cut out for them, but may need some testers in the future.
To follow the development of the Slick UI, head over to the XDA page here.
We hope to see some sort of beta build soon, but we won’t hold our breath on that one, either.
[Via: Phandroid]