Not long ago we indicate in AndroidAyuda which Google Now Launcher took a definitive step since it increased its compatibility with all terminals that have Android 4.1 or higher. Well, we have tested it to find out what the user experience offered by this development is like.
The truth is that this is not a Launcher to use, since it is not designed to offer the maximum possible customization options for the user interface that is used. Its objective is that users who install it on their terminals, such as those from Samsung or Sony, know what the experience of using a stock Android device ("pure") is like. That is to say, as if using a Nexus.
The truth is that in this section it fulfills perfectly, since the impression that the user has once it is activated is just this. Therefore, the objective is met and, for example, you have a list of applications ordered as if it were a Google device and you access the Now cards by simply dragging the first screen from the left (it must be said that the desktops are added according to are the needs, they are not there by default). The fact is that you get, for example, to know what a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 would be without TouchWiz or a Sony Xperia Z1 with a non-personalized interface.
One of the curiosities I had was to know if the performance offered by different devices once Google Now Launcher is installed is significantly reduced. The truth is that both in the phones and in the tablets in which we tested the Launcher it must be said that This is not like this. In general, the capacity of the devices is somewhat lower, but not enough to give a feeling of slowness (comparing, of course). Of course, it must be said that sometimes this development abuses the consumption of RAM, which is a handicap for less equipped models in this section.
All good at first, but ...
The fact is that once I verified that the objective of the user experience is good, and that I did not find major bugs (although there are some that show that details are missing to be polished such as text that overflows or some other stop of execution of Google Now Launcher when the RAM is reduced), one of the unpleasant surprises of this development arrived: its excessive consumption.
The truth is that having activated the command O at all times, in case a search is carried out, it is one of the culprits of this, and if this configuration is not modified, the experience I obtained is that the autonomy can be reduced by up to 35% in some cases. An outrage, everything has to be said. Therefore, I deactivated the functionality -which makes one of the striking options of Google Now Launcher be lost-, and again a surprise: it continues to consume more energy than expected, with a decrease of 15 or 20% of the time a device can be used without recharging it. This, obviously, more than one will find it a problem and, therefore, will not keep the application installed.
The truth is that seeing some of the problems that we find in Google Now Launcher, it must be said that it is quite clear that the global operation must be improved, with special attention to the consumption section. If this is solved, and taking into account that Its use is very simple And that offers quite a lot of stability, this development can be a good option to know what the Nexus experience is like, which is positive and, it must be said, a good touchstone for Google when it comes to showing how its terminals are with regard to the interface (and they do not have the problems of autonomy, it must be said).
Therefore, the Google Now Launcher version 1.1.0.116794, which can be downloaded at this link, heading, but which obviously has things to improve. Surely the Mountain View company manages to solve the problems we find and enhance the positive ones it already has.