{"id":68410,"date":"2014-06-19T19:05:48","date_gmt":"2014-06-19T17:05:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onsoftware.en.softonic.com\/?p=68410"},"modified":"2025-07-02T00:38:04","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T07:38:04","slug":"nokia-z-launcher-android","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/nokia-z-launcher-android\/","title":{"rendered":"Nokia debuts a contextual Android launcher"},"content":{"rendered":"

Z Launcher is a brand new Android<\/a> launcher from Nokia. There are ton of third-party launchers already but Nokia hopes Z Launcher’s gesture controls<\/strong> and contextual awareness<\/strong> will separate it from the rest.<\/p>\n

The most compelling feature of Z Launcher is the way it learns which apps you use<\/strong> during different times of the day. Competitor launchers like Aviate<\/a> (owned by Yahoo!) and Cover<\/a> lockscreen (owned by Twitter<\/a>) offer the same feature. Suggested apps may be hit or miss in the beginning as Z Launcher has to monitor your behavior over time.<\/p>\n

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Z Launcher also offers gesture controls, making it easy to search for things on your phone. Write a letter from anywhere on the launcher and it will return a list of results starting with that letter. Its search results show apps, contacts, and web results.<\/p>\n

The launcher is currently in pre-beta<\/strong> and is not ready for prime time. The app isn’t available in Google Play yet, so you’ll have to download it from the Z Launcher site<\/a>. If you want to test the launcher, you’ll have to sign up with your Google account.<\/p>\n

You’ll also have to have a Nexus 5<\/strong> or Samsung Galaxy S3\/4\/5<\/strong> to run Z Launcher. Nokia will undoubtedly release it on more devices as development continues.<\/p>\n

It seems strange for Nokia, now owned by Microsoft<\/strong>, to be creating a launcher for Android. But Microsoft only purchased Nokia’s phone business, not its technologies group, which developed Z Launcher.\u00a0However, Microsoft doesn’t seem Android-adverse, releasing a series of Android phones<\/a> earlier this year.<\/p>\n

Source: Z Launcher<\/a><\/p>\n

Via: The Verge<\/a><\/p>\n

Follow Lewis on Twitter @lewisleong<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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