It is generally not such a bad idea to try to be like Google (at least when it comes to the visual look and easy-to-use interface of Google Now). This appears to be a theory supported by Samsung and their new launcher: Terrain Home (though technically it is their Accelerator start-up incubator that handled the release). Battling for success among the homescreen options already available, Terrain Home has been described as: “Aviate without the brains. Fasthlane without the tiles. Everything.me without the recommendations. GEL without Google Now.” While it may seem at first that every other option has a specialty, while Terrain Home has none –it may actually be that Samsung has combined the best bits and pieces from all of the competition, succeeding in creating a launcher that truly simplifies your device.
Key features of Terrain Home include: a smart sidebar (called A Bird’s Eye View, letting you bring together all of your favourite apps, tools, contacts, news and social media), a powerful local phone search, app drawers (allowing you to find the app you are looking for quickly and easily), swipe gestures (right for the sidebar, up for search, and to the left for your apps), customize your homescreen icon size, and do it all without a negative impact to your battery life!
Initial reviews indicate that Terrain Home looks very plain and simple, but using it for a few minutes demonstrates that is part of the charm –the customization options mean that ‘what you see is what you use’.
The best way to judge would be to give it a try for yourself, download Terrain Home for Android.
Jillian Koskie is an experienced software developer, content writer, project manager and usability design expert. With over 17 years in these roles, Jillian has enjoyed applying her skill-set to assist clients and users across a wide variety of sectors including: legal, health, and financial services. Combining these professional opportunities with a love of technology, Jillian is pleased to contribute articles, opinions, and advice to numerous news outlets, websites, and publications.