Android is the hottest mobile operating system currently. Besides pockets of iOS fanatic bursts (and the killer virtual-assistant Siri), nothing steals its thunder ever. However, what made Android an absolute favorite with developers in such a short span of time, is that the Android project is open source to a large extent. Anyone with a will can fork the Android project and create his own version of Android. This is exactly what has happened now, and we have the most popular AOSP fork out there which is CyanogenMod.
With CyanogenMod, you can get faster updates and better cross-location features. I am using a radio from Vodafone UK with a better GPS reception and am on Android 2.3.7. Gingerbread was probably not even released officially for my HTC Legend.
Why do we need a different UI?
While CyanogenMod brings the essence of an AOSP along with it and delivers faster updates, it fails miserably at the user-interface. The user-interface in stock CyanogenMod is extremely crude. While customization exists to make it look awesome, there is a vast scope for improvement. At the end of the day, people are desperately trying to make it look like one of the other popular UIs out there- like the one in iOS or Honecomb.
(yes I tried desperately too!)
Where does Sentio UI come into play?
Enter Sentio UI. Now, this Sentio UI project is pretty old. It surfaced at the beginning of this year. Then, Why am I mentioning it again? Because, Android Ice Cream Sandwich is out and it borrows slightly from Sentio UI.
The official Sentio UI website lacks the spark and makes it very hard to trace their current progress. God thing they maintain a Twitter account to communicate.
Sentio UI aims to replace the Android interface without requiring root permissions. They are calling it a “self-contained OS overhaul”.It will function like a regular launcher with a complete UI overhaul including icons, animations and usability improvements.
The Sentio UI in action can be seen here.
Sentio UI for Android! from sentio on Vimeo.
Pricing and Release Plans for Sentio UI
Sentio UI is being developed by a 17 year old who wants to use this project for his college admission. The proposed deadline for Sentio UI release is Christmas this year, so all you Android lovers can treat yourself to a gift from Ethan who is the chief designer of this project.
Finally, comes the price. Pricing for this UI will be a very nominal of $3 to $5 per month and what is best, is that there will be a free version with all the basic functionality. The wait will be over soon and we will get to try out Sentio UI in a few days.
Chinmoy Kanjilal is the geek behind Techarraz. This is where he rants about his adventures with technology. Get to know him better, and connect with him on social networks.
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