A new kind of Android Home Launcher

[Daniel M.]

Hello Fastlaners,

I've always been a fan of mobile applications and I see a huge potential in them. I've had a few app ideas, but now I'm ready to take the next steps.

I can say that I've tried ALL the home screen launchers from Play Store but I still can't say that I found the perfect one which would fit my preferences. There are a few good launchers with a very good team like GO Launcher, Themer, Buzz Launcher, Everything ME, Aviate but still I am sure that my App Idea would have a lot of new features and a whole new concept.

In my opinion the stock Android launcher isn't keeping up with the fast hardware changes. We can see how fast are smartphones improving but the software isn't getting much of a change. All of the launchers are based on the same principle and there is no one is trying to think outside the box.

About my ideaa: Novus Home Launcher
If I would have choose from the existing launchers, I would say that Aviate is the launcher which has the most in common with my idea but still very far from it. Aviate has the vision of "Intelligent Homescreen" and that's what I want to improve
Novus (means "new" in latin) Home is a new concept of a an Intelligent Homescreen. I think that the tipical home screens and widgets + app launcher is the past. How I see the future of mobile phones and how will Novus be?

1. It is different every time you unlock it! It will be INTELLIGENT. It will know what exactly you want to do at the moment, and if it is wrong, still you will have the most relevant options to choose from. Based on location, time, and application usage the home launcher can anticipate your next move. I know that there are a few tries about this but they are still far from perfection.
2. You won't have to leave your Homescreen. You will not be forced to open the application for the most frequent actions like calling someone, texting, adding a task, checking your calendar, wheather, traffic, reading hot and so on. I know, we have widgets, but all widgets are lack of features. Unless you want to do something specific in an application, you won't leave you Novus Home.
3. Responsive user interface with beautiful material design. Design and good look is essential for every home launcher. If we want to be competitive we have to have a great design. Material Design is the future of Android design so in order to keep up we have to implement it too.

It is very hard to present my whole idea in a post so when I will have the whole concept in a written format I will come back with an update.

Here is my Plan of Action:

1. (In progress) Presentation website with contact details and a survey.
2. Market Research. The survey will contain the information which will help me to decide if my App Idea is feasable and if there is a need for it. Also I will give me other Android users ideas of an "Ideal Homescreen"
3. Business Plan. Based on the survey results I will write a detailed Busines Plan of my application idea.
4. The Team. In order to find investors in the next step, the project and idea has to have a good, reliable, ambitious and convincing team.
5. Fund the project. In order to start developing the app we need to find investors. Crowdfunding could be an option.

I created this post in order to receive more information and feedback about my idea.

So please tell me what do you think about it and also feel free to ask me anything.

Thank you,
Daniel M.

 

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[splok]

I haven't used any launchers, so I don't know how to compare the idea with what's out there. However, I hate sorting through icons and pages to find the app that I want, and I don't care enough to organize them properly. If you could actually serve up the most likely apps (which seems doable based on time/location, etc.), I would find it valuable. Actually, it's sort of odd that the OS's don't do it automatically, so you might also want to consider native functionality might make your app obsolete at some point.

The real question is how you are going to accomplish this when you don't find investors, because while I think it sounds like a great idea, it also doesn't sound like something that's very exciting for investors (low LTV, only taps the Android segment of the mobile market, likely easy to replicate).

 

[Daniel M.]

I see what are you saying but I'm convinced that there is a business opportunity in this. Just think about how fast is hardware improving and the stock android is launcher isn't getting much of a change.

People like to feel confortable. If you provide something that saves time and energy it will be a succes.

However, in order to be sure that there is a market and that there is a need I'm doing right now the presentation site and the survey. Without market research I won't jump into it.

Thank you for your feedback and I'm waiting for other fastlane members to share their opinion and ideas.

 

[mosdef]

i love to use launchers, many promise much but i always end up staying on nova or apex.

Dont make alot of gimmicks that people will not use!

 

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[Daniel M.]

Have you ever tried Aviate? I'm using it most of the time.

 

[mosdef]

It's smart but ugly

 

[Daniel M.]

Exactly. And smart but not very smart. My app idea is that it has to be intelligent and beautiful at the same time.

 

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[Tyler K]

I'd use something like this. I use android a lot and it'd be very helpful to have something like this.

 

[Daniel M.]

I'd use something like this. I use android a lot and it'd be very helpful to have something like this.

Thank you for your opinion, that's exactly what I want to hear

 

[Jon Snow]

Hi, I'm android user, and I've tried a lot of launchers...
I don't do it anymore nowadays, but I know there's a market for this.

 

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[MajeStyle]

I absolutely LOVE the idea, btw I don't see how you can make it work. I hope with all my hearth that you can come up with such thing, it looks absolutely insanely GREAT

 

[Daniel M.]

Thank you MajeStyle.

It will require a lot of work and brainstorming but I'm on it. I'm writing down every idea on a big paper and I'm also mamking mindmap using Mindomo.

As I said as a first step I will collect the feedbacks, I will make a market research.

It is important that I want to know not just if there is a need for something like that, but also what exactly users miss in a home launcher.

If I have these information I can create a nice, complex, detailed idea with pictures, screenshots etc.

Now it is just an idea. But when I will have a presentation, then it will be a no business idea.
Till then, I have to do everything alone. Then, hopefully I will find my future teammates.

 

[MajeStyle]

I wouldn't worry about the need. Was there really a need for flappy bird? If your product is good, it will sell. I'd get ASAP to the realisation part

 

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[Daniel M.]

You're right but think about it. It is easier to sell something that 50-100 people said that they want then something that I think that they will need.

I'm glad that the feedbacks are positive now

 

[juicemania]

*Subscribed*

I think this is could be a good idea. It will be interesting to see how you implement this though.

I'm big fan of having the apps I use heavily on the home screen because I don't like having apps on multiple screens or searching through the app drawer. The quicker I can access the app I want to use, the better!

For instance, I think Nova launcher (probably others as well) had screen gestures you could set up to access whatever app u wanted. This was a big selling point for me, which is why I bought the app.

Anyhow good luck! I'll be interested in seeing how this goes!

 

[Daniel M.]

Thank you for your positive feedback.

Now that the Holiday is over I can get back to work again.

I will keep you updated.

 

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[Daniel M.]

Hello again,

I finished my Presentation Website and a Survey which should be completed by as many Android users as possible.

http://novus.leinad.net

1. Please if you find any grammar mistake tell me!

2. Share your feedbacks with me.

Tomorrow I will start to share it on the net and I would really appriciate it if you could also help me with this. Take the survey and spread the word.

Thank you in advance.

 

[juicemania]

Under your 'Support my Project' heading (in your 'price-head' div), you spelled 'idea' as 'ideea'. This was just the first thing that jumped out at me...I haven't really checked out the site yet, just kinda scrolled through. I'll check it out again tonight

 

[Daniel M.]

Thank you juicemania.

I corrected it. It happens, in Romanian we spell ideea :d. Probably that's why I made this mistake.

 

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