Android skins may be slow and tacky, but phone makers continue to use them. Now HTC has doubled down on the concept with a new version of its Sense user interface.
Along with the launch of two new phones Wednesday, HTC upgraded Sense, an Android add-on that provides home screen widgets to aggregate social networking feeds, display a user’s calendar, and provide access to apps such as the camera.
The revamped Sense UI will have a much faster boot time, DLNA support to allow streaming media to other devices, faster maps and a new website for device management, says HTC.
The new version of Sense will be seen on the Desire and Desire Z smartphones that has company just launched.
Android skins have raised the hackles of some smartphone enthusiasts. But HTC’s Sense upgrade is a sign that phone makers are likely to continue using custom Android skins, despite significant improvements in the latest versions of the Android operating system.
Other manufacturers are sticking with their skins, too. In July, Motorola said it plans to let go of the ‘MotoBlur’ brand name since it confused consumers. But it is staying firm on the idea of a skin that would customize the generic look of Android and meld it to the company’s tastes.
Here’s what HTC consumers can expect in the new Sense UI. The new version will boot under 10 seconds, says HTC. The company wouldn’t provide information on boot time for the older version. The move should help alleviate some of the complaints around skins slowing down the Android OS.
HTC has also added Locations, a mapping application that’s different from Google Maps. Locations has some unique features, says HTC. It includes cached maps, which can be handy for international travelers who don’t want to incur data roaming chargers. Users can download the map information to their phone before they leave the country and still get GPS-based map information in a foreign country without using any data.
Locations also includes a compass mode to orient the map on the screen so it is aligned with the direction the user is facing.
HTC has improved the camera app in the new version Sense by adding different filters and effects such as line art.
“So, if you want to create an artistic Photoshop-ish effect to an image you are capturing, you can do it real time while you take the picture, rather than using a photo processing app after the fact,” says Keith Nowak, spokesperson for HTC.
Also, in keeping with how popular e-readers are now, the new Sense interface includes a widget for an e-book store powered by Kobo.
Remote device management is now become a must-have for all major smartphone makers. Motorola offers free online back-up and remote find for its lost Android phones. Apple does the same with the paid MobileMe. Now HTC is joining the bandwagon with the HTCSense.com service.
The service allows consumers to manage their phone from a computer and locate a missing phone by triggering the handset to ring loudly, even if it is set to silent, or to flag its location on a map.
Other services include remote lock, forwarding calls and texts to another phone and remote wipe can be done through the site. Users can also access archived mobile content such as contacts, text messages and call history from a PC browser.
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