Launcher Challenge - Apex Launcher

To start my long overdue launcher challenge - I'll be talking about Apex Launcher Pro, which from the moment I first flashed a nightly CM9 build to my Defy, it was the first 4.0 launcher I bought and have mostly stuck with since.

An old screenshot I thought I'd
throw in

Already in my weeks since announcing this launcher challenge, in using other launchers I've found that I will never have the same dependency on Apex as I've had in the past. There are just way too many avenues for customisation and personalisation on Android, and Apex is only the start of it. But alas, I have to start somewhere with this challenge, so why not comment on what has largely been my primary launcher since Android 4.0?


Apex Launcher as most would know resembles mostly a stock Android launcher look, but with notable customisation features. To me, this launcher like Nova celebrates AOSP and those who want to be able to build upon the what they currently enjoy about stock Android, and make their device their own. Something as small as having the ability to change your icons can instantly set you apart from the rest, and as I've mentioned in an earlier post - icon packs are probably what I spend most of my "Google Dollars" on. Support for icon editing is what I've come to expect from each launcher I dabble with. Thanks to the popularity of Apex Launcher, a large number of icons packs I've had and buy today now support Apex Launcher, which has helped this launcher excel.

Icons aren't everything to everyone, so then there's features we've seen on myriad launchers such as gestures like swipe down for the notifications pane, changing the amount of homescreens (up to a maximum of nine), number of icons in the dock, number of dock pages, hiding apps from the app drawer (like Facebook from friends who want nothing more than to embarrass you), and all the rest. If you want to know the rest of it, go ahead and download Apex (if you haven't already) and try it out - the limits of customisation with this launcher are purely up to each user.

In case you were wondering why my main homescreen is rather cluttered, it's because I prefer to have everything I normally use on the one screen - as I've found I'm straying from the conventional five or seven homescreens in favour of three or less. That said, I still go through bouts of wanting more on the homescreen and less - it really depends on workload, such as during Uni where I need a calendar and notes widget visible at all times. If I'm on a break, my homescreens will take on a far more minimal appearance as I've less to worry and stress over. In that sense then, my Apex homescreens reflect my stress levels. 

So there we have it, a startling conclusion and realisation on my part. Take for example, two screenshots below of configurations I had whilst on my Uni break:

Apex Launcher is a must have for obvious reasons - it affords plenty of customisation options for individuals who don't wish to stray too far from the stock launcher.

For my next launcher, I'll be reluctantly taking a look at ADW Launcher EX. I say "reluctantly" because I've always held a deep sense of admiration for ADW up until the point it was revamped and tailored to providing a Holo look and feel. I'm not fond of it at all nowadays, but hey, it was still the only launcher I used up until Apex replaced it in 4.0.