iOS 7 is on Android!

iOS 7 is without a doubt one of the biggest things to happen to Apple this year alongside the release of their iPhone 5C and the iPhone 5S. The new OS touts various new features as well as a new  refreshing look with bright icons and live wallpapers. But it isn't just for iOS devices anymore.

Some of you may have read my article a while back about the Android launcher Espier Launcher, an app that made your Android device look like it was running iOS 6. It would also operate like iOS 6 with the jiggle on the icons, iPhone search page on the left and the similar folder layouts, as well as modified icons to replicate iOS6. The same company has come back with an iOS 7 version of their launcher. Now this launcher has been around since iOS 7 was released in its beta stages back in July, but I decided against posting it since we didn't know much about iOS 7 and I didn't want to misinform you lovely readers. With a couple of weeks since iOS 7's release, I figured now would be a good time to talk about Espier Launcher's latest attempts in imitating one of the most popular OS's on the mobile market for the time being 

For those of you using Espier Launcher (the iOS 6 version), you can download a theme that will simply convert your current theme into iOS 7 without having to reconfigure anything. I initially did this in order to see what iOS 7 would look like on my phone.The background changed to the stock background of iOS 7, but it didn't move like the iOS 7. No matter, there are live wallpapers for it all over on the market so I wasn't terribly worried about that. Plus, I prefer the wallapaper to be static since it takes up less RAM and makes my phone run faster. The icons for the most part changed to their iOS 7 counterparts, but nothing else really changed. This theme is good for those who just want the physical look of iOS 7 without sacrificing the functions and features of iOS 6. 

If you want the functions and features of iOS 7, I recommend you try out the iOS 7 Espier Launcher. IF you do chose to use this launcher., you will have to reorganize everything as if you just got the launcher for the first time. I personally say it is worth the sacrifice. Once you utilize the launcher, you will see all the icons change to their iOS 7 counterpart as well as the theme changes. This is where all the comparisons changed to the theme version of it. If you swipe up you see the same task bar from iOS 6, but if you swipe down, you can find the search bar in its new position. I personally like it better in its new position. When you group applications together, you can see the new folder layout. The animations are almost perfect imitations of iOS 7.  Just like the iOS 6 version of the Espier launcher, you are able to edit and change the icons which was always a nice feature. You can import icons just like always from your external storage device and this is just a supplemental thing that adds to the feel of iOS 7.

In addition to all of these features, there are other applications that can help bring iOS to your Android phone, and they are all by Espier. The Espier Lock Screen is the iOS 7 variation of the stock lock screen. This version just provides the simply slide function as the only iOS 7 function. There is a paid version of this application by Espier Studio that provides a little bit more in terms of imitating the latest iOS. It provides the a better lock screen with the same num pad as iOS 7. It also has other handy features like switching to your camera without having to unlock your phone as well changing the text for "Slide to unlock", and the operator name. It also lets the notifications appear on the lock screen, a signature Apple trademark. The applications itself is very fluid and it works very well with the iOS 7 launcher.

Espier also have their own version of the Control Center as well as their own version of the notification center. The Control Center is much more fluid than I originally expected. I have had some experience with some other control centers and they were always very buggy. The swipe up feature was always super sensitive and would pop up on the screen when I would be using my keyboard. The Espier version works much more fluidly and therefore is much more usable and practical. The Airplane Mode, Wifi, Bluetooth, Data and Screen Rotation lock are on the top half of the screen, whereas the Flashlight, Clock, Calculator, and Camera icons are on the bottom. There is a very nice 4 x 1, 5 x 1 spot in the middle for a widget of your choice. They recommend using the Espier Music Controller there to make it really feel like iOS 7, but I personally don't like their controller so I just put a battery widget there by Du Saver Battery.

In addition to the Lock Screen and the Control Center, Espier also offers their own Notification Center. I personally think that this application needs a lot of improvement in the user interface. The screen seems to lag a lot it doesn't always change screen when they are swiped. The notification center is creative in the sense that you can select which apps appear in the center and which don't. You can also choose to just select the notification aspect of the application, the notification bar on the top of your screen, or both. I think that if Espier chooses to fix the little things about this application, it'd be fantastic and fluid. It has a tad bit of latency, but I'm sure Espier will fix it in future updates.

Espier has a lot to offer to the Android market. They are perfect for people like me who like the flexibility and uniqueness of Android, with the simplicity of an iPhone. Although some of their applications need improvements, the overall presentation of the application is fantastic. I would recommend Espier's apps to anyone that wants a simple to use launcher or plugins to make their Android phone into an iPhone replica with legitimate interactive icons and features.

Edit: Here are the links for the various applications I was mentioning throughout the article

Espier iOS 7 THEME (This is if you are using the old launcher and just want a quick upgrade) - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.espier.launcher.theme.ios7

Espier iOS 7 LAUNCHER (Full makeover and features) - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.espier.launcher7

Espier iOS NOTIFICATIONS- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.espier.launcher.plugin.notifications7

Espier CONTROL CENTER= https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.espier.launcher.plugin.controller7

Espier SCREEN LOCKER- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.espier.launcher.plugin.screenlocker7

P.S. There are also "Full Paid Versions" for the screen locker, Control Center, Notifications, and the Launcher. They have the word "Pro" after their title on the Google Play Store. These Applications offer more features for the user and can make the experience more enjoyable. I only have the pro version for the Screen Locker and find that there is a slight amount of lag when it comes to unlocking the screen once you press the lock button on your phone. Using the normal screen locker I find no latency at all. It could just be my phone, but I thought I'd point it out for the sake of pointing it out.