Android, Battery life

So, I switched to using an Android phone (Samsung Galaxy S Plus).  Good move; I'm always connected, never lost, never bored... and never more than three feet from a power point.  Wow do these 'droids love a steady supply of electrons.  I've got USB charging points at the ready on my desk, in my car, in different rooms in my house.  Even my boat has sprouted DC sockets to support this charging obsession.

Until a few days ago, when my once-permanent state of battery anxiety was cured, overnight, literally.  I first tried, then within 24 hours paid for, Juice Defender.  Don't think of this as an App; think of it as a magical doubling/tripling of your €500 smart phone's battery capacity.  €2 to do that? Absolutely unbelievable value for money.  Just buy it.

Review of Speed Launcher (Android version)

So, there is now an Android in my pocket; a Samsung Galaxy S Plus.  It is very shiny, with a lovely big bright screen.  It navigates beautifully, makes a great games platform and a pretty fair web browser.  It is a good way to check e-mail. It is much coveted. It takes lovely (HD!) video... and, sometimes, I even use it to make phone calls.

And here is the strange thing.  Every other phone I have owned was mostly a number pad.  The designer, understanding that the thing was for phone calls, made it as fast and easy as possible to get those calls made.  Your average Android, however essentially a very small tablet computer, with comparable processing and storage and only slightly fewer pixels on the screen. The making of phone calls is an afterthought - just another app that you might fit in between your browsing, mailing and gaming.

So, actually making a call is a bit of a trek through the interface.  First, there is the unlocking - one button push, followed by several swipes across that gorgeous screen; then there is the opening of the contacts app, the searching out of the contact, and finally, the choosing what to do with the contact - would sir like to phone, or e-mail, or text?  Perhaps a video call?

This is where Speed Launcher (available in premium and lite (free) versions) comes in.  This app becomes your lock screen and gives you a rotary dial with slots for up to nine of your favourite contacts. Touch and spin, just like those analog rotary phones of olden times, and off you go.  Other buttons in the center of the dial give speedy access to favourite apps and phone settings.

Overall, I'm impressed.  The spinning dial is a bit of a gimmick... but it is a pretty and effective gimmick.  Go on - give it a whirl...