Nova launcher comes in two versions – free and premium. For most people, the free version works just fine. It only allows for basic usage and basic customization, but that doesn’t matter to them. Most people really aren’t looking for anything other than a basic launcher. Some people, however, are looking for something a little bit more advanced, a little bit more customizable. And for that, we have Nova Launcher prime.
Usage
Nova Launcher Prime is definitely an app specifically designed for die hard Android fans – the kind of fan that isn’t totally happy with the level of customization that the free version of Nova gives up and wants to get just a little bit more out of it.
When you purchase it, you unlock the door to some honestly awesome features. I have to be honest, the upgrade has some serious utility behind it. Prime has a feature that I cannot live without on Android: the custom app drawer group feature. With this, you can move and separate your apps into little groups (like pictured above). It’s awesome and is actually the single reason I no longer use folders to organize apps on my home screen.
Another thing I really love is the unread badge feature. With this, you’ll be able to tell if you have a new email or SMS with a glance at your home screen. It’s super handy, and I’m not sure I could use my Nexus 5 without it at this point.
When it comes to features, app drawer groups and the unread badge feature are really the only things that jump out at me. That is just me though. I’m a bit of a minimalist, so I don’t really care about all the bells and whistles. You might find that some of the features I outline in this review are uninteresting, while things that I didn’t like are great. While I didn’t find any issues when it comes to Prime’s features or anything like that, there is something about the Nova Launcher Prime upgrade that doesn’t totally sit right with me. The app, well, it’s a little pricey. I understand, everyone has to make a living. I get that. I just secretly hope that it will come down in price. I don’t think I’m alone in feeling that 4 dollars is a lot for an app. I use Nova Launcher Prime just about every day on all of my devices. I have no desire to change that. I’ve never had a crashing issue, a memory usage issue or anything along those lines. It’s the fastest launcher out there as far as I can tell. If you love Nova Launcher, you’ll probably like the upgrade.
Pros/Cons
Pros
Fast Incredibly stable Customization options beat all other launchers out there Great storage and ram usage
Cons
Tad pricey
Conclusion
Overall, Nova Launcher Prime is a fairly decent upgrade. I might disagree with the developers choice in pricing, but it’s not a total deal breaker and I am sure many others will find the price affordable. For a Nova Launcher fan, upgrading to Prime is just the icing on an already awesome cake. If you’re already a huge fan of the free launcher, the upgrade is a no brainier.
