iPhone 5 Launcher for Android Released

Alan Buckingham
Sep 28, 2012
Updated • Sep 30, 2018
Apps, Google Android
|
16

This may have been done partially as a joke, but an iPhone 5 launcher for Android devices has been released.  I say joke because Android users are notorious for making fun of the rival mobile device  from Apple.

Samsung in particular have made it their business model to poke fun at, not only Apple, but more specifically their fans.  The Galaxy Nexus and S3 maker has even gone viral with their TV ads, such as the latest one which ran all day last Sunday during NFL games.

The folks over at XDA Developers, who do some absolutely amazing things when it comes to creating apps and ROM's and rooting Android devices, announced the new iPhone 5 launcher earlier today.  As the name implies, this app will skin your Android device and leave the screen appearing as if it were actually running the new iOS 6 mobile operating system.

User panmoto shared news of the free app on the XDA Forums and it's available right from the Google Play Store, where it goes by the name "Fake iPhone 5 Launcher".  Ironically, the launcher may actually be more capable than the real iPhone 5.  The developer lists the following features on the app download page:

  • Most realistic iPhone skin on the market.
  • Fully functional home screen replacement.
  • Beautiful icon effects - all installed apps are styled.
  • Comes with 16 default apps on the first page.
  • Custom wallpapers supported!
  • Swipe-to-Search available - just swipe left at the main screen.

fake iphone 5 launcher

I'm not actually sure how many people would truly want this on their Android device, especially thos running the Jelly Bean 4.1 version of the operating system.  However, it already has more than 100,000 installs and a four star rating, so perhaps I am in the minority.  It requires you to be running Android 2.1 or higher, but that shoudn't leave any device out at this point.

Update: The app has been removed from Google Play. There is an abundance of iPhone launchers available though. Just check out X Launcher Free for example and download this one instead. It provides a similar experience.

Summary
iPhone 5 Launcher for Android Released
Article Name
iPhone 5 Launcher for Android Released
Description
This may have been done partially as a joke, but an iPhone 5 launcher for Android devices has been released.
Author
Publisher
Ghacks Technology News
Logo
Advertisement

Tutorials & Tips


Previous Post: «
Next Post: «

Comments

  1. David Webb said on September 29, 2012 at 3:01 pm
    Reply

    Hey Alan, thanks for sharing. I’m glad you got the sense of humour in this app ;) Just wanted to let people know – I’m actually the developer of this app (not the poster at XDA Developers). I’m happy to hear any feedback or ideas for improvement – feel free to drop me a line at the email listed on the Google Play page.

    Cheers,
    David

  2. Adam said on September 28, 2012 at 8:34 pm
    Reply

    why would you ever want to do this?

  3. KoalaBear said on September 28, 2012 at 11:50 am
    Reply

    @ilev:
    I don’t know, depends on the launcer, or the launcher created by the manufacturer.

    I have 6 x 4.

    And the good capability of Android is to install a different launcher :)

  4. ilev said on September 28, 2012 at 11:45 am
    Reply

    iPhone 5 has 5 rows of icons (+the fixed icon row). How come those
    monster 6″ Android phones
    display only 4 rows ?

  5. KoalaBear said on September 28, 2012 at 8:26 am
    Reply

    @ilev:
    My S3 is not vurnerable. And yes, this is a problem, for some devices of some manufacturers.

    That makes Android even more capable ;)

  6. Matt said on September 28, 2012 at 8:22 am
    Reply

    While I’m not personally a fan of the child’s plastic toy-like aesthetic of iOS icons, I think it’s great that Android users have yet another option in a long list of available launchers.

  7. ilev said on September 28, 2012 at 8:21 am
    Reply

    You better remind all Android users of a recently discoverd exploit on Android devices
    that can remotely wipe all data among other nasties .

    Yesterday we reported about a flaw in Samsung’s
    Touchwiz UI that allowed for data wiping, among
    other nasties. The good news is that the flaw has
    already been patched. The bad news is that self-
    described general geek Dylan Reeve says it’s not
    just limited to Samsung devices.

    Reeve explains how the remote Unstructured
    Supplementary Service Data (USSD) vulnerability
    affects many phones, and he has personally verified
    it on an HTC One X (running HTC Sense 4.0 on
    Android 4.0.3) and a Motorola Defy (running
    Cyanogen Mod 7 on Android 2.3.5). Reports suggest
    the Sony Xperia Active and the Sony Xperia Arc S
    are also affected, our very own Nick Summers
    confirms his HTC Desire running Android 2.2 is
    vulnerable, and the list likely doesn’t stop
    there…

    http://thenextweb.com/google/2012/09/26/heres-check-android-device-vulnerable-remotely-wiped-hackers/

    1. ilev said on September 28, 2012 at 8:35 am
      Reply

      p.s

      “The good news is that the flaw has
      already been patched”…

      This has been patched only for SG3 and only for those not locked by carriers
      devices, which mean ~400+ million Android phones are at risk with 0 chance for a fix.

  8. KoalaBear said on September 28, 2012 at 8:10 am
    Reply

    Android is more capable as iOS :)

Leave a Reply

Check the box to consent to your data being stored in line with the guidelines set out in our privacy policy

We love comments and welcome thoughtful and civilized discussion. Rudeness and personal attacks will not be tolerated. Please stay on-topic.
Please note that your comment may not appear immediately after you post it.