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Apr

3

2011

SPB Shell 3D For Android Is Just Freaking Cool… Available In The Android Market

31

by Joe Sirianni
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Well, being a lover of all things Android, I’m usually not inclined to point someone to any other type of UI or skin overlay.  However, this is just freaking cool.  SPB, the popular mobile software company has taken their SPB mobile shell to new heights.  When I had an HTC HD2 running Windows Mobile 6.5, I was quick to run to SPB Shell to gain that lost Android functionality, but didn’t like how all of the icons were completely different, as they were the default icons that came with the shell.  When I saw the quick demo video for SPB Shell 3D, I wasn’t as reluctant to consider the application because you get to obviously keep the look and feel of your standard Android icons.

The SPB Shell 3D is truly a next generation mobile user interface.  The application shell sports a 3D Home screen launcher, smart folders, 3D widgets and a slew of other panels and widgets to select from.  The 3D engine is smooth and superb with live animation occurring within the 3D panel view itself.  I think this is an excellent alternative to those who want something new and fresh but aren’t of the ROM’ing and hacking community.  Unfortunately, an app like this also comes with a pretty hefty price tag.  The app comes in at a whopping $14.95  Is this a deal breaker for you?  This might not be an overall difficult decision to make if the Android Market didn’t have a 15 min return window.  It’s going to take a lot more than 15 minutes to explore all of the ins and outs of this application.  But hey, if you’re willing to give it a go, then head on over to the Android Market and don’t forget to let us know what you think of the app in the comments below.  Hit the break for a plethora of pics and info, including SPB’s user manual, which comes jam packed with pics and quick tips for you.  There is also a quick video demo of the app in action.  

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SPB Shell 3D User Manual

» See more articles by Joe Sirianni

Categorized as Android Applications

Comments

  • http://www.facebook.com/asbahri Ahmad Saiful Bahri

    but when the price is usd15, is not cool anymore

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Chris-Mackai/1258174566 Chris Mackai

    The people that will call this “cool” are the same ones that call the Evo 3D lame.

  • http://www.facebook.com/psywar Charles Coggins

    The HTC Evo 3D Sense UI will be just like that I cant wait for the Evo 3D!

  • http://www.facebook.com/bdotwest Bryan West

    I had the beta version of this. It was really cool, but such a memory hog. I still can’t see the justification of spending $15 on a home replacement app. Yikes..

  • curse

    yea, the 15 min return policy really destroy the sales of good apps, but it seems Google prefer sales of $0.99 fart apps instead of letting us test good apps for real.
    With a 24 , 12, 6 or even 1 hour return policy, I’d test this out, and if I liked it(well it looks nice enough, so I probably like it), I’d keep and pay.

    *goes to check my local pirate dealer for SPB shell, if it’s REALLY good, I may(unlikely since I already installed it) uninstall the pirated one and buy the real, if I can bother… *
    ^ that’s what 15 min return policy does

  • Keith

    I dont think it was worth 15 dollars but it is a decent home screen replacement and is now my default since I already spent the money

  • Atta

    This UI is just freaking awesome..! I’m a nexus one user..! The SPB Shell 3D beats all other launchers in no time!
    Zmazing stuff.. ! However I would like to raise the point that this app is very much expensive.. and I would like the android people to make this app much cheaper so all users can get hold of it and enjoy the user friendly 3D interface..!
    Thanks!

  • alex kruyer

    i agree this is the coolest install on android ever. the android design by far is lame , it is a useful install to freshen up . ive been using it f a few days and love it. it is my choice over sense any-day for style .

  • alex kruyer

    one comment on the 15 minute return policy . yes that has chased me away from trying apps that are paid and made me way more tight fisted on my wallet. except for spb 3d .

  • http://www.brabbler.com Eric

    stop giving yourself excuses to steal. Apple has NO RETURNS at all and does fine, and as a developer, I’ve seen my sales stay steady since the 15minute policy was put into place.

    so if you’re going to steal, accept that you’re stealing and stop telling yourself that “everyone” is doing it, because they just aren’t.

  • Keith

    This talk android site must be sponsored by spb or something. I gave a small reply about how i did not think mobile shell was worth 15 dollars and it was removed. There was no profanity or any remarks that could have been taken wrongly, like the first guy who posted a reply, but yet it was deleted. I read all of these mobile news blogs hoping to get unbiased opinions on products and services, i guess that is not the case with this site.

  • curse

    Eric – my comment about contact local pirate dealer was sarcasm about what I think the 15 min instead of 24h return policy have done.

    I’m very happy for you that your sales have stayed constant, perhaps your programs are good enough for people to buy.
    But one thing comes to mind, since the return policy change, the market have exploded with Android devices, shouldn’t your sales have followed and give you way more $$?

    I for one used to test programs, stuff like the SPB Shell, that would cost me quite a lot, some i liked, those I bought, some I didn’t like those I returned. As it is now, I won’t risk $15 on something I can’t test, what if it don’t work on my phone? What if it’s useless or don’t work as I thought? Sure, a 1-2 dollar app I may just buy to see what it is, but not the more costly ones.
    As a developer myself, I think i lose money on the 15 min return policy since many don’t dare test, if it’s crap. Or they pirate it.
    It’s bad times, for many $15 is at least 3 days of food, thats nothing to waste on something they can’t see if it works first.
    I still stand with that I think Google rather supports the fart apps instead of quality apps with the 15 min return policy, in 15 min, I usually don’t even have the app downloaded.

  • rich bown

    To get the most out of any app, you need more than 15 minutes to play with it. Take need for speed, ok it only cost me $3 but after i downloaded it and then had to install the additional content (even over wifi) took 30 minutes, after which i fired it up, and it didn’t work.
    Emails to EA amounted to nothing and if you look at the comments there’s a ton of angry galaxy s owners like me who had the same experience. Piracy bad – no doubt, but 15 minutes is a HUGE climbdown from the 24 hours you used to have. Even ONE hour would be an improvement

    Anyhoo, about SPB – I’m lucky enough to be in the test beta group and I used to use it on winmo back in the day (when you HAD to use a shell to get anything done!!).
    Whereas SPB has promise – built in weather app is lovely, and the birthday reminders widget is very useful, after a couple of days I miss the functionality of launcher pro, and switch back to it.
    The built in LauncherPro plus widgets are amazing, so much so you don’t need native facebook and twitter apps. Custom icons are another are where L-Pro has the advantage, and swipe gestures, support for live wallpapers (love the multi picture one – single best LWall out there) just edge it for me.
    Simple things too, if the SPB carousel would ‘loop’ all the way round it’d be a huge bonus.
    SPB has some nice eye-candy no doubt, as for is it worth $15 – not on planet earth, you can buy a decent laucnher like L-Pro, and Beautiful Widgets, and still have some change for swipe-kill-fruit-app-of-the-month or whatever you’re willing to punt a couple of $$s at incase they take longer than 15 minutes to download and play with.

  • ari-free

    There are many apps where you get to try for free for X days and then you buy the key in order to keep the app. Look at docs2go.

  • http://www.brabbler.com Eric

    curse – it’s still not a good excuse.

    if a developer is losing sales due to the return policy, they can easily put out a trial version of their app – as I have done since day 1.

    And if someone is in such tough times that they are budgeting themselves to $5/day for food, perhaps they shouldn’t have a smartphone to begin with.. their priorities are obviously mixed up.

    Cliff notes: if you think $15 is too much to risk, don’t. If that hurts the dev’s sales, they can release a trial version. You aren’t entitled to a free trial of anything you want.

  • curse

    I guess the problem is that we were used to the 24h return policy, it was really a good selling point compared to Apples App Store that had none, and then just one day it was changed to 15 minutes without any warning. They said it was so makers of small games that takes less then a day to play still could sell, since people got the game, finished it and returned it, which in my opinion is unethical. Still, also the diff with Apple, in App Store, all apps works for 2-3 versions of iPhone, so you can be sure it works, or it wouldn’t be there. With Google Market, there are loads of diff devices and some apps that work on one may not work on another. That’s why testing may be important.

    BTW, $15 is usually about 3 days of food for me, sometimes 4 days(I like to cook and food don’t cost more then that if you make it yourself), the phone I got for free when I prolonged my subscription, I may be poor, but I don’t call people that wanna test an app before buying and hope Google would go back to a better return policy thieves.

  • Dustin Karnes

    Keith – Just to be clear, we do not censor any comments on this site. We filter out profanity, and that is it. Your comment was, in fact, approved, but simply got caught in a comment queue. We are not sponsored by ANY app company.

    Thanks for reading TalkAndroid. :)

  • bp

    Why do they don’t have two/more/flexible return time? Tied to price/developer decision?

    excuses, excuses…

  • wael g.

    will it be available for Symbian s60v5 soon????

  • karthik

    hey i have samsung galaxy 3 and i got the app working, but the graphics may be too high.. the icons are ok.. but the writing under the icons are like latin.. cant make out any shit.. wat to do?

  • Jay

    Can’t see it on the market. nice apps though, wanna grab a piece of it.

  • Joe Sirianni

    Jay, are you searching for “SPB Shell 3D”? What device are you using?

    Joe

  • Jay

    hi Joe!
    Samsung Galaxy S..really can’t find it in the market, residing here in the Philippines..I think my location is the proble.. Ive heard that some apps are not allowed or banned in other countries…
    but I do think this apps is overpriced…

  • joe

    That’s odd. Might want to head to spb.com and inquire about it there. Let us know so we can update the post with that info.

  • Jay

    I was able to download a trial version, sure this app promised a lot.I have Froyo on my SGS. as what I have observed it becomes sluggish sometimes.Everytime I launch it, it takes about 5 mins (more or less) to load up. putting the menu in 3D mode freezes my phone, one time I have to take out the battery because its been freezed fo almost an hour.I have to shut down, or FC some of the running services and background apps just to ensure it would run smoothly. Im still using and testing it, I only have this for half a day, if I find more glitches have to switch back to my good old Go launcher.

  • http://www.xdguys.com Eric

    OK, without a demo, and with the current very small try-out window, I cannot justify spending $14.95 on a product that actually limits what can be placed on what screen. From the reviews, there are common items missing as well, like gmail and Facebook.
    Sorry SPB. We need a demo.

  • http://fuckyoutoonigger trolls4you

    lol at 15 dollars, this UI will remain pirated. You want people to actually show you the courtesy of actually buying your software, you might want to make it reasonably affordable. I can do a lot with 15 dollars, but for 5 dollars I would buy it out of convenience of getting updates without looking for pirated versions.

  • http://esmobile.tumblr.com Eric

    “lol at 15 dollars, this UI will remain pirated.”

    ..or you could just NOT have it if you think it’s too expensive. There is nothing stating that you are entitled to having it, and only paying if the price is OK by your standards.

    I want you to try an experiment. Go into your local supermarket and find something that you feel is too expensive. Take it off the shelf and walk out the door with it.. let me know how entitled you are to that product.. after all, it’s the store’s fault right? If they don’t want you to steal it, they should make the price convenient for you.

  • Mike

    @Eric, unfortunately MY grocery supermarket has security so I shouldn’t steal like you tell me too. Although the local Sports Car dealer has no security, so I’ll go there, ok? My point being…you are arrogant. Geez chill dude…………….

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000345369494 Cleverson Adriano

    este aplicativo serve para o sony ericsson xperia arc ?

  • Maria Napoles

    I payed the $15 and I regret it.This “looks” beautiful but it has alot of issues.It constantly freezes,lags,turns off on it’s own & I’am forced closed on many of my apps.I was new to the Android when I purchased it…I didn’t know much.I asked for a refund 3 months ago…I’am still waiting.Be careful with this…it is extremely expensive & you will not be happy with all the issues it has.So Not worth it!!!!!!!!