How to Get Samsung’s, LG’s Best Features on Any Android Phone
Mar 7, 2013 09:11 PM EDT by A Samsung Galaxy phone won’t go to sleep as long as you’re staring at the screen. An LG Optimus handset lets you run apps in tiny windows on top of the desktop, while Motorola RAZR devices can perform key tasks according to a schedule. Some call the proliferation of custom features Android fragmentation, but I call them innovation, as OEMs are adding functionality faster than you can say Google.
Fortunately, you don’t need to buy a particular brand of phone to get an enhanced Android experience. A number of third-party apps available through the Google Play store can replicate the best custom features that Samsung, LG, HTC and Motorola have to offer.
LG QSlide / Samsung Pop-Up Play Alternatives
Even as Microsoft tries to hide the actual windows in the latest version of its Windows operating system, LG’s QSlide feature lets you put one or two small windows on top of your work running the browser, video player, memo calendar or calculator apps. Samsung’s Pop-Up Play does the same thing, only for video.
Alternative Apps: While not as attractive as QSlide or Pop-up Play, Android has a slew of third-party floating apps that will put windows on top of your work. Floating Browser Flux is a resizable browser in a window that has tabs and can be activated from the notification drawer. Super Video plays local video files in a window, while Floating YouTube plays streaming videos.
Floating Mail and Floating Chat promise the ability to put email or IMs on top of your work, but neither app was able to connect to our accounts. AirCalc provides a floating calculator, complete with a see-through screen. Unfortunately, none of these floating apps allow you to adjust transparency like the LG and Samsung solutions do.
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