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<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Smartisan OS unveiled in China, takes a fresh approach on Android UI design" data-src-height="340" data-src-width="620" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/smartisan-os-launch-1364405253.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> Following the likes of Meizu and Xiaomi,  another star is born in the Chinese smartphone market. In fact, some  may already know the man behind this new Android-based Smartisan OS: Luo  Yonghao, a self-taught ex-English teacher (and later becoming the  principal of his own English school until last August), as well as the  founder of influential blogging platform Bullog.cn (now Bullogger.com)  and the chairman of Chinese font studio Redesign. Luo is also a  relentless consumer advocate, with his most notable act being his  fridge-smashing protest outside Siemens' Beijing headquarters in  November 2011, in order to highlight the company's refusal to  acknowledge their faulty fridge doors (all explained in the "More  Coverage" link at the bottom).</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> Already a bit of a legend in China, the 40-year-old serial entrepreneur announced last April that he had formed <span>Smartisan Co., Ltd.</span><span> to work on a smartphone OS, and that it would shame all manufacturers  with its revolutionary user experience. Having missed the December  target that he promised, Luo eventually took the stage in Beijing last  week to spend well over three -- yes, </span><em>three</em><span> -- hours going through the thought process behind his Smartisan OS, so bear with us here.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="post-gallery" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><h3 class="title"><strong>Smartisan OS launch event</strong></h3></div><div class="post-gallery" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">	 		<img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/imag1331_95x95.jpg" />	 <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/imag1336_95x95.jpg" />	 <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/dsc1399_95x95.jpg" />	 <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/dsc1409_95x95.jpg" />	 <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/smartisan-os-2013-03-27-0-1364412817_95x95.jpg" />	 <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/smartisan-os-2013-03-27-23-1364413526_95x95.jpg" />	 </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="post-gallery" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><h3 class="title"><strong>Smartisan OS unveil: Visuals</strong></h3></div><div class="post-gallery" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">	 		<img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/smartisan-os-2013-03-27-1-1364413616_95x95.jpg" />	 <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/smartisan-os-2013-03-27-2-1364413618_95x95.jpg" />	 <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/smartisan-os-2013-03-27-3-1364413621_95x95.jpg" />	 <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/smartisan-os-2013-03-27-4-1364413624_95x95.jpg" />	 <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/smartisan-os-2013-03-27-5-1364413626_95x95.jpg" />	 <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/smartisan-os-2013-03-27-6-1364413628_95x95.jpg" />	 </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> Unlike the lead images of this article, the clever play with the  name "Smartisan" is much better at reflecting the company's insane  attention to detail (Luo actually wanted just "Artisan" to show his  appreciation for great craftsmanship, but the trademark was already  registered by ARM). Known for his ability to talk on stage for hours at  his annual entrepreneurship talks, Luo did us a favor by breaking his  presentation down into four parts: Visuals, Functions, Humanization and  "two more things" -- a light-hearted homage to Steve Jobs' classic  keynote act.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> <span>For the Visuals part of Smartisan OS, Luo  dived straight into other Chinese manufacturers' "unhealthy" obsession  with iOS' square icon style and grid layout, followed by </span>ridiculing some icons<span> that render the original objects (like balls, wheels, shoes or even  toilets) much less recognizable and meaningful in their deformed shapes.  Even Lenovo's circular icons couldn't escape from Luo's </span><span>verbal rage -- they are "damn ugly" in his view.</span><span> On a related note, Luo is also baffled by how Apple's desktop icons  don't suffer from the square problem forced upon their mobile  counterpart.</span></div><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Smartisan OS unveiled in China, takes a fresh approach on Android UI design" data-src-height="340" data-src-width="620" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/smartisan-vs-all.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> <span>In  comparison to all the screenshots above, Smartisan's approach is much  more appealing to the eye. As a strong believer in closed systems for  the sake of quality control, Luo's first step towards that direction is  to revamp the icons for over 1,000 apps -- about 200 to 300 of which are  already done as of the press event. The goal is to offer icons that  look official yet futuristic, and from what we saw on the stage, our  favorites were the authentic-looking hairy paw for Baidu Search (the  audience had a good laugh over that one) and the more vibrant triangle  for Google Play -- something that Luo hopes to eventually replace with  Smartisan's very own app store. Obviously, the current team of 24 strong  can't do this alone, so they'll be receiving submissions from graphics  designers via Smartisan's forum; and in return, these folks will get a  mention in the OS, especially in the menu where you can toggle between  the original icons and the enhanced icons.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> Another key to  the clean look of Smartisan OS' launcher is the combination of a smaller  grid, the dark background and the lack of icon labels. For the  four-by-three grid (as opposed to five-by-four on most smartphones), Luo  reasoned that most people don't use more than 12 icons every day, thus  allowing bigger icons for each panel of 12. This is visually enhanced by  the removal of wallpaper option, a decision that Luo believes was  intentional in the first version of iOS, yet eventually revoked by Apple  due to the missing feature being one of the main reasons for users to  jailbreak back then. Outspoken as ever, Luo went as far as calling  mobile manufacturers that provide scenic wallpapers "bumpkins." As for  the removed icon labels, Luo believes that the icons can speak for  themselves, and that the users who install those apps should know which  is which, anyway.</div><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Smartisan OS unveiled in China, takes a fresh approach on Android UI design" data-src-height="458" data-src-width="612" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/smartisan-os-launcher-1364493885.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="post-gallery" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><h3 class="title"><strong>Smartisan OS: Functions and Humanization</strong></h3><br />	 		<img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/smartisan-os-2013-03-27-14-1364413885_95x95.jpg" />	 <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/smartisan-os-2013-03-27-15-1364413886_95x95.jpg" />	 <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/smartisan-os-2013-03-27-16-1364413888_95x95.jpg" />	 <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/smartisan-os-2013-03-27-17-1364413911_95x95.jpg" />	 <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/smartisan-os-2013-03-27-18-1364413913_95x95.jpg" />	 <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/smartisan-os-2013-03-27-19-1364413914_95x95.jpg" />	 </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> Each icon panel gets a light shade to make them stand out  individually, and every time you turn on the phone, they all animate  very briefly by lightly popping in and out. Users will be familiar with  the usual drag-and-drop icon management action, but unlike most phones  where you have to slowly drag one icon across multiple home screens,  Smartisan OS speeds up the process by letting you zoom out to an  overview of four home screens with 36 icons (or even up to nine home  screens with 81 icons on full-HD devices), where you easily drag one  icon from one screen to another without having to wait for the screen to  switch, or without having to use a second finger to swipe to the next  screen (as nicely implemented by at least HTC and Xiaomi). In the  multi-home screen mode you can also select several apps from different  screens and then place them into the same one. You can see this all at  46:50 in the video at the bottom of this article.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> Another handy  feature here is the ability to hide or lock certain panels, and we can  already imagine the use case of stowing away rarely used system apps or  bloatware. Luo wasn't afraid to joke about hiding the naughty apps this  way, either. But going back to the subject of bloatware, Smartisan OS  will be bundled with just a few apps that Luo considers to be the cream  of the crop in the Chinese market: Momo (a local "flirting" app), WeChat  (IM app, but still in discussion), Sina Weibo, Youku (video platform)  and Sogu input (customized by Smartisan). Luo insisted that there's no  business relation here at all and users are free to uninstall these,  unlike the ones that are tied to most other smartphones these days.</div><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Smartisan OS unveiled in China, takes a fresh approach on Android UI design" data-src-height="413" data-src-width="620" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/smartisan-os-humanization.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> While Smartisan OS may sound like just another launcher so far, the  amount of care gone into the fine detail in other areas should justify  its "OS" moniker. Here's a list of all the highlights in chronological  order according to the event video at the bottom:</div><ul dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><li>  Your  added note for a caller shows up above profile picture when he or she  dials in, in case you need a reminder of who the caller is (31:30,  featuring "Jack Wong" from "Meizu"; detailed talk at 57:25)</li><li>  World clocks intentionally have different second hand positions purely  for the sake of sentiments, as inspired by clocks in a typical hotel  reception (you can shake to synchronize) (34:04)</li><li>  Contacts can  be sorted by date added, location, interaction frequency (can be  overridden in case your other half gets upset; "You should understand if  you're married," joked Luo) (36:00)</li><li>  Tap profile picture on  contacts list to toggle shortcuts for call, SMS, add to favorites, set  ringtone and set picture (will support Sina and Renren profiles) (41:08)</li><li>  SMS delivery delayed by three seconds in case of regret (56:30)</li><li>  Reply or read out SMS in quick pop-up notifications</li><li>  Clock app shows you the weather of a selected city, as well as the time difference between there and your location (58:30)</li><li>  Can rotate screen at any time using two-finger gesture (fingers swipe horizontally in opposite directions) (59:55)</li><li>  Brightness slider shows up under volume panel when volume keys are pressed (61:08)</li><li>  Calendar shows only important dates for lunar calendar, and also shows weather forecast for the next few days (62:15)</li><li>  Country flags instead of text menu for language setting, so that you  can easily reverse the damage if someone accidentally changes the  language (65:43)</li><li>  Swipe across screen to reset notification counters, then the counters restart (68:33)</li><li>  Friendly reminder to rotate phone when capturing video in portrait position (<em>finally!</em>); and likewise with mirroring option while taking self-portraits with front camera (73:00)</li><li>  Button-based voice command more straight forward than Siri ("as introduced by some guy called Scott");  phone call toggled by lifting and placing next to ear (detected by  gyroscope and proximity sensor) and say recipient's name, makes you look  less like an idiot (87:40)</li><li>  When switched on, phone  automatically unlocks if its proximity sensor detects it's out of the  pocket; or hit the home button to peek at the time while phone is on  standby (107:40)</li></ul><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Smartisan OS unveiled in China, takes a fresh approach on Android UI design" data-src-height="413" data-src-width="620" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/smartisan-os-humanization-2.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="post-gallery" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><h3 class="title"><strong>Smartisan OS unveil: Two more things</strong></h3><br />	 		<img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/screen-shot-2013-03-28-at-2.591_95x95.jpg" />	 <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/screen-shot-2013-03-28-at-3.001_95x95.jpg" />	 <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/screen-shot-2013-03-28-at-3.00_95x95.jpg" />	 <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/screen-shot-2013-03-28-at-1.22_95x95.jpg" />	 <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/screen-shot-2013-03-28-at-1.23_95x95.jpg" />	 <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/smartisan-os-2013-03-27-24-1364414337_95x95.jpg" />	 </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> It's clear that most of these enhancements are based on  simple modifications rather than technological breakthroughs, but then  again, these seemingly obvious tweaks should serve as a wake-up call to  the other mobile manufacturers. Of course, t<span>here are still a lot  of unanswered questions, but we suspect Smartisan will have a lot more  to show the world following its inspirational debut. After humbly  thanking CyanogenMod  for the resources and even McDonald's for the late night deliveries,  Luo announced that the first public beta for select devices (including  the Galaxy S II as shown in the demos) will be available on June 15th,  followed by Smartisan's very own hardware at some point next year -- by  which point Luo will stop supporting third-party devices. "Only Luo's  hardware is worthy of Luo's software," said the amusing </span>entrepreneur<span>.</span></div></div>

Smartisan OS unveiled in China, takes a fresh approach on Android UI design

Following the likes of Meizu and Xiaomi, another star is born in the Chinese smartphone market. In fact, some may already know the man b...

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