---
title: "A carrier launcher for Android"
description: "Our idea for telcos: one Android launcher, dressed in each carrier's brand, with their app store, data and billing widgets and offers right on the home screen."
url: "https://rayson.me/writing/carrier-launcher/"
category: "Pitches"
author: "Janarayson"
published: 2014-11-28
---

Telcos here sell a lot of Android phones packaged with their plans. So we came up with a launcher they can preload on those phones: one launcher, dressed in each carrier's brand, with their services right on the home screen. Getting a telco to preload anything is the hard part, and that's what we're working on.

Samsung and Nokia have both put out [their own launchers](https://www.phonescoop.com/articles/article.php?a=14227) this year too.

## One launcher, a few carriers

It runs on Android 4.1 and up. Apps sit in folders, and each folder has a "+ MORE" button that opens the carrier's own app store. There's Boostr to free up memory, a battery app, and widgets for how much data you have left, your bill, carrier updates and rewards. The carrier runs it from a backend, where they can switch on a festive theme for Chinese New Year or Christmas, and see how many people use the launcher, which apps get used most and on which phones.

The first one I did was for Maxis, in green, with [Maxis 1Store](https://www.malaysianwireless.com/2010/09/maxis-1store-malaysia-app-store/) behind the "+ MORE" button.

<Screens
  screens={[
    { src: maxisHome, alt: 'The Maxis home screen on a faceted green background: a big 12:35 clock, Maxis Movies, Maxis QR, Circle Watch, MyMaxis, Settings, Maxis 1Store, Boostr and Battery, and a dock of phone, camera, Chrome and mail' },
    { src: maxisData, alt: 'Data widgets: Day 22/30 on SurfMore75 with 3GB used and 2GB left, and a SurfMore50 bar with 20 days left in the billing cycle' },
    { src: maxisFolder, alt: 'An open folder with Twitter, MyMusic, WeChat and Tango, and a + MORE button at the bottom' },
  ]}
/>

<Screens
  screens={[
    { src: maxisBilling, alt: 'A Maxis billing widget with usage, credit limit and billing date, Maxis updates about data quota and a received payment, and a caller ringtones player' },
    { src: maxisRewards, alt: 'A Your Rewards widget, Think of it as how Maxis says Thank You to all our customers, with deals from a bakery, laser tag and a fashion store' },
    { src: maxisStore, alt: 'Maxis 1Store with Editor\'s Choice and Ranking tabs and a grid of apps with ratings' },
  ]}
  caption="For Maxis."
/>

Then the same launcher for DiGi, in their black and yellow.

<Screens
  screens={[
    { src: digiHome, alt: 'The DiGi home screen on black and yellow diagonals: a 12:35 clock, Settings, DiGi Store, Boostr, Battery, CallerTunes, Music Play, Friend Finder and Rewards' },
    { src: digiBilling, alt: 'MyDiGi billing with usage, credit limit and billing date, DiGi updates, and a DiGiMusic Play player' },
    { src: digiRewards, alt: 'A DiGi Rewards widget with food and lifestyle deals' },
    { src: digiStore, alt: 'The DiGi App Store with Editor\'s Choices and Ranking tabs' },
  ]}
  caption="For DiGi."
/>

## More widgets for DiGi

For DiGi I went further with the widgets. Data gets a ring that fills up as you use it, with a button to top up. Your bill is three rings, outstanding, usage and data. Callertunes play right on the home screen with a button to buy, and there's a row of the day's top games.

<Screens
  screens={[
    { src: digiData, alt: 'A data widget: a yellow ring at 65% used, with plan, day, quota and usage beside it and a Purchase Topup button' },
    { src: digiCredit, alt: 'MyDiGi billing as three rings: 10% of the total outstanding, 30% available usage and 65% data usage, plus smaller rings for plan usage and days left' },
    { src: digiMusic, alt: 'Three songs with play buttons and Buy buttons, and a DiGiMusic Play player for All About That Bass' },
    { src: digiGames, alt: 'Today\'s Top Downloads from DiGiGames: four numbered games with Buy and Free buttons' },
  ]}
  caption="Data, billing, callertunes and games."
/>

Carrier updates move from SMS to notifications, and the rewards widget tells you when there are deals near you. A flash sale comes in as a notification, opens a page on DiGi's site, and you pay for it on your phone bill.

<Screens
  screens={[
    { src: digiNearby, alt: 'Rewards: a Chatime deal, DiGi Rewards offers, and a yellow 3 with There are 3 DiGi Rewards deals near your location' },
    { src: digiUpdates, alt: 'A stack of carrier updates: approaching your data quota, a service disruption, a payment received, a limited-time song download, a Starbucks deal and a phone offer from the DiGi Store' },
    { src: digiFlashPush, alt: 'The phone\'s notifications with DiGi Flash Sale, Download All About That Bass for RM1, at the top' },
    { src: digiFlashSite, alt: 'The DiGi Flash Sale page in the browser: the All About That Bass cover, Download for RM1.00, and a Purchase button, with an SMS sent once you pay' },
  ]}
  caption="Rewards nearby, updates, and a flash sale."
/>