Nokia just slipped one past Microsoft by releasing a custom homescreen launcher for Android called Z Launcher.

Z Launcher is primarily a single screen where your clock and calendar/appointments are displayed at the top. Important apps, contacts, websites and shortcuts are displayed below.

Navigating Z Launcher is as simple as 1, 2, 3, 4:

• Based on your daily usage, 6 of your most frequent apps, contacts are persistent on the primary Z launcher screen.
• If you need to find another app, contact or setting quickly, you just scribble the first letter on the screen.

• To narrow your search, you can scribble 1 or 2 more letters, one at a time or in quick succession. If you want to start afresh, you just press back.

• If you want to see all your apps at once, you just click on the menu button, bottom middle of the primary screen.

Dazall. I honestly don’t believe it could be any easier. 

In case you’re wondering why Nokia would release a custom launcher for Microsoft’s rival platform, remember that Nokia’s software division was not part of the Microsoft/Nokia acquisition deal. This has given them the freedom to work on such choice projects as bringing Here Maps to Android and iOS and now Z Launcher for Android. I find it interesting that Nokia’s software division continues to make decisions in favour of Microsoft’s rival platforms. That’s definitely something for Microsoft to worry about.

Z Launcher is currently in its pre-beta phase and Nokia needs your help validating and testing it. There’s only a limited number of downloads available though, so if you want it to try it out visit zlauncher.com right now on your device. If your device is rooted, you might want to unroot it first, as Z Launcher won’t work on rooted devices.