Orange reveals Android homescreen upgrades

Orange has unveiled an upgrade to its Android Homescreen which includes Live Wallpapers and gesture controls at Mobile World Congress.

Sounds a bit old hat, we know, but the Live Wallpapers are actually quite cool; the images not only move as you swipe through homescreens but also reflect device functions.

Useful wallpaper

The first wallpaper, candles, is linked to battery life. When the battery is fully charged, a full candle appears on screen and it burns down as battery life depletes.

Orange says it wanted to give customers a more accurate, at-a-glance view of battery life because the Android icon is none-too reliable.

Five more live wallpapers will launch in the coming months, each linked to a different aspect of the handset.

Gesture control

Gestures, meanwhile, can be programmed to launch various applications and shortcuts, thus saving room on the homescreen. There's a dazzling array of gestures available – 27 designs, in fact – and they can be employed on any of the multiple homescreens.

The new features will be available on all Orange Android handsets from Q2, aside from HTC handsets which use the Sense environment rather than Orange homescreens.

Kevin Stagg, Product Manager, Signature Discovery and Experience, Orange Group Devices at Orange, told us,"Android is a really competitive environment but these new additions prove our dedication to the platform, while our in-house development really sets Orange apart."