Switching over to Handcent is, hands down, the single best decision I have ever made. It has completely replaced the default text messaging app for me, and for good reason.
The big selling points for Handcent are customization and pop-ups. Everything is customizable. From different themes, to different colors for text bubbles, down to different backgrounds for different contacts, Handcent really is what you make it to be. That customization extends to pop-up notifications, which can be tweaked to perfection, just as you would like them. Turn the backlight on or keep it off? Maybe just dim it? Privacy mode so no one can snoop without unlocking the phone first? Quick-reply mode? Or a full texting experience within the pop-up? Maybe I want to reply with speech recognition? The choice really is yours. It's incredible.
And yes, I did mention speech recognition. Handcent lets you speak your text messages, or alternatively, hear them read to you using the text-to-speech. While silly at times, it's fun to have. Not really too practical.
A recent update cleaned up what was a mess of settings that would probably put off many potential users. Now the mostly streamlined menu isn't perfect, but it's far less confusing and frustrating than before. The UI itself has a certain level of polish that really makes it stand out, and best of all, it works.
Pros
-Very deep level of customization
-Customized pop-up notifications
-Sexy UI, especially the iPhone style chat bubbles
-Fast, efficient, overall reliable
So-so
-Speech recognition can be a bit off, but that's to be expected.
-Settings menu is MUCH better than before, but could still use a bit more polish
Needs Work
-Nothing to report here!
The Bottom Line
Handcent is the SMS app that should have came stock with the phone. And best of all--it's what you want it to be. You need this app.
Screenshots:
From handcent.com
The big selling points for Handcent are customization and pop-ups. Everything is customizable. From different themes, to different colors for text bubbles, down to different backgrounds for different contacts, Handcent really is what you make it to be. That customization extends to pop-up notifications, which can be tweaked to perfection, just as you would like them. Turn the backlight on or keep it off? Maybe just dim it? Privacy mode so no one can snoop without unlocking the phone first? Quick-reply mode? Or a full texting experience within the pop-up? Maybe I want to reply with speech recognition? The choice really is yours. It's incredible.
And yes, I did mention speech recognition. Handcent lets you speak your text messages, or alternatively, hear them read to you using the text-to-speech. While silly at times, it's fun to have. Not really too practical.
A recent update cleaned up what was a mess of settings that would probably put off many potential users. Now the mostly streamlined menu isn't perfect, but it's far less confusing and frustrating than before. The UI itself has a certain level of polish that really makes it stand out, and best of all, it works.
Pros
-Very deep level of customization
-Customized pop-up notifications
-Sexy UI, especially the iPhone style chat bubbles
-Fast, efficient, overall reliable
So-so
-Speech recognition can be a bit off, but that's to be expected.
-Settings menu is MUCH better than before, but could still use a bit more polish
Needs Work
-Nothing to report here!
The Bottom Line
Handcent is the SMS app that should have came stock with the phone. And best of all--it's what you want it to be. You need this app.
Screenshots:
From handcent.com
