[APP] Phone Genie - A GSMArena app for Android to look up device specification

Whenever I need to look up on a phone specification, I automatically visit gsmarena.com. They have a large set of devices in their database and the data is presented in a pleasing manner as well. But the problem is that they don't have a mobile optimised page and as a result it is tough to checkout their website from a phone. To read the complete specification, you need to pan from left to right to left. And this worsens when you are trying to compare 2 devices side by side.

With Phone Genie I aim to provide a solution to this issue. This app presents the GSMArena content in a way that is suitable for your device screen. It also allows you to compare 2 devices side by side, without all the left-right-left panning headache. Please checkout the screenshots attached.

Phone Genie is available on Android Market for free for all devices with 1.6 and above. This is only our second app so there will be bugs and we got a lot to learn. Please try the application and post your comments. I hope you guys will find it useful.

Android Market - Phone | Web

I would sincerely like to thank author egzthunder1 who wrote about Phone Genie in the XDA blog. It sure gave the opening I never dreamed of.

I also realise that many of you guys tweeted and retweeted, passed the word to friends regarding the app. Phone Genie crossed 3000 downloads in the first 3 days. It may not be as big as some of the apps posted here but this being my 2nd app, the confidence this download count gives is immense. Big thanks, guys.

@nicky041192, I thought the app being around 350 KB will comfortably fit within internal memory. If the data part gets bigger and bigger, I shall enable App 2 SD. And I would love to offer an ad-free paid version but I am not sure if GSMArena will like the idea. Moreover Android developers from India cannot sell apps yet.

nicky041192 said:

Can you just not add App2SD in anyway? I like to move as many apps to my SD card despite the size.

Contact GSMArena for permission. You could always give them a small percentage of all sales. I just think the ad takes up a bit of room.

I found a bug,I have lock orientation on. It locks the orientation on the main screen but after I had made a search, it rotates, even though I have orientation lock on... Kind of annoying... I'm using my HTC Wildfire with official froyo.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Alright I will enable App2SD in the next update. In the meantime, if you have rooted your Wildfire, you can forcefully move apps 2 SD by installing one of those Move2SD Enabler apps that require root.

I am planning to get in touch with GSMArena once the user verdict of the app comes out. Judging by the current response, the app is a success beyond my expectations. Phone Genie has crossed 5000 downloads in 5 days. The only promotion we got so far is the article on XDA blog. The power of XDA community is quite visible.

Regarding screen rotation, the device comparison screen needs landscape mode as you cannot fit specification tables of 2 phones side by side in portrait mode. Now when you press the back button, it takes you to the previous screen, which is the compare search activity. Now if we did not enable both orientations for that screen, the user will have to go back and forth from portrait to landscape to portrait, every time a comparison is done. This issue was indicated during the beta testing among friends and family.

Many people lock orientation on their phones to prevent other applications like SMS clients, ebook readers, news apps etc from switching to landscape while reading in bed. But generally everyone liked the idea of Phone Genie allowing both modes as orientation will change anyway during comparison screen, while still allowing the users to keep orientation lock intact for other apps. Which is why I had to override the lock mode. If more people find it inconvenient, I will set it to obey orientation lock.

Just dropping in to say I released a new update today which will enable Move to SD card option. Along with that are some bug fixes and minor UI changes.