[Q] Honeycomb layout for apps on Note?

Jade Eyed Wolf

Senior Member
Nov 4, 2010
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Arlington Virginia
I think I may have figured out the answer to my own question. If I remember correctly, I doubt that the API of 2.3.x supports the "tablet" features of apps designed with Honeycomb in mind.

Maybe this will change once we get ICS though! :)
 

xchx

Member
Jul 14, 2010
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Well.. Netflix App is layed out like a tablet...

Some apps use two parameters to determine if to layout as tablet o as phone..

One is the resolution.. Like, I believe, Netflix. A WXGA resolution is almost always a tablet resolution. So the app will layout out as it..

The other parameter is screen pixel density... The Note comes predefined at a 320 dpi, which is a High Pixel Density (hpdi) as seen in apps. The galaxy Tab 10.1, for example has listed a 149 dpi which is either low (lpdi) or medium (mpdi).

So the apps which have a lpdi or mdpi layout defined in code (for Tablets) can show like that.

You can actually change the dpi value that apps "read" from the device by rooting it and with some apps like LCD Resolution (or changing the required file in /system)..

So while the Note has ~300dpi, apps (and Home, and app drawer, and all) will show as ~200 or whatever number you want..

I changed mine to 240dpi to take advantage of the High Resolution and read more onscreen (instead of just view a higher pixel density for icons).. and apps like Opera Mini show as a tablet...

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Of course there are just a few apps running on gingerbread and with tablet layouts.. This will all change a lot with the ICS update in March; and we will be able to view Tablet layouts for a lot more apps.. :)
 

captainhakan

Senior Member
Oct 24, 2008
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I agree the Note doesn't use the whole potential of such huge screen software wise. All apps work in phone mode not in tablet mode. Changing screen resolution helps a lot with certain apps but then it gets really hard to use the UI which gets also smaller. I wish there was a way to change screen resolution for specific apps while leaving the rest at default resolution but i already know this is technically not possible at all. I hope our Notes could reach their full potential with next official ICS update ... I'm already looking forward to flash it !