On Friday, Microsoft released their new Windows Phone Live Lock Screen app for Windows Phone 8.1. The app is still in the beta stages and offers a collection of lock screen styles that can be customized with your images, Bing's Image of the Day or you can opt for a solid color as the backdrop.
There was a slight build up to the release of this app and there's a discussion going on in the Windows Phone Central Forums asking if the app has lived up to the hype surrounding it's release.
WPCentral Forums member Crise feels the app so far is a disappointment citing the app is uninspiring designs and slowness. Keep in mind that this app is still a beta and Microsoft is still fine tuning things but based on the comments, several share Crise's point of view.
Many include suggestions on how to improve the Live Lock Screen app such as having a transparency setting so the clock is not so dominant and allowing customized colors for the fonts. Most also recognize that this is a beta which by nature means there is still work to be done.
Rudy Huyn, the talent behind Windows Phone apps such as 6Tin and 6Snap, is collaborating on this project and has already tweeted out that he's read all the feedback and is working on improving things.
Personally, I think the Live Lock Screen app is a nice touch to help further customize our Windows Phones. Sure, I wouldn't mind seeing an opacity setting to make the clock a little transparent but I think the app can survive without such a feature. The laggyness also needs to be fixed, as well as the uninstall glitch. All issues that are surely to be ironed out as the Beta version develops.
I also wouldn't mind seeing integration with Bing Weather where your current weather is delivered to the Live Lock Screen app (hint, hint). Maybe even see sports scores and top news bullets from other Bing apps.
But what say you? Did the hype surrounding the Live Lock Screen app raise expectations too high? Or is Rudy and the other developers on the right track with what's in place a nice starting point? Feel free to share your thoughts below in the comments or jump over to the forums (link below) to join that discussion.
- Forums Link - The ridiculous hype for a terrible lock screen app
