Yahoo wants to control your Android homescreen with Aviate

Back in January, Yahoo acquired Aviate, an Android launcher still in beta testing. Now, more than six months later Aviate is ready for the masses, offering a unique and simple way to organize your Android device. If you’ve played around with Android before, you already know that the ability to install third-party launchers is one of the operating system’s biggest advantages over the competition. There are launchers such as Nova and Apex, which let you clear away the bloatware and customize everything. There are even launchers designed to imitate iOS or Windows Phone. Aviate takes a different tactic, promising to simplify your homescreen and push information and apps to you right when you need them.

Yahoo has today launched a new smartphone UI experience called Aviate, which is available for Android phones (English speaking only). The idea is that the company can dip their toes in the mobile OS waters without going all-in on anything, as Yahoo works to strengthen its mobile portfolio. Here’s what the official release has to say: “Yahoo Aviate simplifies everything about your phone. It starts with a clean, new layout and apps automatically organized for you. But it’s not just about making your phone simpler – Aviate also makes your phone smarter by offering intelligent information throughout your day. Whether you’re on the go, at work, at a restaurant or just relaxing at home, Aviate automatically shows you apps and information that are useful to you based on what you’re up to.” What type of information is that, you might ask? Essentially, it’s going for a Google Now type experience that is baked right into the UI. So, for example, Aviate users will get information around the weather in the morning so they dress smart. But it goes deeper than that. Aviate can integrate with your email and calendar information to give you single-click access to a conference call, or help you get to work on time based on random traffic changes.