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Action Launcher 3 coming soon - will be a paid upgrade

Chris Lacy has revealed that the next version of Action Launcher will be released soon. It is a complete re-write and not just an update for Material Design.
By
December 8, 2014

Action Launcher is a popular 3rd party launcher from Chris Lacy. The free version has between 500,000 – 1,000,000 installs and a 4.3 star rating from nearly 15,000 reviews, while the paid “Pro” version has been purchased over 100K times. Over the weekend Chris revealed that the next version of Action Launcher will be released soon. Dubbed “Action Launcher 3,” the new version is a complete re-write of the launcher and not just an update to add support for Material Design.

By looking at the popularity of the current version and by reading the comments on the announcement post, Action Launcher 3 is going to be just as popular as its predecessor. However there is one tiny thing that could upset some users, the upgrade to Action Launcher 3 will be a paid upgrade.

When Action Launcher 3 is released, the current version will be re-released in the Play Store as Action Launcher 2. The paid “Pro” upgrade only activates Action Launcher 2 and doesn’t apply to Action Launcher 3. For those who want to use Action Launcher 3, you will need to pay for the app (via IAP).

The reason behind this is mainly because Chris has put a lot of effort into re-writing the launcher, and the money he received from the sales of the current Pro version aren’t enough for him to continue making a living from selling apps. By charging for Action Launcher 3 Chris wants to ensure that the product has the opportunity to grow and he has the means to do that.

By looking at the comments, most Action Launcher users don't seem too upset about this, and many are eagerly awaiting the upgrade.

For those who use Action Launcher 2, the app will still function as before and those who bought the Pro version still get exactly what they paid for. Chris points out that Action Launcher 2 “works as well or better than the day you bought it.”

Since version 3 is a complete re-write, Lacy does have the option to just release the new version under a new name, however from a marketing sense it is clearly better that he builds on the Action Launcher branding.

For those who just forked out for the Pro version of Action Launcher 2 and are now unhappy to hear that a new version is coming out, Chris is offering a refund for those who bought it within the last 30 days. To get the refund, wait for the release of the software and then buy the Action Launcher 3 Plus in-app purchase. Make sure you use the same Google Account used to purchase Action Launcher Pro. Then send him an email as outlined in the announcement post.

By looking at the comments, most Action Launcher users don’t seem too upset about this, and many are eagerly awaiting the upgrade. Personally I agree, app development isn’t easy and we should support independent app developers the best we can.