Solid Explorer – slick looking Android file manager app loaded with features
by Paul Wilks
Jul 27, 2012 7:59 AM –
Install
Solid Explorer is a fully featured file explorer application for your Android device. While most file manager look and feel relatively boring, Solid Explorer provides a richer experience without losing functionality. The app takes on some of the slick ‘Holo’ design principals so looks great as an app to use with Ice Cream Sandwich or Jellybean. Let’s face it, file explorers rarely come along looking this sexy.
Price: Free
Tested on: HTC One X
Content Rating: Everyone
Pros & Cons:
Pros
- Smart user interface with themes!
- Intuitive and relatively easy to use!
- Two independent panels for file management!
- Cloud storage support; Dropbox, Box, SkyDrive and Google Drive!
- File sharing and client support!
- Fast and responsive!
- Root access!
Cons
- No native viewers or players.
Features:
Solid Explorer is a great looking file explorer application with all the bells and whistles to replace your existing file management app. The user interface is slick and intuitive, featuring easy access menus for straightforward navigation. The inclusion of two independent panels makes file management really simple. While the UI and ease-of-use is great, Solid Explorer doesn’t slack on techie stuff either.
The app allows for file sharing via FTP, supports ZIP, RAR and TAR file archives, features FTP, SFTP, SMB/CIFS clients, cloud storage access including Google Drive, Dropbox and Box.net, bookmarking and even indexed search functionality. It all implies that, while the app looks good, it doesn’t shirk on the important stuff. The only thing I felt was missing was a native picture viewer or music/video player, which you get in other file managers such as ES File Explorer. This certainly isn’t a serious issue as you can utilise other apps on your device, I just noticed it was something that was missing.
Solid Explorer is, however, very much a beta product with more and more features to come. These include (but are not limited to) remote media streaming, image preview, the ability to set a cloud service as a default panel, tablet UI and further integration with other cloud spaces with Sugarsync, so it’s already a fantastic app with even more potential. While file explorer apps give many users reason to yawn and change the subject, there’s no denying that they are incredibly useful. While some feature a bland UI that places features over looks, Solid Explorer blends both aesthetics and functionality. If you think perhaps your file manager is a little boring or lacking some of the features above, definitely give it a try. It’s free, rammed with growing functionality, is easy to use and looks great!
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Solid Explorer – Main file menu
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Solid Explorer – Fast search
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Solid Explorer – Image thumbnails, but no dedicated viewer yet
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Solid Explorer – ‘Jump’ menu for fast navigation
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Solid Explorer – Add menu
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Solid Explorer – In depth data and file analysis
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Solid Explorer – Long press file options
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Solid Explorer – Welcome and tutorial
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Solid Explorer – Tutorial 1
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Solid Explorer – Tutorial 2
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Solid Explorer – Tutorial 3
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Solid Explorer – Dark theme
Usefulness:
With so many features and functions, it’s like a Swiss Army Knife for your Android device. As the app grows and new elements are added, this will only get better.
Ease of Use:
I’ve played with quite a few of these kind of apps (although I wouldn’t say I’m a huge user) and Solid Explorer has to be one of, if not the easiest file manager to use. The navigation is really simple, the app itself is clear and user-friendly throughout.
Frequently Used:
This will very much depend on the user. I know of may people who make full use of their file explorer app and others who see them as not altogether necessary. With all the features contained within Solid Explorer, however, it might be something people use more, but for different reasons.
Interface:
Of all file management applications I’ve used so far, Solid Explorer arguably has the neatest user interface. I really liked the way the app is designed and presented, it’s easy on the eye and simple to use.
Tags:
Android App,
Android App of the Week,
Android Apps,
Android File Manager,
Android Tablet Apps,
AndroidTapp.com App Review,
ES Explorer,
File Explorer,
File Manager,
Solid Explorer
Categorised in: Tools, Utilities
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