BlackBerry Themes: Ice Cube, Droid Fifteen, FY2

It’s been a while since we’ve done a BlackBerry theme roundup. Those will come back into the regular rotation soon enough. Today, though, I’d like to make up for lost time and do a mini roundup of a few new themes that have popped up in the BBGeeks store in the past few days and weeks. There’s quite a nice selection going on, so we have plenty to choose from. Ice Cube Summer, it appears, is here. That’s not just because we’re past Memorial Day weekend, but because the weather has warmed significantly. This week the NYC area sure needed a break from the heat. I was actually jealous when I saw the Ice Cube theme. It made me want to reach into my screen and touch those two ice cubes. As far as theme construction, Ice Cubs is as straight forward as they come. It has a six-icon home screen and an applications menu. So what makes it special, other than the wallpaper? Well, aside from the wallpaper being a pretty sweet image, the icon set is also sharp. It’s not much different than the normal set, but the colors and sharpness blend perfectly with the theme. That is to say, it’s tough to find a more visually pleasing theme than this. If you’re looking to cool down for the summer, you can get the Ice Cube theme for $4.99. As is always the case in the new version of the BBGeeks Store, make sure to enter your device model so you can check for compatibility. Droid Fifteen Ever since I started writing about BlackBerry software, I’ve taken note of themes that mimic other platforms. For instance, you’ll see that iPhone clone themes are often the best sellers. I don’t know if it’s smartphone envy or an homage to a truly user-friendly design. But in any case, they’re everywhere, and people apparently like them. The latest I’ve seen is a take on the Android layout — which is always tough, because there are many Android themes. The biggest feature of Droid Fifteen is that it has, you guessed it, 15 icons on the main screen, arranged in three rows of five. The icon set is almost all taken from Android, from their text messaging to mail, and even to maps. What’s kind of weird about the theme is that when you click into the applications menu, it changes into rows of six. That can be a bit disorienting at first, I’m sure. It also features a big clock on top of the home screen, which resembles the HTC Sense user interface that many Android devices have. If you want to get down with Android but keep your BlackBerry, you can Droid Fifteen theme for $3.99. It works with OS 5 and 6. FY2 I admit it: I have a soft spot for themes that look like they’re notebooks. I’m sure you can find many examples in our archives. When I saw the FY2 theme in the Store, I knew I’d have to feature it. It’s just too awesome to pass up. Not only that, but it has a today screen that features something you don’t normally see. First off, the paper wallpaper is awesome. If you think otherwise, we might have to fight. The icons are hand-drawn, and they’re absolutely charming. Seriously, I’d keep all third party applications off the home screen so I’d have all drawn icons there. It’s not too difficult, either, since there are only six on the home screen. But the neatest aspect is that the today screen contains your tasks. Almost every other today theme has email or calendar. While I do like having email right there on the home screen, I have to say that putting tasks there is a novel concept. If you’re ready to plow through your to-do list, you can get the FY2 theme for $2.99. It is only available with OS 6 devices.

About the Author

Joe Pawlikowski is the Senior Editor at MobileMoo.com and has been covering the mobile industry full time since 2007. When he's not writing about the tech scene, he can be found discussing his personal love - baseball (and more specifically the New York Yankees) as well as writing on his personal blog.