Galaxy S3 TouchWiz launcher ported to the Galaxy S2, working (almost) like a charm

I know that you just can’t get enough of the news about the newly unveiled Samsung Galaxy S3, especially when talking about its software, hacks, custom ROMs, and so on. That’s why we’re glad to tell you that the handheld’s TouchWiz UX launcher has been ported to the Galaxy S2, courtesy of a skilled member of the XDA-Developers forum.

The news comes less than a week after the Galaxy S3’s stock ROM has been leaked, a few days after the first custom ROM popped up on the web, and just two days after the S Voice app has been made to work on pretty much any Android device out there.

Now that’s what I call serious involvement from the independent Android developers community! The speed of all these leaks and builds is yet another indicator of the S3’s huge popularity, even before the handheld’s official release.

Getting back to our post’s topic, we should tell you that the TouchWiz UX port is available for download courtesy of Smando on the XDA forum, and, while it does seem to be working pretty decently, there are a couple of glitches to be solved. First off, at least for the time being, you can only try out the new launcher on the Galaxy S2. There’s a download package for other devices too, but the project is still in the testing phase and should be handled with maximum care.

Moreover, the port only works on Galaxy S2s running original Samsung-based software packages, so if you already have a custom ROM installed on your phone, chances are that you won’t be able to enjoy Smando’s release.

As for other glitches and bugs, make sure to browse through the entire XDA forum thread, as there are a number of problems reported by different users in different ways. However, the launcher comes in a recovery-flashable update.zip file, so, even if you’ll encounter small issues with the port, you’ll be able to restore your initial software in a snap.

The installation process is itself very easy and quick, with the port only “weighing” around 4 MB. As for the launcher’s actual looks, we have to mention a very cool thing about it – it lets you choose between a stock 4 columns x 5 rows arrangement and a tweaked 5×5 design.

How about it, guys? Will you test this port on your Galaxy S2? Or better yet, will you help out Smando to make the UX work on other devices as well?