UPDATE: 9/2/2013
Because Google has stuck to their decision to "shrink and dim" the notifications on the left hand side of the status bar starting with Android 3.x/4.x, before buying a new phone, you should take a close look at the notifications on the left hand side of the status bar. You should look for standard notifications that are bright white, not faded white or light gray. If they are light gray, (probably a stock version of Android 4.x), then nothing can be done to make the notifications brighter, and our battery level numbers may also look dim.
If you want the brightest status bar in Android 4.x and up, look to buy a phone with a skin or overlay which brightens up the left hand side notifications, and makes them as bright as the right hand side. These currently include the following phones and manufacturers:
HTC with Sense UI (All models - Highly recommended)
Samsung with TouchWiz Nature UX 2.0 (Samsung models with Android 4.2 and up)
LG with Optimus UI (Most models including Optimus F3, L7, L9, G, G Pro, G2)
Sony with Xperia UI (Notifications on Xperia Z at T-Mobile looked great in store, but in screenshots on Internet notifications appear washed out - Double check in store first)
Specific budget models: Huawei Ascend P6, Pantech Discover, Kyocera Hydro Edge
(Double check in store before buying.)
The following manufacturer is not recommended since updates will have stock Android:
Motorola with Motoblur UI
Special note on Samsung Models:
Most users who already have some Samsung device will most likely have a dim status bar, and will be using TouchWiz Nature UX 1.0. Having just had my Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 updated from Android 4.1.1 to Android 4.2.2, I can tell you that there is quite a striking difference between TouchWiz Nature UX 1.0 and 2.0. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and Samsung Galaxy S3 are expected to get updated to Android 4.3 soon, so users of those devices should see a striking improvement as well.
Below are recent pics I took from my Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, before the update with Android 4.1.1 and Touchwix Nature 1.0, and after the update with Android 4.2.2 and Touchwix Nature 2.0.
TouchWiz Nature UX 1.0 (Android 4.0/4.1):
ArialXL-b HD extra-large font (extra bright green) - Black background
Roboto HD standard size font (official green color) - Black background
Roboto HD standard size font (official green color) - Blue transparent background
So the bottom line is, if you know your Samsung device will get updated to at least Android 4.2.2, then hold off buying that new phone and wait for the update.
If your status bar is dim, there are still two things you can do to make it brighter. 1) Uncheck auto-brightness and put the slider at the halfway point. 2) Go to Settings - Power saving - Uncheck Screen power saving.
If your Samsung device gets an Android OS update to something less than Android 4.2.2, be aware that you may be getting a dim status bar with the update. Find out how to revert to the previous Android version beforehand in case you don't like what the update does.
Manufacturers with stock Android 4.x which will have dim status bar notifications:
Google (All Nexus devices)
Motorola (All new phones to have stock Android)
ZTE (Older phones - New phones may have brighter UI)
Kyocera (Older phones - New phones may have brighter UI)
Original Post: 2/10/2012
For those running Android 3.x or above, or Android 4.x or above on their device, please be aware that beginning with Android 3.0, the Android OS "shrinks and dims status bar icons to minimize distractions, allowing users to focus on the foreground activity". Please understand that this was a decision that Google made, and there is nothing we as developers can do about this "automatic shrinking and dimming" feature Google chose to implement in their Android OS starting with Android 3.0 and going forward. The icons do remain full-size and at full intensity in the expanded notification area, however.
So if you currently have Android 3.0 or above, or Android 4.x or above on your device, it may annoy you (as it does us) to now have to make that extra touch or swipe to go to the expanded notification area when you are in a dark area somewhere, to be able to see the full size and non-dimmed icon to get an accurate battery level reading.
In response to numerous requests to so something about the "shrinking and dimming" issue, we have released the following "brighter" add-ons...
Roboto-b HD text
Play-b HD text
LcdD-b HD text
MingLiU-b HD text
BlueICS-b HD text
Due to Google's limitations, we could not achieve the brightness that prior versions of the Android OS had, but we have done what we could, and these add-ons now contain the brightest colors possible for users with dim status bars, while still keeping the colors after dimming as close to the official Google Android colors, including BlueICS, as possible.
Since shrinking is also an issue, we also have two "XL" extra-large four-color HD fonts.
RobotoXL HD text (also available in a "brighter" RobotoXL-b version)
ArialXL HD text (also available in a "brighter" ArialXL-b version)
In addition, we now have bright neon colors in Fuschia, Purple, Yellow, Orange and Red for users who want one bright color all the way from 100 to zero.
All our icon add-ons are still totally FREE, and all we ask is that you tell a friend.
Thank you for your support!
