Uber has announced the launch of its new Rider app, which is rebuilt completely from the ground up for the first time, since the last redesign in 2012. Re-engineered keeping in mind the changing needs of riders around the world, the new rider app aims to recapture the clean and simple aesthetic of the original Uber experience—without sacrificing the choice the riders now expect—a faster, smarter and more personalized rider app.
“Riders in India and around the world, expressed desire for better product discoverability, perfect pickup experience and a simpler, faster interface. We therefore took a big bold step to go ahead and roll out this new app, built ground up globally, with a strong focus on improving on all these fronts. For riders in India, this new app gives us the opportunity to improve app performance on 2G and 3G networks, and give riders a good experience in low/ poor connectivity zones as well,” said Uber Spokesperson.
Here’s what has changed in the new Uber App:
- Destination first: The new Uber experience is reimagined around a simple question—“Where to?” After all, riders use Uber to get somewhere—or to someone.
- Shortcuts: The new Uber app learns from riders’ routines. So frequent riders will see “shortcuts” that predict where one could be headed. Just with one tap riders can get moving with just one tap.
- Calendar Integration: Soon, riders will also be able to connect their calendar with Uber. Once connected, the riders meetings and appointments will automatically appear as “shortcuts”
- People Search: Soon Uber will be introducing a new feature that they refer to as people are the new places that enables riders to set their destination to a person instead of a place. Riders just need to sync their contacts with the app, type their name into the search bar and once they’ve shared their location, the rider can get moving.
- Choose your car & compare upfront fare: After entering the destination in ‘where to’, rider can decide how to get there. If you are on the way to a party or with business associates, a more spacious uberX or UberBLACKride is preferred, while an uberGO serves as the most affordable everyday ride. And for a run-of-the-mill trip to the market or the lowest cost option, an uberPOOL works well, so the rider can make an informed choice.
- Once the rider is on trip, the focus is on helping them make the most of their ride. They can still split the fare,keep track of estimated time to destination and share trip status with friends.
- On trip integrations: Soon, Uber will offer more experiences tailored around rider destinations that will include on trip integrations with other utility based mobile applications, social media platforms, and news aggregators, amongst others.
Here’s what’s new in Uber Driver App
- Twice a day, drivers can input their destination and Uber willnly send trip requests that are on their way. This helps reduce driver cancellations and unavailability (driver goes offline)
- Drivers receive their next trip request, while they are a couple of minutes away from completing their current trip. This helps reduce idle time for drivers and ensures riders get a car at the earliest
- Driver’s can just hit the Pause button to grab lunch, coffee, or a breath of fresh air
- The heat map provides drivers with recommended areas where they’re most likely to get their next ride even depending on demand and supply
The new app is already rolling out and should hit your device soon! follow us on twitter for more updates.
