Uber’s biggest assets are the app which lets people hail cabs and the system which connects the passenger and the driver and also plots the trip. Over time, they have piled on features on the app which has made it confusing for some people and this is why they are announcing a new design for its apps and it is all going back to basics.
“To recapture the clean and simple aesthetic of the original Uber experience-without sacrificing the choice our riders now expect-we rebuilt a faster, smarter rider app completely from the ground up,” The company said in the post.
So how does the new user interface look like? Well, now they are centering the experience on one question: “Where to?” which makes sense since that is usually the intention while you want to hail a cab.
The redesigned app will learn from your routines so that if you are a frequent rider, it will use some form of machine learning to predict where you are going which in turn makes the app display shortcuts. You’ll also connect your calendar with the app so that the appointments in your calendar will appear as shortcuts so as to remove the hassle of looking for the address with another app (like Maps.)
Another new feature is where Uber wants to label people as places too. Uber knows that people use their service to meet friends and labelling your friends as places will make it easy for them to use it. So, you’ll only sync your contacts with the app, type their name on the search bar and if they share their location, you’ll be on your way there.
They are also simplifying how you would use the various products:uberX, UberBLACK and UberPOOL. Uber will let you compare the cost of all these options so that you can judge which product you will use depending on the situation. For uberPOOL and uberX users, people will be able to see what time you will arrive.
The company has also promised other features that will be integrated in the core experience that are tailored to where you are going like seeing the upcoming departures, tips on places to visit (powered by Foursquare) or even order food if UberEATS is in the city you are in.
The new features are being rolled out globally on the iOS and Android apps over the next several weeks.
