Uber announces Uber Lite for Indian market; here are the app's unique features

Uber on Tuesday announced the launch of a newer version of its app - Uber Lite, specifically made and designed for Indian Android users. With a logo that is different from its quintessential black and white, the Uber Lite app sports a blue-and-white colour scheme.

Addressing the press in New Delhi, Manik Gupta, VP and Head of Product, Uber, said that the team, over the past year, has understood the need to build products and features that match the needs and requirements of the Indian market.

Uber decided to make the jump to developing a lite version of the app after they realised that close to 70% of people outside of the US market use an older model of a smartphone with slow internet.

In its blog, Uber said that app was designed to make booking rides easier and quicker in spotty connectivity and slower than average internet speeds, on basic Android phones, and for people with limited data plans through a few new features.

These are the features

Guided pickups: Uber Lite guides users through the request experience by detecting their current location, so minimal typing is required. If it can’t detect your location because of GPS or network issues, it will surface popular pickup points nearby from you to choose from.

Tap over type: Uber Lite makes picking your destination as easy as a tap of a button. The app caches the city’s top places so that even when you are offline, no network is needed for them to surface. And the more you use Uber Lite, the smarter the app gets, learning where you go most often and surfacing those options for you to tap first, so you don’t have to type your destination every time.

Maps only when you want them: To keep the app light and fast, maps in Uber Lite are optional, but available with just a tap if you want them. And coming soon, a progress bar helps users follow the driver’s progress should you opt to not load the map.

The app is currently in its pilot stage and will be available in Delhi, Jaipur and Hyderabad. Payments on the Lite app are accepted on cash mode only, at the moment.

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