Uber announces lighter web-version in India; pilots call to ride and offline search too

BANGALORE, INDIA: Uber, today launched m.uber.com in India, a light web-based version of Uber for riders who have basic smartphones that can support web browsing but cannot support mobile apps due to limited storage space, or want to book a ride from a tablet or computer.

The experience is almost identical to the Uber app with a few modifications for improved performance on a browser, including the option to load the map.

Keeping the low connectivity network conditions of India in mind, Uber also announced the pilot of three additional features - offline search, call to ride and request for a guest.

Daniel Graf, Vice President and Head of Product at Uber said, “We’re focusing on two key areas for riders - building solutions for those who don’t have access to the Uber app and enabling our existing rider app to work better in emerging markets.”

Uber has a strong team of over 150 engineers and product champions in Bangalore and at the newly inaugurated Hyderabad engineering facility working on innovations and localizations for markets around the world. 

Call to ride: Uber is starting a small pilot in Pune for this. Riders can call single nationwide  phone number to book an Uber across popular zones in a city. This will be particularly useful for riders who only have a feature phone, areas with limited network or those who use a smartphone but have limited memory capacity or are running out of their data plan. To book a ride, users have to call the number and enter a numeric code displayed on signage to help Uber identify their location. Once the ride is confirmed, the rider will also be sent a text message with information on the car and driver partner. 

Offline search: For riders using the app in limited network areas, Uber is enabling offline search by caching the top points of interest in the city so that riders can enter their destinations in the app without having to wait for the connection. The feature will automatically work if the app detects limited networks. The rollout begins in the next few weeks.  

Request for a Guest: Riders will now be able to book an Uber for others from their Uber app no matter where the rider or guest is located. Their guest does not need a smartphone or the Uber app in order to ride. The rider will receive trip information in an SMS text message -- including ETA, car type, and driver contact information, enabling them to coordinate with the driver directly. The ride will be charged to the requestor’s card on file unless the requestor selects cash as the payment. This feature will be rolled out in the next few weeks.