Uber announces Uber Lite, a lightweight version of the rider app
Introducing Uber Lite: built in India for the world
New Delhi, June 12 (NsNewsWire) — Uber, the world’s largest ridesharing company, today announced the global launch of Uber Lite, a lightweight version of the rider app, at Uber’s Tech Day 2.0, in New Delhi in the presence of Peter Deng, Head of Rider Experience, Uber and Manik Gupta, Vice President Product, Maps and Marketplace, Uber.
The new, space-saving app that is built in India and designed for the world, also works in low connectivity areas and on 99% of Android devices. The launch of Uber Lite also further reiterates Uber’s investment in India and their commitment to continue innovating in India, for India and the world.
Manik Gupta, Vice President Product, VP and Head of Product, Uber, said, “We have over 75 million monthly active riders, which is a tiny fraction of the world’s population. With such a huge growth opportunity outside of the U.S., we are committed to building for the next hundreds of millions of riders. To better serve them, we are doubling down on building and designing products entirely in India — Uber Lite is our biggest launch yet on this journey.
Peter Deng, Head of of Rider Product, Uber added, “A one-size-fits-all app doesn’t work for the diversity of network conditions, devices, and rider needs across Uber’s 77 countries and 600 cities. After extensive research with our riders, it was obvious we couldn’t just make a smaller copy of Uber. We needed to reimagine the experience for India and key markets around the world. The result is Uber Lite. A completely redesigned app that is light, simple, and works on any Android device and on any network.”
Uber Lite’s new interface was designed to make booking rides quicker and lighter in spotty connectivity, on basic Android phones, and for people with limited data plans.
Here are the key product features:
- Light on your phone: Uber Lite is less than 5MB to download (that’s equivalent to just 3 selfies). A smaller app frees up space for actual selfies and other apps. And, with a 300-millisecond response time (literally the blink of the eye), the booking process is fast even in low connectivity.
- 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 guides you to choose popular landmarks nearby (which is how most people in India communicate their location).
- Tap Over Type: Uber Lite makes picking your destination as easy as a tap of a button. Instead of typing where you are, you can choose a nearby point of interest. Additionally, the app stores the city’s top places so that even when you are offline, no network is needed for them to appear. And the more you use Uber Lite, the smarter the app gets. It learns where you go most often, and surfaces those options first. This feature is particularly convenient for people with phones with smaller screens.
- Maps On Demand: To keep the app light and fast, maps in Uber Lite are not loaded by default, but are available with a tap when you need them.
Uber Lite retains the core functionality of the rider app, has in-app support, and includes critical safety features, such as an emergency button and the ability to share your trip with friends and family.
We have more features coming soon, including the ability for riders to select their preferred Indian regional language.
Starting today, Uber Lite will pilot in Jaipur, Hyderabad and Delhi. The app will continue rolling out across India this summer, and in other countries around the globe later this year.
press release