Uber launches Uber Lite, a 5MB app for India
Uber already sees around 75 million riders per month, and around 15 million rides a day. However, it's looking to expand its footprint even further and attract the "next hundreds of millions of riders" from developing economies, and it has made a tool for the same - Uber Lite. The low-data, 5MB app, particularly aimed at developing countries, was launched in India today.
Uber reiterates its commitment to developing countries' markets
"We are committed to building for the next hundreds of millions of riders [outside USA]. To better serve them, we are...building and designing products entirely in India — Uber Lite is our biggest launch yet on this journey," said Manik Gupta, Vice President Product, Uber.
Uber Lite is currently available in Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur
The Uber Lite app, which takes a mere 5MB space as opposed to 180MB+ for the normal app, will also be rolled out to other countries soon. As of now, Uber Lite is available only in three Indian cities - Delhi, Hyderabad, and Jaipur. However, a download link hasn't been provided yet (at the time of writing this), but a waitlist link is available.
The smart app, expectedly, has a minimalist design
Expectedly, Uber Lite has a minimalist design, and maps are optional. Instead, the app uses GPS to locate a user, and suggests nearby pick-up points, thus reducing the need to type. Additionally, the app also caches a city's top locations so cabs can be booked offline, and it learns its users' habits and frequented places, thereby saving booking and typing time.
The Uber Lite app doesn't sacrifice smartness for being lightweight
"The more you use Uber Lite, the smarter the app gets. It learns where you go most often, and surfaces those options first," explains Uber.
Impact of Uber Lite remains to be seen
How the Uber Lite app changes the transportation giant's operations in India remains to be seen. Currently, Uber holds a 35% market share in India compared to rivals Ola Cabs' 45%. While the Uber Lite app is a smart step to try and capture Indian customers, Ola Cabs is already a step ahead - it launched its 1MB Ola Lite app in January 2018.
