Remember when, early this year, Uber completely revamped its logo and the Internet basically lost it? Well, brace yourselves, because the company is at it again with much bigger changes. Starting today, Uber is rolling out its first true redesign since 2012 and revamping much of the user experience in the process (it's rolling out globally "over the next several weeks").
“It’s not just a normal update,” Uber CEO Travis Kalanick said in a press conference, CNET reports. “This is a radical redesign and rebuild of the app from scratch.” Don’t panic, though: The redesign is in response to Uber’s massive growth over the years and, from the looks of it, these changes will make requesting and riding in Ubers that much easier. "Over the years, things got more complicated," Kalanick said. "We needed a new system to deal with the growing set of features that were piling up on an older design." In addition to faster loading times, as reported by CNET, the new app will include new features that make for a more personalized and efficient experience.
Shortcuts
Now, with the update, when you open Uber, instead of leading with your pick-up location, you’ll be asked, “Where to?” You can enter your destination, or choose from personalized “shortcuts” at the bottom of your screen — like home, campus, or your regular coffee shop — that appear based on your passenger history.
Calendar Connection
Not only will the app predict shortcuts based on your usual stops, but soon, you’ll also be able to connect your calendar so any appointment locations in there will show up as shortcuts on the app, too. (That feature hasn’t rolled out yet, but in a news release about the update, the company says it will “soon.”)
People as Places
Turn your friends into actual destinations (and avoid the need for frustrating text chains or annoying phone calls when you’re trying to meet up). As long as their locations are shared with you, all you need to do is sync your contacts with the Uber app and type their names in the “Where to?” search bar, and your Uber driver will be able to get you there.
Cost and Time Transparency
Once you’ve set your destination, not only can you choose among the different ride types (like uberBLACK or uberX), but you can also see how much each will cost you and, for uberX and uberPOOL, the estimated arrival time to your destination. Talk about making an informed decision.
Enroute Experiences
Uber will also eventually (or, “soon”) roll out some useful interactive tools that you can take advantage of once you’re on the road. Check public transportation schedules, browse Foursquare and Yelp for suggestions, tips, and reviews on where to go or what to do next, order food to your destination with UberEATS, stream tunes via Pandora, and send some selfies with exclusive Snapchat filters. (Of course, depending on how far you’re traveling, you may not want or need to do all of this, but it’s nice to know the features will be there should you care to take advantage of them.)
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While these new features will likely improve the Uber experience from an efficiency standpoint, it seems the company may need to now turn its attention to ensuring safety and fairness for its drivers and riders. Just this week, a new study was released showing that many riders have experienced racial discrimination through the app. The study found that, in Seattle, black passengers waited as much as 35% longer for a confirmed ride than white passengers; and, in Boston, riders with “African American-sounding names” experienced twice as many cancellations by drivers than people with “white sounding names.”
No word yet on how Uber will address discrimination or safety issues, but let’s hope that’s coming next.
Related: Campus ID Cards Will Now Cover Uber Rides at Some Colleges
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