The ride-hailing company, Uber has launched Uber Lite for its Ugandan consumers. The Lite app is being launched across its networks to give consumers the opportunity to book rides irrespective of the quality of their network connection. The launch in Uganda follows launches in Kenya and South Africa earlier this year.
Alon Lits, General Manager for Uber Sub-Saharan Africa in a press statement said, “The launch of the app hopes to enhance the riders experience and help them move seamlessly minimizing any possible network issues.”
With the new Uber Lite, the user can pick their destination by tapping 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.
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And with a 300-millisecond response time (literally the blink of the eye), the booking process is fast even in low connectivity.
Uber Lite retains the core functionality of the rider app, has in-app support, and includes critical safety features such as the Trusted Contacts feature that allows riders to share their trips with about five friends and family and driver profiles, for riders to identify their driver and vehicles before going on a trip.
Uber Lite was specifically developed to cut down on mobile data consumption, as well as work in areas with limited network connectivity. The app was also redesigned to use less space on the mobile phone when installed. The Uber network is now available in over 600 cities in over 80 countries spanning 6 continents.