In a first, Uber enables users to book rides without using phone

Ever since Uber was formed 10 years ago, it was always functional through a cell phone, but looks like this may soon change as the service is now making itself available for use without a phone too.

Ride-hailing service Uber revealed an all new arcade-inspired kiosk at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport that lets passengers book a ride without using a smartphone. This new innovation is meant to make access easier for travelers having language or tech issues.

As per Business Insider, one of the Uber kiosk’s designers mentioned that technology is currently being run as a trial at the airport, and is more or less similar to the technology used in ‘green light’ hubs, where the firm on-boards drivers. Also, the technology was further modified for ‘speed, cost effectiveness and operations’.

Moreover, the kiosk is basically a 32-inch LCD display featuring a 10.5-inch iPad Air bottom tablet. The passenger would have to simply swipe and chip credit card reader to the right of the tablet.

Hardware breakdown: Top Monitor is a 32 inch LCD display; Bottom Tablet is a 2019 10.5 inch iPad Air; Swipe and chip credit card reader to the right of the tablet. Top monitor is powered by a small contained Dell PC which has an Electron app running. Tablet app is a native app; pic.twitter.com/VIXhWS6g8z

— Jon Kantrowitz (@jkantro) August 21, 2019

As per Uber, the kiosk portrays numerous advantages over the phone-based support as its large screen creates an interface that some people might find to be more comfortable, with easy-to-navigate registration process for new driver partners.

Also, Uber kiosk provides a more social experience, making it easier for people to navigate menus and fill in form fields. “A human customer support representative can walk potential driver partners through the entire onboarding process, and respond to questions immediately. It creates a more satisfying experience than waiting for an hour on the phone or chatting with a bot,” wrote Uber in a blog post.

Though the Uber kiosk have already been placed in various malls, the company did not specify what locations the Uber kiosk might be installed next, but hopes to use them for increasing access at high-volume venues, wrote Business Insider.