Category: Mobile Commerce

UK consumers see promise in mobile commerce

Survey shows that many consumers expected to make daily mobile purchases within the next five years

The United Kingdom’s Lloyds Bank has released the results of a recent survey, through which it saw an increase in the interest consumers have in mobile commerce. According to the survey, approximately 34% of mobile consumers expect to make a payment with their device every day within the next five years. As more retailers become mobile-centric and offer new shopping experiences, consumers are beginning to use their devices to shop online more frequently.

Companies see new opportunities in the UK market

Several companies are beginning to see promise in the UK’s mobile commerce space. Apple is one such company, which believes that its Apple Pay service will do well in the country due to the growing number of mobile shoppers. Samsung is another, which intends to launch its new Samsung Pay service in the United States within the coming months. The company sees promise in the UK, but has not yet announced when the mobile payments service will be launched in the UK.

Older consumers are more interested in mobile commerce

UK Consumers - Mobile CommerceThe survey from Lloyds Bank shows that older consumers are more interested in mobile commerce than their younger counterparts. According to the survey, of those aged over 45, 59% believe that they will be using their mobile devices to make daily purchases. By comparison, 37% of those between the ages of 18 and 44 believe this. Older consumers, especially those with lengthy commutes, seem to be more interested in mobile shopping because of the convenience that it represents.

Security remains a top concern for consumers that want to use their mobile devices to shop online

Among those surveyed that do not currently participate in mobile commerce, 44% said they were concerned about the security of their financial information. Lack of security could leave consumers exposed to exploitation and fraud. This concern has prevented many people from making a mobile purchase, but the rise of biometric technology, which uses biologic information for the sake of security, may be changing that in the coming years.

Update for Android’s Google Maps introduces new navigation UI

The latest version of this mobile app will be adding a range of new features that are meant to boost the experience.

Google has now released a couple of new updates to the Android version of its Google Maps app, which has provided a number of features that include everything from thumbnail previews of a Street View spot to added navigation UI for users.

These latest updates to the popular mobile app have been released over the last couple of weeks.

The latest version of Google Maps for users of Android based smartphones is rolling out already, but people who aren’t willing to wait can still download or sideload the APK file with the Google signature. The most recent edition of this mobile app is its version 9.14 and it is starting to hit various Google Play locations around the world. From the look of it, it can be assumed that the primary focus of the latest updates to the app has been to improve its overall navigation for a smoother and more convenient experience.

The navigation in the Android version of Google Maps has received a new settings interface for navigation.

Google Maps - AndroidIt has also made it possible to see the thumbnail view in the mobile app, and the navigation search has been taken away with a larger image revealing the routes has replaced it. In the most recent of the updates, the maps on the app’s navigation page have zooming and scrolling features that cannot be used in the previous version of the app’s thumbnail view. Moreover, there has been a subtle shift in the position of the option to select the mode of transportation. It is now located under the start and destination fields.

Additional details have also been added to the route page with the latest update. These can be accessed by the user in order to learn more about areas in which there could be potential slowdowns in traffic along the recommended routes. Moreover, more information about the routes is provided than had been available in the previous version.

The newest version of Google Maps also gives the user the chance to touch to choose routes based on estimated ETA, which includes data with regards to road blocks or potential delays.