Google Maps offers some stellar features, but that doesn't mean that it can't be improved upon, particularly in the area of public transit. Moovit is a navigation app that specializes in bus and train routes, and the latest version completely overhauls the interface. In particular it's much easier to assign a destination location from the main screen: instead of manually entering an address via text, just slide the map around until the indicator is where you want to go.
Moovit 4.0 screenshots above, 3.10 screenshots below
Most of the core features are intact: tap a bus stop or station to see all the routes that stop there, and when the next bus or train is scheduled to arrive. You can save favorite locations for easy access later, and the new En Route screen will show you estimated time remaining in your trip and send notifications if you're in another app. The more subtle adjustments to the interface are mostly in line with Android's guidelines (though Material Design fans could probably find a few things to complain about), and links to local transit map PDFs are included if you need a broader view.
But some long-time users aren't pleased, and they've made their displeasure known in the latest Play Store reviews. Some are upset that the homescreen widget from version 3.x has disappeared, others don't like the lack of language options compared to previous versions, and some are reporting connection and location discovery issues. This sort of thing isn't uncommon with full redesigns (the developers have already promised to return the widget in a future update), so hopefully the kinks will be worked out soon.
PRESS RELEASE
SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - Apr 20, 2015) - Today, Moovit, the intelligent local transit app, unveils the next evolution of its global, crowd-powered mobility platform, Moovit 4.0 for Android. Moovit users can now go anywhere, anytime in just a few taps. The newest edition features a suite of new En Route and personalization controls and a new re-engineered user interface that empower riders to share and receive live community reports about conditions of lines and stations affecting their local transit routes and potentially those of other riders. Now the Moovit community of more than 20 million riders can plan their transit (and lives) even better in over 600 cities, in 55 countries, in 36 languages.
Moovit 4.0 is designed with every transit rider in mind including the experienced transit rider who needs the right facts to help guide the journey, plus the more novice transit rider or tourist who may need more handholding to make the trip seamless and stress-free. In either scenario, the journey begins with the home screen: Moovit's new OmniSearch bar allows users to search for any place, address or destination for quick and easy trip planning. The Near Me feature allows you to locate yourself on the map, find nearby stations and view next arrival times. En Route features accompany you all the way to your destination, allowing you to track your progress on the map, see your estimated arrival time, and get alerted when it's time to get off so you never miss your stop again. If you're a complete pro, the Favorites feature allows you to simply tap on your favorites to get instant trip planning to your favorite places, and next arrival times for your most frequented routes. Leveraging the power of the community, riders get notifications about conditions in real time including station and vehicle crowdedness, cleanliness, live events, and even incidents.
"When you work hard enough to build and deliver a product that people want around the world, you owe it to them to deliver updates that meet their needs and beyond," said Alex Torres, vice president of global product marketing for Moovit. "Whether you're taking transit in Sydney or San Francisco, the user experience of taking public transit is all about discovery and timing. We redesigned the app from the bottom up with the transit rider in mind, so people can see exactly the information they need, precisely at the moment they need it."
New Moovit 4.0 features include:
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Simplified Design & Improved Usability: Moovit 4.0 is optimized for riders on-the-go. Rebuilt from the ground up with community feedback, riders spend less time screen-tapping, so they can smoothly reach their destination faster.
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The Power of OmniSearch: the one-stop search box for any destination. Type a local address or POI to find the best transit options to your destination. Or search for any line in your city to see everywhere it can take you.
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Real-Time Notifications: With a single tap, the new En Route feature provides real-time ETAs to your destination and notifications about when to disembark.
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Live User Reports: Helping other riders has never been this easy. Improved User Reporting functions let riders share live transit conditions including line changes, facility conditions, incidents, and other circumstances that can affect everyone's trips.
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Offline Support: Temporarily lost internet connection? No problem. Moovit stores any planned trip, including all of its directions and line information, maps and schedules for easy offline access when you need it.
"Building a world-class product means understanding your users worldwide; learning and negotiating cultural nuances, worldwide; adapting to and assimilating different infrastructures, worldwide; in languages you don't even speak," said Nir Erez, CEO of Moovit. "Moovit 4.0 was only made possible by the combined, dedicated efforts of our incredible community on the ground, in over 55 countries, and our partners around the world who share our vision and help us make our product better, daily. On behalf of the Moovit team, I offer you a heartfelt thank you."
Never closed for renovation, Moovit has launched in over 100 new cities in 2015, with service for 600 cities worldwide since launch. In the US alone, Moovit now supports more than 60 cities and has over 1.5 million users. The company recently raised $50M dollars in Series-C funding to further expand international operations in key markets and has opened its Global Marketing HQ in San Francisco.
Moovit is available for free in the Apple iTunes App Store, Google Play App Store, Windows Phone App Marketplace, or at moovitapp.com. Moovit 4.0 for iOS is expected to launch in coming weeks.
