Waze Ltd. today launched its 3.2 version for iOS-powered Android devices, which includes new features. The key new feature, currently only available in the US, displays gasoline prices at stations along the route, or can direct the user to the gas station with the lowest price in the area. The features are demonstrated in a YouTube video clip.
Waze also announced that the gasoline prices will be updated and displayed in real time. The company is cooperating with leading US fuel companies to enable Waze users to benefit from discounts and special deals for gasoline at almost 2,000 selected gas stations. These gas stations will offer Waze users discounts of $0.05-0.10 per gallon. These gas station will be indicated with a "$" icon on the Waze map; click on the icon, and the user is directed to the gas station.
Waze CEO Noam Bardin told "Globes" that all the app's new features are already available in the US, except for the gasoline display, which will become available within two weeks.
Another new feature is the option of adding more markers along the route. For example, it will be possible to plan a trip by preset destinations, such as a friend's house for a pick-up, and to prioritize destinations.
If Waze's cheap gasoline feature remains a unique feature for its app, and does not spread to other Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) map apps, which does not seem likely at the moment, Waze's claim that it has nothing to fear from competition and irrelevance from Apple's new map app, seems to be grounded on the fact that it has something that Apple does not.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 21, 2012
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2012