Uber Beacon for Sale—But What Is It?
Last Updated on July 1, 2021 by Rideshare Community Support
Uber Beacon is a fantastic new feature of the Uber experience you’ll not only love, but will find very handy when trying to locate your fare. If you’ve ordered an Uber while exiting with the masses from a large event—like a concert or big game—you probably understand the correlation between increased traffic and its exponential impact on finding your ride (especially at night).
Not too long back, Uber developed a pretty smart addition to its app to tackle this exact problem—customer-assigned colors designed to beam brightly off a rider’s phone display and flag down their driver’s attention. Building on that same concept, Uber is now developing a digital display for drivers, known as the Uber Beacon, specifically designed to grab the rider’s attention. Through this simple pairing of color-matching technologies, it’s never been easier for drivers and riders to quickly connect—even in those large, late-night crowds.
The Uber Beacon is in a pilot phase at the moment and only available to select Uber drivers in select cities. We’ve been watching that list of cities steadily grow across the United States and, at the rate it’s going, we’d encourage you to keep your eyes peeled for its arrival in your own backyard. Trust us … it’ll be hard to miss.
Why Is the Uber Beacon for Sale?
The Uber Beacon improves communication between riders and drivers in a way we haven’t seen before. It’s an easy solution to the challenges that come with riding in an Uber. Like a lighthouse, it guides riders to their Uber ride. It also provides friendly reminders to secure seatbelts as well as alerts on when and where to exit the vehicle (and even tell riders whether they need to watch out for cyclists when exiting a vehicle).
The Uber Beacon certainly enriches the overall experience. Although only available in select cities, Uber drivers are excited about the prospect of an Uber Beacon for sale. It was first piloted in San Francisco, but is beginning to work its way around the country.
Admittedly, digital displays are nothing new, but the Uber Beacon is more than another bright sign. It’s better understood as one more expansion to Uber’s already very robust and technologically-sophisticated ecosystem. Remember, Uber’s business model doesn’t function like a traditional taxi company (in fact, its business model upended the entire taxi industry). They accomplished this through—you guessed it—innovative technology.
At the end of the day, Uber has built a highly-capable technology that is really good at connecting two kinds of people—the first being people who have a decent vehicle and, when compensated, are willing to drive others to predetermined locations and, secondly, people who are willing to compensate those drivers to safely deliver them where they want to go. That’s pretty much it. The Uber Beacon is simply an evolution of that same relationship, making it even easier for those two sets of people to connect.
Experience of Uber Beacon
While using the Uber Beacon in your Uber ride, you can expect an improved experience that is unmatched by competitors. The device easily attaches to the car’s dashboard with a magnetic mount and connects to the car via USB cable. The beacon is also connected to the Uber Driver app with bluetooth and will collect data from the rider experience in order to improve the accuracy of pickup and dropoff locations. Once again, Uber is demonstrating its core strength, which isn’t just about advancing a new technology, but rather … integrating existing technologies to shape a new and improved overall experience.
Still, it’s also worth noting that the teams behind the Uber Beacon certainly achieved an exceptionally unique and aesthetically-pleasing design. It’s as bold as it is simple, sporting something akin to a retro-futuristic style. It incorporates an intentionally boxy rectangular shape (with lots of hard right angles) which wraps around the main display and can itself illuminate through a range of bold, primary colors. Within that frame sits an 80s-esque pixel-based display design that scrolls messages both toward the front and the back, providing useful information for the rider when they’re outside of the vehicle as well as when inside of it.
Features Include:
- Rectangular LED with a full array of colors
- Flashing indicators for riders
- Magnetic mount for the dashboard
- Text and image animations
- Signature Uber logo on the screen
Why Uber Beacon?
Uber has been tinkering with its app for years and is always on the hunt for new features they think will improve the rider experience. The accuracy of pickup and dropoff locations has always been a big focus for Uber and the data being collected from Uber Beacon is being used to further improve rider experiences. The long-term commitment to improving pickup and dropoff accuracy has already paid impressive dividends over the years and we have every reason to believe this trend will continue.
Also, while the scrolling messages may not seem overly impressive at first glance, they are useful—especially for riders who lose focus on the outside world whether because they get lost meandering about on their phone or find themselves in deep conversation with a passenger friend or maybe just slip into one of those late-night, sleepy trances—all of which are common when being chauffeured from point A to B. The point is, the Uber Beacon is there providing friendly reminders to its riders—nudging them with pertinent information at the appropriate times.
How to Use Uber Beacon
Thankfully, Uber has made it incredibly easy to install the Uber Beacon into any vehicle. The device comes with a magnetic dash mount that can be applied to most car models and is easily viewable by drivers and riders alike. Again, it will automatically sync colors between its display and a rider’s phone to make the pickup experience easier for both parties.
In order to take advantage of the Uber Beacon, check to see if your city is on the official list of available locations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the Uber Beacon Save Me Time?
Absolutely. The Uber Beacon is designed to integrate technology between drivers and riders and, ultimately, making it easier and more efficient to connect. At one time or another, many of us have probably experienced a pickup that did not go as smoothly as we hoped.
Whether you’ve found yourself staring at your phone wondering why the driver seems to have passed you up three times in a row or whether, from the driver’s perspective, you’ve had to make three different passes trying to find your rider on a busy street that your simultaneously trying to safely navigate—the Uber Beacon, combined with the rider’s color-matched display on their app, makes it easier for both parties to connect.
Is the Uber Beacon Available Near Me?
Maybe. Drivers can check the official Uber website and see if the device is available in their city. Uber has stated that they are starting the device off in a number of big cities, including (at the time this article was written): Atlanta; Baltimore-Maryland; Chicago; Dallas; Denver; Houston; Las Vegas; Miami; Nashville; Orlando; Phoenix; Tampa Bay; and Washington, DC. Check back on Uber’s site frequently to see if it has become available in your city.
Can the Uber Beacon Be Controlled by the App?
The Uber Beacon is made to be controlled by the official Uber Driver app and will continue to do so in the future. Lucky for you, riders won’t be required to have the Uber Beacon software installed on their device.
All you have to do is sit back and enjoy the improved Uber experience with the beacon in sight. Should drivers need further assistance with their Uber Beacons, the company has made it easy to contact their customer support.
How Big Is the Uber Beacon?
The Uber Beacon is a fairly large display, but can easily fit on the dash. It is just big enough for riders to easily read, especially at night.
Do Other Companies Have Uber Beacon?
The Uber Beacon (device and software) has been uniquely developed for the Uber platform.
Conclusion
The Uber Beacon is a great tool that is sure to improve driver and rider experiences. It is available in select cities, including Washington DC and Chicago, but we’re confident the technology will make its way throughout the country in due time.
We hope this comprehensive guide on Uber Beacon has given you the info you need to make the best out of your next Uber ride. Questions about other products—just head on over to our curated product and reviews page to access more information.