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Does Uber charge you more when your phone battery is low?

Does Uber charge you more when your phone battery is low?
The Belgian newspaper Dernière Heure found that Uber allegedly increased prices based on their phone battery level
  • In 2022, Uber’s revenue amounted to a substantial $5.9 billion dollars worldwide.

  • The global ride-sharing market is projected to reach a substantial size of $185.1 billion dollars by 2026.

  • According to the Data Sensitivity Index by Statista, Uber is the third application that collected the highest amount of user data, only behind Grab Taxi and Yandex Go.

Uber has been facing allegations that the company charges customers more when their phone battery is low. However, Uber has categorically denied such claims, stating that it does not consider the phone’s battery level to calculate the price of a trip. While Uber’s app allows the company to monitor users’ battery levels during use, the company does not use that information to charge customers more.

Keith Chen, Uber’s former head of economic research, stated in 2016 that users are more likely to pay for surge pricing if their phone battery is low. However, this does not imply that Uber charges more based on the phone’s battery level. Uber collects specific types of data from users’ devices, such as hardware model, operating system, preferred language, and mobile network information. Uber can also detect battery information to determine whether to go into power-saving mode. Still, it cannot use this data to take advantage of customers with low battery levels.

However, a small study by the Belgian newspaper Dernière Heure found that Uber allegedly increased prices for users in Brussels based on their phone battery level. The study showed that the pricing for users in Brussels was based on how much battery they had on their phones, with users with low battery levels being charged more than those with high battery levels. Uber denied these claims and said that it does not take into account the phone’s battery level to calculate the price of a trip. The company collects specific types of data from its users’ devices, including battery information, but does not use it to charge customers more. Uber remains committed to providing its customers with high-quality and reliable ride-sharing services at a reasonable price.

Overall, while there is evidence to suggest that users with low phone batteries are more likely to pay for surge pricing, it is unclear whether Uber charges more based on phone battery level. Uber denies using battery information to take advantage of customers, but a small study suggests otherwise.

Guys, what has been your experience with Uber?

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