Ola, Uber fares different on Apple and Android phones? The conspiracy of pricing war
iPhone users more than Android users for the same rides? Recent tests conducted by The Times of India (TOI) suggest this might not just be a conspiracy theory.
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Cab fares for identical routes in Chennai, checked simultaneously on iPhone and Android devices, revealed consistently higher prices for iOS users.
While the pattern appeared more pronounced for shorter, single rides, this disparity isn’t conclusive evidence of bias. As TOI noted, the same searches on different days could yield varying results. However, the findings have reignited concerns about the not-so-clear pricing algorithms used by ride-hailing platforms.
Meanwhile, Uber, responding to TOI’s queries, denied any policy of personalizing trip prices based on the user's phone type. Instead, the company attributed discrepancies to dynamic pricing factors such as real-time demand, estimated travel time, and distance.
Ola did not respond to TOI's request for comment.
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