Until today, AirBnb’s Android app didn’t come close to its iOS equivalent for features, design and stability. With version 2.0, the company has revamped the app’s design, giving it a sliding left-side navigation bar, large HD photos and a lovely photo-centric workflow.
AirBnb is a great resource for travellers to find accommodations outside of the traditional hotel circuit. People offer their apartments for rent in a number of configurations — empty, shared, with the tenant, etc. — at rates considerably cheaper than the average hotel room. Thanks to an extensive set of checks, both on the buyer and seller side, safety, cleanliness and amenities are assured beforehand, and there are recourses to complain to AirBnb if a trip goes awry.
Much of the service’s success has stemmed from the ease at which users can browse and find the right room or house for their particular type of holiday. I’ve used AirBnb several times since its inception, and the San Francisco-based service has grown to a quarter million listings in 30,000 cities and 192 countries. The focus has shifted to mobile booking and administration in the last year, with the company launching a revamped iOS app in 2012.
With this latest Android app, hosts can monitor their listings and pre-approve guests in addition to setting general availability from within the app.
The app is also considerably faster and more stable now, and the company has rectified an issue with push notifications.
Download Airbnb for Android.
Source: TNW
