The Commonwealth Bank yesterday announced a much-needed update to the Android version their mobile wallet application, Kaching.
While it doesn’t look like we’re going to get native NFC payments, the Android application has been completely redesigned specifically for Android. This is a good thing – the current version of Kaching has been branded a lazy iOS port by many Android users (including several Ausdroid staff), and has been plagued with stability and performance issues on Jelly Bean.
It looks like mobile wallets are finally about to become a thing in Australia. Vodafone announced their mobile payment system last week, and the Commonwealth Bank yesterday said that 46% of all banking transactions take place on mobile devices, with almost 7 million Australians accessing NetBank services online.
The current Kaching application for Android
Embracing and supporting Android is definitely a step in the right direction for the Commonwealth Bank. It’s good to see big Australian businesses taking note that Android is becoming the dominant platform in the Australian smartphone market, and there are benefits to developing proper, native applications for Android that adhere to its UI guidelines and take advantage of its cool features. It would be nice to see them embrace NFC too.
The Commonwealth Bank also announced its Android-based Pi Point of Sale system – running on a customised Android tablet named Albert – back in in July.
[appaware-app pname=’au.com.commbank.kaching’ name=’Kaching’ qrcode=’true’ users=’0′]
How do you feel about a proper, native Android version of Kaching? Do mobile apps affect your choice of bank for personal finance or business? Let us know in the comments!
