People here arguing about whether "Google could / could not bang out an Uber app in a weekend" are apparently completely unaware that Google has already done this.
Waymo One is the name of Google's app, and it's live and serving customers already in Phoenix, AZ.
Imo, the fact that Uber knows this, and is still partnering with Waymo is a sign of weakness bc Waymo's intention is very clearly to own the customer eventually.
It's live in SF too, and the overall user experience is in a different league compared to UberX. The rides are much more comfortable, and quieter. I feel safer because it drives carefully and I'm not getting into a stranger's car. Pickup times and ETAs are actually accurate. It's like upgrading from cable to streaming, or from a Nokia 3310 to an iPhone.
The only problem is the fleet size; there's still a waitlist and it can take 20 minutes to get a ride. But that's just because they're waiting on permits to scale up and start charging for autonomous rides in CA.
It's not clear why Uber would choose to direct their customers to a superior product that they can't hope to beat on either price or UX -- except perhaps as a desperate move to squeeze the last dregs of revenue from the human-operated rideshare market before AV operators move in and clean house?
Except this is Google we're talking about. Expect the Waymo One app to be discontinued in favor of the Uber app, so Uber can "own" the customer service costs.
Waymo One is the name of Google's app, and it's live and serving customers already in Phoenix, AZ.
Imo, the fact that Uber knows this, and is still partnering with Waymo is a sign of weakness bc Waymo's intention is very clearly to own the customer eventually.