Uber announced a new partnership with Samsung that attempts to get users of the South Korean smartphone maker's new Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge to sign up to the ride-sharing service.
In a blog post, Uber vice president of mobile Lars Fjeldsoe-Nielsen says users of Samsung's latest flagship smartphones who sign up for Uber for the first time will receive their first ride that is worth $25 on the house. Users who live in other countries will also receive varying amounts of discounts for their first Uber trip "in the coming months."
To avail of this discount, owners of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge can simply open Galaxy Gifts on their smartphones, where Uber will remain on top as a featured item for the next 12 months as part of its partnership with Samsung. From Galaxy Gifts, users must download the Uber app instead of getting it directly from Google's Play Store. This ensures they receive the $25 discount for their first ride.
Users don't have to do anything after that. They simply have to tap the Uber button and hail their first ride, which is on the house, at least for the first several miles covered by the $25 discount.
"We are excited about the combination of Samsung's reach and Uber's global footprint — 300 cities across 56 countries — that means riders around the world can get wherever they need to go, whenever they choose with the simple touch of a button," writes Fjeldsoe-Nielsen.
The Uber-Samsung project is the latest in a string of partnerships forged by Uber with other major players in the technology industry. Last year, Uber succeeded in convincing AT&T to embed the Uber app right into all Android smartphones sold by the mobile carrier, which was followed by a similar partnership with Sprint, which promised to feature Uber on the home screen of all Android devices. When users tap on the icon, it takes them to Google's Play Store, where they can download the Uber app onto their devices.
In the global market, Uber continues to push out its tentacles to Mexico, where it operates on a partnership with America Movil. The deal with the Pan-American network provider has the Uber app featured in millions of Android smartphones in Mexico and provides new sign-ups with 150 Mexican pesos worth of discount for their first ride, or approximately $9.7.
