Banks once acted like an iPhone app equalled a complete mobile strategy, but times are changing. The Commonwealth Bank has rolled out an Android app for its NetBank service, though judging by early user comments it could use some work.
We criticised the NAB and St George Android apps for doing little more than launching a browser pointing to a web banking service, and to judge from the comments on the Android market, CBA has gone down the same route. If you give it a try (we’re on the road right now without an Android device), tell us your experience in the comments.
NetBank [Android Market]
Steve
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 10:59 AMwhat’s the problem with a browser pointing to a web banking service? Isn’t that what internet banking is?
or do you want something else from mobile banking?
Sam Cook
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 11:03 AMI’m still waiting eagerly for BankWest to do an Android app. Though I think they’re yet to release an iPhone app, so it could take some time…
TC
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 10:36 PMBank west launched an iPhone app late last week.
Steve
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 11:22 AMas far as i understand the iphone app does the same thing (opening a web browser) but it works well so i dont know what the issue is.
Tor
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 11:36 AMThank you commbank, I have been waiting for this.
JimKarnage
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 12:13 PMCBA’s regular mobile site is really good anyway. It’s clean and simple and offers everything I imagine you need for mobile Internet banking – standard netbanking tasks & ATM and branch locators.
Emmanuel
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 1:51 PMNot sure exactly why they bothered making this “app”. If i wanted a bookmark i’d just set up a bookmark shortcut for the netbank mobile site on the home screen. It all seems a bit pointless as the app doesn’t bring anything new there.
Michael
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 2:15 PMI would be extremely cautious downloading apps named “Commonwealth Bank” app (unless it was directly from the CBA website). It just sounds a little bit phishy if you know what I mean.
Matt
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 2:38 PMThe app is great. An internet shortcut but why does it matter? It is the experience you get on that site that matters. This way the commonwealth bank can deal with a range of devices all having the same experience. Less workload for them is a standardised experience for all users.
Sam Cook
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 2:50 PMI may be off the mark here, but to me – the appeal of an actual app vs an app which acts like a bookmark; is that an app will already have its template and images preloaded in the phones memory. If you’re in a low receiption area (or with Vodafone) – that is extremely helpful, as you’re not waiting for the whole website to load, and your connection is freed up to only transmit and receive your actual banking data. Typically when I’m logging onto netbanking, I want the information at my finger tips as quickly as possible, because its usually needed at a time where time is important.
Thats my 2cents for the matter anyway…
Jake D
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 2:48 PMI agree with both JimKarnage and Michael.
Mobile site is great, I use it often.
You’d want to be pretty certain of the source of any banking app.
Mat Keyzer
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 4:29 PMSoooo… Just putting it out there… But can we trade bank account?
Ben Guthrie
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 10:21 PMThe iPhone app redirects to a safari webpage with the following link https://www2.my.commbank.com.au/mobile/i/default.aspx
I copied the same link into Android browser and saved icon to home screen and does identical to what iPhone does.
I can’t see what is to be criticised.
I expect the android app is just a convenient way of doing the same thing that was already possible prior to the app.
DmanDan
Thursday, March 3, 2011 at 9:51 AMThe link the android app sends me to is: https://www1.my.commbank.com.au/mobile/i/default.aspx
Ethan
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at 5:36 AMAm I the only one that thinks that mobile banking apps, or apps in general, are going to fade away? With my android phone I browse using a full browser, Flash and all (sorry iPhone users). So a bank like you mentioned above, that points to a site might just be future minded. I enjoy the full functionality that a “full” mobile web browser offers. That’s why I went with the Android OS in the first place instead of the iPhone. Anyone else think apps will eventually go the way of the dinosaur?
JohnO
Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 9:34 PMAgreed Ethan, standardising around a single (web) interface that works across multiple devices is to be commended.
Prediction = In coming years we’ll see the emergence of standardisation in the ‘mobile app’ space so one service/application can work across various end-user devices (iOS, Android, WebOS etc)
This is old hat (emergence and growth, then consolidation and standardisation).
We’ve been here before…