The folks at Simple began teasing the upcoming Android app release a short while back. At the time the word was that Simple would be available for Android users in “early” 2013. And well, it looks like the time has arrived — the Simple banking app is now available from the Google Play Store where it brings support for devices running Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) or later.
Android users will also be happy to learn that the Simple app is not a direct port of the iPhone app. The Android app is being touted as a “streamlined and intuitive” app that has been “designed from the bottom up for Android.” Fancy talk aside though, the Simple app brings the expected features including the ability to find ATMs (from the Allpoint network) as well as being able to see your current transactions.
The app also breaks each transaction down into detail showing the spending category, map location and more. Other goodies include on-the-go budgeting using the Spend from Goal feature and the ability to know how much money you can spend at any given time using the Safe-to-Spend feature.
That all being said, the news of a Simple app for Android does come with a catch — the service is still invite only. Those hoping to score an invite can request one from the Simple website or install the app and request one from the app. The Simple team also announced on Twitter that if any Android users have an old/unused invite, they can use that now. Otherwise, they will be reinviting Android users over the next few days.
Canadian banks, please take notice. This is how you build a banking app. Not the crappy mobile web view you all provide in your “apps”