Flipkart's fans note - you no longer have to use the crappy mobile website presented as an app. The much awaited native Flipkart Android app comes after 1.5 years of wait and passing about half a million downloads. Whether the total wait was worth it? Did Flipkart really get the app right? Let's find out.

App Requirements:

The app's latest version (2.2.1) is a tiny one about 3 MB in size and requires you to have Android 2.3+. I installed the app on my Samsung Galaxy Note II, running Android 4.1.2 and with my 2 Mbps connection, it took about a minute for the app to download and install.


The Design:

I must give it to the choice of colors the designers have chosen for the app. The black and yellow color combo looks great (IMHO) and the app requires you to login to the site before you can browse. The front page of the app presents you with the latest offers, below it is the special 'savings' offers and discounts and below it is your 'Hot On Flipkart' section that shows latest mobiles, cameras, watches and men. I think the app customises all of these based on your account history.

At the top-left corner, the app has provision for opening all the categories and the overall learning curve in getting started with the app is zero!

Ease Of Use:

Each of the categories opens the sub-categories menu. For example, I clicked on the 'Mobiles & Tablets' category and the app presented me with 'Mobiles', 'Mobile Accessories', 'Tablets' and other sub-categories. Of course there's a search field at the top of the app that lets you search for the things directly.

I tried searching for 'Galaxy Note 2' and the app presented with instant search results. The search results page allows the users to refine the search by categories. So for the 'Note 2' search, I was presented with two categories 'mobiles' and 'books'.

Feature Highlights:

1. The sort and filter features make it easier to find what you are looking for.
2. The product images can be zoomed in and out easily.
3. You can read reviews of each of the products below the description.
4. The app supports all the payment mechanisms - CoD, Credit and Debit Cards, EMIs and of course, Net Banking.
5. You can track the current status of your purchases.
6. You can share the products by sending links via SMS, Gmail, FB, Twitter, G+ etc.
7. The app offers complete account management right from your mobile.

Overall: The app is easy to use and I'd definitely expect it to drive more mobile shoppers and revenues to Flipkart. I didn't make a purchase (which is beyond my current budgets at the moment and also beyond the scope of this review). I do not own an Android tablet, but think that the experience won't be very different than on mobile.

I'd give this app overall rating of 4.5 on 5.

Download It from Google Store: Flipkart Online Shopping App - Apps on Google Play