According to the Commonwealth Bank, the figures are pretty one sided, but it raises the question as to whether you bank online on mobiles at all.
I’d noted on the original story regarding the Commonwealth Bank’s Kaching NFC service that it had opted to launch on iPhone first because that platform represented the lion’s share of its netbank. Its slide on the evolution of its net banking service is naturally a little self-serving, but it does provide the details up nicely in visual form.
What’s your take on this? A reflection of the Commonwealth bank’s user base, the number of users who’ve taken up the Android Netbank App, or something else?
[Commonwealth Bank]
BenDTU
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:11 AMI use an iPhone. That being said, it’d be nice if CommBank actually had a proper app and not just their mobile website within a launcher.
z3d
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:19 AMwhat’s wrong with the mobile web site? i think it’s pretty excellent. the only problem is you can’t add new billers/people to xfer money to. that really sux. otherwise, it’s great. i do most of my banking on my iphone these days.
The Gremlin
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 11:59 AMA native app would be a much better experience. Much more fluid.
jack
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 1:50 PMI bet they describe the app as working on all platforms – because yeah… Smartphones have web browsers these days. St george are the same.
Sicarius123
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:26 AMWhy do that? The way they do it means they can quickly pump out an app for any OS and keep it updated easily, while all users get the same experience.
I’m happy using commbank on either iPhone or WP7.
Ogre
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:46 AMNative application means that less data needs to be transferred to display the same information, thus decreasing both the drain on your mobile download limit, and how long it takes to download your information. The only way a mobile site would be the same on these terms is if the site is text only. Which is neither pretty, nor simple to use.
z3d
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 11:06 AMyou would not notice the difference.
The Gremlin
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 12:04 PMYes you would. Consider facebook, do you reckon using the mobile site is as good as using the app?
ThePengwin
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 11:18 AMNative apps are a pain to maintain. Web Apps are written once. They stay up to date far easier than a native app as the core functionality is pulled from the server and cached for a time determined by the remote side.
Native apps are a world of pain for a developer these days. They essentially limit you to one OS. HTML5 was made with this in mind, and used correctly it can behave like a native app, and devs can concentrate on making the app work well for all platforms, not just one.
Greg
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 11:52 AMWhat rubbish. How is a native app limiting you to one OS? Last I checked there are a huge number of multi-OS native apps for iPhone and Android.
With the correctly written API on the back-end, the front end app is essentially trivial on any device you can develop for.
ThePengwin
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 3:11 PMConsider having to write an app in objective C, then turn around and write it in Java with one API, and again with another.
You are now maintaining 3 codebases for one App. They all have slightly different UI paradigms, rules as to what you can and cant access and use, and different distribution methods.
As a web and on/off mobile web developer, im not thrilled about going out and buying a Mac and learning Objective C solely to make an already web orientated interface “native” for the sake of a few people’s subjective opinions that they are always superior and use less data. I think Commonwealth Bank have done great in creating a UI that is easy and accessible in most modern smartphones, making a native app is just a waste of their time for minimal gain.
The Gremlin
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 12:05 PMI don’t see how “easier for them” is better for me
James
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 3:03 PMI talked to a guy who work for commbank when flying to Sydney once. He said the reason for the web app is simply security. Due to things like the itunes app store update process were by an update for an app can take anywhere from a couple of hour to a few week(worst case) to get through apple before it is actually pushed to the end user. In the even that the app had a vulnerability if it was a native app that could leave a lot of people at risk for a decent amount of time. Were as with a web app because the app is all server side it gives commbank much more control over the app and allows them to make much speedier updates, which is necessary to ensure end user security.
Peter
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 5:39 PMYep, Agility is the number one reason. But not just for Security.
The Gremlin
Friday, October 28, 2011 at 8:53 AMI’m guessing you have some data to back up your claim that “its just a few people and their silly subjective opinions”. So link please.
I have been in the industry for 18 years. I have directed the creation of more sites that I can remember including serveral major banks in different countries. I also do mobile development on my free time and have a couple of apps on the appStore.
For anything other than simple browsing, a well designed native app is always the superior user experience. Thats my subjective opinion, you know.
ThePengwin
Friday, October 28, 2011 at 12:19 PMFantastic, you added “silly” to what i said was subjective. Its not at all silly. There are times where a native app is superior. I wouldnt be trying to use WebGL to write a complete game or something that rarely relies on any sort of outside data.
However, when it comes to something that needs a constant connection to ensure up to date, secure, and real time information and can be deployed to more than one device with no troubles of 3rd party stores and lock in frameworks, a web interface has an advantage. In fact Apple was the company that wanted Web Apps to work from the get go.
Remember when the iPhone had no app store? Apple also defined quite a few methods for icon design and screen resolution to actually help a web app behave like all the other apps.
Matt
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:40 AMAhh they updated their app quite a bit, it’s different to their website and I have no problem using it.
Danny Allen
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:13 AMI’m a commbank customer and to date, I haven’t really transfered money using mobile (seemed like a pain in the ass until social payments). But I do use the iphone app to check balance.
Rhys
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:13 AMWestpac, Android. It’s the bomb. It’s quicker to do everything, and it saves your member number.
cayal
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:15 AMWhich probably isn’t the smartest thing to do…
Rhys
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:26 AMWhat can they do with the member number?
cayal
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:31 AMProbably nothing but is it worth the risk if you lose your phone?
Rhys
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:38 AMI’m not too concerned, remote whipe is a blessing, and it’s all backed up at home. I find that justifies the risk, and the reward is saving my self time logging onto the website from a laptop etc. It’s just so easy.
Holy crap I sound like a fanboi haha.
elherbo
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 1:42 PMPretty sure Westpac would have a better idea of what constitutes mobile security and what doesn’t better than you I’d say.
anonymouse
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:14 AMI use Bank SA/Westpac, but I do it through a mobile web page (ibank1.banksa.com.au)
Roland
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:14 AMMy Westpac App is pretty cool, but then I use it only for checking and nothing really else.
MDolley
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:20 AMI am with ANZ and being a WP7 user is frustrating. The mobile site is clearly designed for iPhone and just doesn’t work very well on WP7.
I would have thought that if you have native apps for iPhone and Android you’d make your mobile site better suited to other devices.
Si
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:37 AMI’m a westpac customer, and searching westpac on the WP7 marketplace brings up 3 apps, bankSA, bank of melbourne and st george
Westpac have 3 apps on there but no actual westpac app, makes a ton of sense
Nick
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:48 AMI know what you’re thinking, you’re thinking I wish ANZ spent less money on shit ads and spent more on development.
MDolley
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 11:03 AM*slow clap* Well played sir. Well played indeed.
z3d
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 11:14 AMdoes internet explorer on WP7 have html5 (as in proper html5 – not like MS-HTML5 like the desktop)? I don’t support the desktop internet explorer on my web applications for that reason. wastes too much time. or is it just they haven’t tried running their app on the WP7 and it just has formatting issues?
i really need to get that new nokia to play with when it comes out so i have something to test.
MDolley
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 11:54 AMWell IE on WP7 gets 100/100 on ACID3 so I am not sure about the HTML5 capabilities.
I think it’s just nobody bothered to look into it. The site is clearly designed for iOS, as you can tell from…
Add ANZ Mobile Banking to your home screen
Click the “+” icon below
Lillee
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 5:21 PMThe ANZ iOS app is fantastic…
Sam
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:20 AMI use Android and the BankWest app. The app isn’t really all that great if I’m to be honest; it doesn’t really offer anything that their mobile site doesn’t – but because images are already stored on my phone, the app is exponentially quicker than loading the whole site via my Vodafone connection.
Same as others have said before me, I basically use it for checking my balance and that’s about it.
ksmith
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:32 AMI use an iPhone – the Commbank app is all i use for mobile banking these days, although I wish they would make their passwords case sensitive. Even though you use mixed case and numbers, typing in the same password in all lower-case still lets you login … it’s the same from a desktop Mac/PC … =(
Rooboy
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:32 AMThis is one area where I feel more comfortable as an iPhone user. I am not sure how secure an open source OS like Android really is when third party apps aren’t scrutinised as deeply as apps are in Apples environment.
I haven’t jailbroken my ios5 (iphone4) yet, but if/when I did, I would be a little reluctant to use my jailbroken iphone for ecommerce as well as the same problems and maybe even worse could be included by some unscrupulous dev in the jailbreak community.
Apples OS is locked down tightly for a reason, and in this circumstance I agree with those reasons.
Open source is just not trustworthy in my opinion.
Ogre
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:48 AMActually, open source is *more* trustworthy, because anyone can scrutinise the code to discover flaws. If there were a security flaw in iOS, you’d never know, until it was already exploited.
Cardiackevin
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 12:32 PMNot when 90% of those who scrutinise the code are exactly the ones who exploit the flaws.
Cardiackevin
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 12:34 PMAnd yes, I made up the 90% stat for dramatic effect. And I use the CommBank iPhone app.
Peter
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 1:52 PMWhy is it then that apple stores use way too much glass, seems anyone could look right in
Ozoneocean
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 4:09 PMThis simply does not apply in this situation- when the app is actually made by the bank you want to access. In fact you’d have to be a bit of a cretin to use a banking app NOT made by your bank.
Althalus
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:33 AMI don’t see the Point of creating a Mobile app with NFC for a device that doesn’t have NFC and probably won’t for the next year or two at least. They could have at least created the app for Android simultaneously. There are coding tools that allow you to create apps for both at the same time.
awallafashagba
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 12:37 PMit is the case that has the NFC chip in it …
jack
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 1:56 PMThe case has the chip, yes.. But they’re making the case (at a loss) to use it. Instead of using phones that already have a chip – free to play with!
Awallas.,dlkasdnfgklsjbdg…. your point is invalid.
MotorMouth
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:34 AMWell, having recently had my bank accounts drained of more than $15,000 by cyber-criminals, I don’t think I’d ever even think about using my phone for banking. The Credit Union is trying to blame me but a deep scan turned up nothing and my credit card and PayPal accounts, which I access far more regularly, were unaffected. Of course, they would never admit the problem was at their end, even if every account was cleared out. And the police were completely useless, showing no interest at all, in spite of me having a list of BSBs and accounts they could easily have traced and at least shut down.
Rhys
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:44 AMWho’s your bank? I’d expect my bank to have my back.
MotorMouth
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 12:18 PMIts a credit union and they have refunded me the money, they just aren’t admitting liability or giving me any info on what their investigation found.
light487
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 3:52 PMIt is not the place of the any financial institution to “investigate” further than establishing the point of compromise. That is the job for law enforcement agencies, such as state and federal police.
Just because your scan found nothing doesn’t mean there wasn’t a virus there. If you read up about the latest Botnet and other trojan viruses (e.g. Zeus virus), you will find that these viruses are now smart enough to hide themselves from most virus scanning software. There is always also the matter of “lead time” in regards to a new virus being released and virus scanning companies becoming aware of them and then developing a way to detect it on client machines and remove it etc.
Sure.. be cautious.. but no need to get paranoid.
Mike
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:41 AMAndroid user – And No I’m not going to install their app. The Netbank mobile website is good enough
Taufiq
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:47 AMAndroid – Westpac. CBA and Bankwest
So far, I like Bankwest the most. So clean!
Ash
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:53 AMIve got an Android but never do mobile banking. Dont trust it yet. No bank apps installed and never visit the banks mobile sites on my mobile browser.
Husky
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 11:01 AMI keep most of my money in a second high interest account, and never really more than $100 in my primary account. I love being able to just use my phone to flick money accross when needed.
hahah what the phuc
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 11:03 AMof course the majority are iphone users, EVERY single tool has a damn iphone in Australia, we are but mere sheep
markd
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 1:11 PMThat’s dangerous considering our neighbour..
Seriously though, you’re an idiot :)
Glenn
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 11:08 AMAndroid, ANZ with their mobile website. They have an app on the Market that just opens the mobile website and have been saying that they’re releasing a proper one (hopefully not a port of the goMoney iPhone app, we want it to work well) by the end of the year. It’s been that way for a while.
I understand an app can’t be sent out in a week, but the way Australian businesses have, on the whole, ignored Android is poor.
The Other Luke
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 11:19 AMSymbian, Opera 11, Commbank.
Other then the typical Vodaphone reception issues, I sue the website and have no trouble.
Keep getting the back of my mind concern about security though.
The Other Luke
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 11:20 AM*use.
Sue would be a totally separate issue.
Craig
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 3:56 PMWe must be the only 2 people. Long live Symbian!
Hamish
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 11:22 AMThe NAB Android app is great, super easy to use, layout is simple, opens within the app as well which is good. Use it for everything from checking balances to making repayments.
The Gremlin
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 12:01 PMI use Commbank’s app on the iPhone. Although is only for the odd operation. Most of the time I just use their regular site
chris
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 12:39 PMThe iPhone ANZ app is by far one of the best apps out there.. you link it up to your phone number.. when you open you put in a 4 digit pin and then you have access to bpay, pay anyone transfers, etc all with your saved billing contact at the touch of a button.. its easy to navigate and paying bills or transferring cash have never been so bloody easy. If you have friends on ANZ with same app you just send money to thier phone number like a text msg and its instant.
Hardly even log into computer anymore. Just gotta be careful when opening the app if in public all people need to see is the 4 digit pin and steal your phone and they could potentially wipe you clean haha. Just be smart thats all. Android version is gay it just redirects you to thier website.. pfft!
Lillee
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 5:22 PM+1
It is a very good app
Thruppence
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 12:57 PMEr…is that a miss-spelling? I’ve not seen many people use phones for Banking but I have seen a lot *anking going on…
Glenn
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 1:01 PMI suspect this may be long-term total numbers, especially given that the iPhone App has been out for longer…
However, looking at the trends from other articles I’ve read recently, there are more Androids on the market now, there are more Androids being activated daily, there are more Android devices being planned and there are more customers planning to by Androids as their next phone…
Combined with many Androids having the NFC built in, and the fact that most of the Android devices that don’t already have NFC can be upgraded simply with a new MicoSD Card. (Which is far less cumbersome than a new case.)
If I were planning for new Mobile Applications, I’d look to where the marked was heading, not to where it was a few months ago…
A secondary consideration is which platform has the easiest NFC upgrade path, as that appears to me to be the next big thing in Personal Banking…
markd
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 1:07 PMIt’s not as simple as the number of handsets, its the percentage of people with those handsets that actually engage with downloading applications. (and no, gizmodo readers do not represent an accurate slice of the larger community! :D)
Cardiackevin
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 1:54 PMThose figures were for the month of August 2011. iPhone predominance probably reflects the conservative nature of CBA customers in general. Or that iPhone users are more likely to have money in the bank.
Cardiackevin
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 1:55 PMThose figures were for the month of August 2011. iPhone predominance probably reflects the conservative nature of CBA customers in general.
Cardiackevin
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 1:56 PMOops with the double posting.
Stand
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 3:49 PMIf ANZ had a proper Android App
Ozoneocean
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 4:02 PMI did some banking on Comm-bank with their app on my android devices while travelling. The website was a bit more useful though.
It’d be idiotically suicidal for them to rely on this old data for future sales and app development because all trends are showing a very quick overtaking by Android in all fields. Nothing good or bad about that, it’s just how things are going.
Cardiackevin
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 4:07 PMAccording to comments on the CBA site, an Android app is to follow close behind, so I’m not sure what all this bitching is about anyway. They release the iPhone app first, because that’s their key demographic NOW. No surprise, really.