If You Like Meeting Random Strangers, Then This LBS App is for You

There are so many location-based service (LBS) Chinese start-ups appearing of late, that even some of the ones that look fantastic don’t seem to serve much of a discernible purpose. A case in point is Fasae, made by a Chengdu-based start-up, which has a superb UI atop a mobile app which does… pretty much nothing.

The concept behind Fasae – which has an Android app out now, with an iPhone variant in the works – is that it uses geolocation to show you where others users are, and you can then choose to go see them face-to-face, or chat with them online. And that’s pretty much it. Once you’ve virtually, or actually, encountered someone, you can then add that person to your contacts – or “encounters” to use the app’s own term – for future reference and chatting. It seems to be all down to fate, chance, and whimsy. There are no check-ins to be made, as with Jiepang or Foursquare, although you can pin-point your location at any time, along with some thoughts in the form of text or a photo.

I played with the app the other day (pictured above), and didn’t encounter a soul who was also on the service in the vicinity. That’s the major downfall of group- and location-oriented apps like this – it either fails or thrives on the number and enthusiasm of its users. And, with no detailed info on its users, or any particular ‘hold’ on them, the whole service could die a death within weeks. I should point out that I’m sure I could find a handful of fellow users if I went downtown. Perhaps this app best suits a smartphone-toting urbanite singleton who needs a way to meet a girl and ask her out for a coffee.

Last week I looked at a similarly aimless LBS-oriented mobile app called KanGuo, and didn’t see too much utility in that either. In contrast, a cheeky little app called Mix recently caught my eye, as it does a much better job – better than Fasae does – of connecting you with people nearby. For example, when you use the Mix app, you’re greeted with lots of faces and a distance-marker to show how far away they are. But on Fasae, you open the app and see… probably nothing.

Check out the Fasae homepage for the Android app download.