Groupon revamps iOS, Android apps to promote deal discovery

Groupon is rolling out new versions of its mobile commerce applications for Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS and Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android, promising a more efficient user experience designed to simplify discovery of current offers.

Groupon 2.0 boosts larger photos of local offers.

Groupon presents daily bargains from retailers and restaurants in 48 countries worldwide. Highlights of the free Groupon 2.0 app include larger photos of local offers, Groupon Goods deals and Groupon Getaways destinations, as well as new carousel scrolling in place of tabbed browsing. Groupon 2.0 also brings improved deal rankings, profile screen sign-in and various bug fixes.

Mobile devices now account for one-third of Groupon's North American transactions, up 35 percent year-over-year--in May, founder and CEO Andrew Mason told investors that Groupon mobile shoppers spend about twice as much as their desktop counterparts. Earlier this month, Nokia (NYSE:NOK) integrated Groupon daily deals into its Windows Phone-based Lumia device series, presenting on-demand offers based on the consumer's present location as well as corresponding Nokia Maps navigation assistance.

In related news, Groupon and rival deal service LivingSocial are the targets of new lawsuits alleging their respective mobile apps infringe on patents owned by mobile marketing technology developer XcellaSave. In two lawsuits filed earlier this week in Delaware federal court, XcellaSave alleges the Groupon and LivingSocial apps "create and disseminate promotional and marketing materials" leveraging its proprietary software--XcellaSave is seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages.

For more:
- read this release
- read this Bloomberg Businessweek article

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