A New Paradigm for Those Looking for Their Better Half in the 'New Normal Era'
W-KON, the Korean branch of WORLD WIFI FOUNDATION announced on the 16th that it will launch the world's first reward-system blind date app 'HALF' in August, which anyone can use with confidence without worrying due to its 'one-out system'.
Half's 'one-out system' provides a healthy chatting environment by immediately capturing, reporting, and sanctioning those who make others unpleasant.
Half also offers variety activities such as social media by sharing daily life like Instagram and random video chat with various people who live in same country or abroad for users who are tired of excessive spending induced by traditional blind dating apps. In addition, a real-time translation system is provided so that anyone can have a conversation without language barrier.
Half introduces 24 'halfs of the day' every day through its self-developed machine learning algorithm system, and recommends 'Popular Recommendation', which recommends people with high ratings and 'Best of Best' which has won the World Cup for Ideal Types. Various factors such as the user's registered ideal type, rating, age group, and personality are automatically reflected in the recommendation.
There is also a 'global matching' service that provides a speed meeting function based on location recognition service, and a 'global matching' service that finds friends or lovers living abroad.
Half also has 'S-Class', a premium service that only allows those who have gone through a strict screening. 'S-Class' members can use services such as offline social parties, free membership club opening, and special communities. In addition, members of s 'S-Class' can benefit more from matching desired conditions with their ideal type, unlike regular membership.
As social distancing has become a daily routine due to the spread of COVID-19, non-face-to-face blind date apps are springing up one after another.
According to a market research institute, as the 'non-face-to-face era' has become a daily routine, the demand for dating apps is increasing explosively. According to 'Dating App Sales and User Statistics (2021)', a report by Business of Apps, a mobile data analysis platform, the number of blind date app users worldwide increased by 20 million compared to 2019. Earlier this year, Azar, a Korean dating app, was acquired by United States' Match Group for about 1.91 trillion won.
Keeping up with this trend, numerous blind date apps are pouring out, but the reality is that consumers' dissatisfaction is growing. In particular, people are complaining about unhealthy and unsafe communication due to not meeting the other party directly, a billing system that induces consumption, and a limited screening that is only cater to their own place of residence which they feel that it is not suitable for this globalized era.
Byun Young-oh, CEO of W-KON that launches Half, said, "Half is a reliable global random video chat and blind date app that creates a diverse community for a variety of people. It is characterized by being able to communicate easily with anyone."
Meanwhile, after the launch of domestic service in August, HALF plans to launch its service in eight countries sequentially, starting with the simultaneous launching in Indonesia through a partnership with TELKOMSEL, an Indonesian state-owned company.