Amazon Remembers Forgets Barcode Scanner
by John Paczkowski
Posted on December 3, 2008 at 10:07 AM PT
There’s a new beachhead in Amazon’s campaign to commandeer sales from competing retailers: Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone. This morning the retailer uncrated Amazon Mobile, an iPhone/iPod Touch application that allows users to browse its wares and those of associated retailers like Target (TGT) and Macy’s (M). The app supports Amazon’s standard features–customer reviews, “1-Click Shopping” and whatnot–as well as an intriguing new one. Called Amazon Remembers, it allows users to search for products they’d like to purchase by photographing real-world products. Testing Amazon Remembers this morning, I snapped a picture of the Sonos Controller on my desk and, sure enough, about 10 minutes later Amazon (AMZN) let me know that it does offer that product for sale.
A neat little feature, although why anyone would actively use it is beyond me. Text searches on Amazon Mobile–and Amazon’s iPhone-optimized site–are both easier and far, far faster. Why bother with the cumbersome “snap photo-submit photo-wait for Amazon to identify product in photo and its availability and price”?
What this application is clearly lacking and, frankly, just begging for, is a barcode scanner and real-time price comparison function. That would make it a killer app, indeed. And Snappr has proven barcode scanning on the iPhone is possible. The device just needs an improved camera for it to work….
Comments
“The device just needs an improved camera to work…”
I think you’ve answered your own question, and invalidated your premise/tease line. I’m sure, if they weren’t already, Amazon will be all over it…once Jobs ok’s a better camera for the iphone. Perhaps one with better low-light resolution and/or a flash.
Posted by darren cross at December 3rd, 2008 at 12:49 pmPoint taken, Darren. That said, there is already a barcode scanner available for the iPhone, as I noted above.
Posted by John Paczkowski at December 3rd, 2008 at 1:05 pmNokia feebly announced a 5MP camera, easily equaled with the next gen iPhone.
I can hear brick and mortar retailers teeth grinding now as they see dozens of people strolling their isles with no cart, checking out boxes for the bar code that can be used to make their Amazon purchase.
Posted by Mac Beach at December 3rd, 2008 at 3:35 pm“Mrs. Palin, er, Mr. Paczowski, not to belabor the point …”
From the snappr web-site “If you want to scan 1D Barcodes on the iPhone, you need a macro lens. We found that the lens, which comes with the Clarifi-Case by Griffin Technology, works best. ”
Yes, technically there is a barcode scanner “available” for the iPhone. But a special external lens to be carried around to use it? As for 2-d bar-codes … not to be found in the US.
Posted by Josh Williams at December 3rd, 2008 at 5:17 pmAnother Solution
There’s no need to wait for strangers at Amazon’s Mechanical Turks to respond to your searches. We have released a free iPhone app, Pricepad, that syncs your Shopping Wishlist, including photos, with the web. You can share your list with anyone directly from the phone by sending an email.
Pricepad is available for US, UK, Canada and can also lookup barcodes.
Posted by Matthew Chiu at December 11th, 2008 at 11:25 am