Android Scanner Apps for Comparison Shopping - 4 Reviewed
The Power of Android Price Comparison
Modern smartphones offer incredible convenience, serving as portable tools for news, web browsing, and mobile gaming. They also excel at facilitating comparison shopping.
This article examines four Android applications designed for barcode scanning and price comparison. The current consumer landscape is remarkably efficient.
From Flyers to Fingerprints
Previously, thorough price comparisons demanded significant effort – physically visiting stores, collecting paper advertisements, and expending considerable energy for potentially modest savings.
Now, price comparison is remarkably simple, achievable with the ease of scanning a barcode or typing an item's name using your smartphone.
Evaluating Android Scanners
We’ve assessed several popular and effective barcode scanners and price comparison engines available for the Android operating system.
Before detailing our findings, let's outline our testing process.
Our Testing Methodology
To evaluate the scanners and their search results, we gathered a diverse selection of items from the How-To Geek offices.
This included a children’s graphic novel, a Wii game, a board game, a pack of razors, a box of tea, and a bottle of nail polish – representing a broad range of consumer goods.
For each application, we scanned all items, identified the lowest available price, and documented any advantages of using one scanner over another.
Key Evaluation Criteria
Our primary focus was on the speed and ease of use of each application.
While some scanners may offer specialized features tailored to specific needs, we prioritized how quickly users could scan, compare prices, and initiate a purchase.
Given that all these applications are available for free, we encourage you to download and test them yourself to validate our conclusions.
Final Thoughts
The availability of these tools empowers consumers to make informed purchasing decisions with minimal effort.
Leveraging the power of your Android device, finding the best deals has never been more accessible.
Google Shopper
Google Shopper leverages the extensive price comparison capabilities of Google's search engine. Users can initiate searches through text input, barcode scanning, or voice commands.
The application also incorporates location-based coupons and discounts, offering potential savings in exchange for opting into advertising.
Key Features
- Search History: Allows users to review past searches.
- Starred Items: Enables saving products for future reference.
- Sorting Options: Provides the ability to organize results by relevance and price.
The barcode scanning functionality is remarkably swift, exhibiting almost aggressive speed. During testing, simply moving the phone towards an item often triggered a scan before the device was fully positioned.
While this sensitivity is beneficial, it occasionally proved frustrating. However, the scanner consistently and accurately identified all tested items.
Voice recognition performance was inconsistent. The app struggled to recognize "Zita the Spacegirl," a graphic novel title, but successfully processed "Carcassonne" and "Peppermint Celestial Tea."
Price Breakdown
- Nail Polish: $4.49
- Tea: $2.79
- Board Game: $16.31
- Razors: $2.29
- Wii Game: $30.99
- Graphic Novel: $4.99
Verdict: Google Shopper delivers rapid scanning, efficient product lookups, and access to the comprehensive search results available on the desktop Google platform.
The primary drawback is the seemingly excessive number of confirmation screens required. While the verification of scanned items is appreciated, the repeated confirmations and subsequent navigation to price lists can be cumbersome.
Amazon Price Check: A Detailed Review
It’s important to establish upfront that the Price Check application differs from Amazon’s standard Android app. While the main Amazon application incorporates a barcode scanner, Price Check represents a dedicated release designed to enhance the scanning experience with added functionalities.
Enhanced Features for Price Comparison
For frequent price comparisons, Price Check offers a more streamlined user experience than the scanner within the Amazon app. It provides quicker access to scanning and checking features, utilizing clearer and larger icons for improved usability.
Amazon's Extensive Product Database
The Price Check system exclusively searches within the Amazon.com ecosystem. This ecosystem has experienced substantial growth, aggregating product data from a diverse array of sellers. We consistently found products available at competitive prices, often including options for free Super Saver or Prime shipping.
An isolated instance occurred with a package of razors, where the brand was correctly identified, but no stock was reported, and a price comparison was unavailable.
Barcode Scanning Performance
The barcode scanner functioned effectively, although its speed was noticeably slower when compared to the rapid scanning capabilities of Google Shopper.
Wish List Integration
Similar to Google Shopper, Amazon Price Check integrates with the Wish List system. However, Amazon’s Wish List functionality is arguably more robust, allowing for easy sharing with other users.
Multiple Search Methods
Beyond barcode scanning, the application supports voice search and manual text input. The speech recognition accuracy mirrored that of Google Shopper, likely due to reliance on the same underlying phone-based functionality.
Image-Based Search
Price Check also features a unique phone-based search option. Users can photograph a book, DVD, game, or similar media item, and the application will attempt to locate it on Amazon. This functionality resembles a limited version of Google Goggles, and is not present in Google Shopper.
Price Check Test Results
The following price breakdown was observed during testing:
- Nail Polish: $5.00
- Tea: $6.99
- Board Game: $9.95
- Razors: N/A
- Wii Game: $41.17
- Graphic Novel: $4.97
Final Assessment
If you are already an active participant in the Amazon ecosystem, particularly as a Prime member, this scanner proves to be a valuable tool.
However, for those who do not regularly utilize Amazon for shopping, the application’s benefits are limited to verifying if products are available at a lower price on Amazon when compared to in-store prices.
RedLaser
Initially a popular application for iPhone users, RedLaser has recently been released for the Android platform.
The app is notably well-designed, featuring a user interface that demonstrates careful consideration of both visual elements and button placement.
User Interface and Scanning Experience
For instance, subtle navigation controls are positioned at the screen's upper edge, while the primary Scan button resides at the bottom.
This layout facilitates rapid scanning of multiple items, allowing users to operate the Scan button with their thumb without needing to adjust their grip.
RedLaser efficiently presents the lowest available online and local prices at the top of the search results, enabling immediate price comparisons.
The barcode scanner within RedLaser operates with impressive speed.
While not quite matching the velocity of Google Shopper’s scanner, it significantly outperforms the scanner found in Price Check.
It achieves an optimal equilibrium between swift focusing and a secure barcode lock, avoiding the potentially jarring speed of Google Shopper.
During testing, the scanner proved reliable and required minimal alignment effort.
Even when scanning a Wii game box with only a small portion of the barcode visible, the app successfully retrieved the product information.
Although text and voice search functionalities are available, they are located within a secondary menu.
RedLaser prioritizes rapid, single-tap barcode scanning as its core function.
Price Check Test Results
The following prices were identified during a price comparison test:
- Nail Polish: $4.49
- Tea: $2.79
- Board Game: $18.30
- Razors: $2.29
- Wii Game: $24.25
- Graphic Novel: $4.97
Verdict: For users seeking a quickly loading application that delivers immediate scanning and price comparison capabilities, RedLaser represents an excellent initial choice.
The time elapsed from launching the application to completing the first scan is unmatched by any other app reviewed.
ShopSavvy
ShopSavvy stands out as a highly popular barcode scanner available on the Android platform, boasting a comprehensive feature set.
However, certain functionalities may be considered superfluous – such as a real-time feed displaying scans occurring nearby. The necessity of knowing another person's purchase of Strawberry Shortcake dolls is questionable.
Scanning Performance
The barcode scanner within ShopSavvy proved to be the least responsive among those tested. It frequently exhibited a noticeable hesitation when attempting to achieve focus.
Multiple attempts, often requiring three to four seconds of repeated refocusing, were sometimes necessary for a successful scan. This performance issue wasn't attributable to the phone itself, as evidenced by the rapid scanning capabilities of Google Shopper.
Features and Functionality
ShopSavvy incorporates a digital wallet system designed to facilitate quick purchases.
Given the widespread use of existing purchasing accounts with Google and Amazon, however, this feature's impact is diminished in a competitive market.
The app offers a folder-based organization system for saved items, which functions adequately but lacks the convenient export options found in alternative applications.
Price Comparisons – Test Results
The following price points were recorded during the ShopSavvy test:
- Nail Polish: $4.49
- Tea: $2.79
- Board Game: $18.30
- Razors: $2.29
- Wii Game: $24.25
- Graphic Novel: $4.97
Overall Assessment
ShopSavvy was among the pioneering barcode scanner applications for smartphones and maintains a substantial user base.
Initial expectations for the test were high, but the app ultimately underperformed across most evaluated metrics.
As a free application, it can serve as a useful backup for price comparisons, though it shouldn’t be considered a primary tool.
Do you have a helpful tip, trick, or app for comparison shopping? Share your Android-based solutions in the comments below.