RedLaser review

Ever want to know how much a product costs online, while you’re out shopping at the store? Whip out your iPhone, and open the RedLaser app from Occipital and scan the bar code on the packaging. Within seconds, the app automatically reads the numbers on the product and searches the web for the item showing your its image thumbnail along with links to product pages on Amazon.com, and Google’s product search results with prices and selling domain names.

RedLaser for the iPhone has made a good amount of money as it sells over 6,000 copies per day, and with good reason. It’s simple and it works without hassle. Just tap the laser icon on the bottom and line up the UPC code on the box within the iPhone’s camera view. Within seconds the app beeps and shows you matching listings for the product online.

The newly updated RedLaser app now has a simpler interface that handles all barcodes: UPC (8, 12 digits) and EAN (13 digits) just by aligning the barcode edges with the arrows and holding it in place for a second or two. The camera on the iPhone 3GS has a 3 megapixel camera with an auto-focus feature making this app even more effective and precise that it already is, but it is said to work fine on the iPhone 3G as well. We haven’t tested in on the first generation iPhone, so if you are using it on the 1st gen iPhone let us know how it works for you.

The new updates to RedLaser now also add local search results, meaning you’ll see the prices and contact information for the stores around you that carry the product. This is good if you’re looking for a product at one store and want to know if another one carries it, and possibly even at a lower price. Local results are powered by TheFind and work in the US only. Google product search does work for both US and UK users.

Additionally you can send out an email a list of previously scanned products, send barcodes as email attachment and manage your list of products and add stars for favorites. If you don’t care for the scan sound, you can turn that off in the iPhone settings section amongst other options such as currency, GPS, and more.

If you’re into comparing prices, and looking for deals, RedLaser is a must have app. Even if you are just looking for a way to keep inventory of your products that you buy, or use it discover availability of items online. Overall RedLaser is one of those apps that you will find very difficult to remove from your iPhone after you download it and use it a few times.

Update: eBay has bought the RedLaser app and made it free.

Here is a video demo of the RedLaser app on the iPhone

AppSafari review of RedLaser was written by Joe Seifi on January 8th, 2010 and categorized under App Store, Featured, Free, Local, Search, Shopping. Page viewed 6980 times, 2 so far today. Need help on using these apps? Please read the Help Page.