Redlaser iPhone App Review
RedLaser is no longer available. It was discontinued in December 2015 by its parent company, eBay. This review refers to an early version of the app, which was made available in late 2010.
Good
- Fast delivery of results
- Easy to use scanner
- Online and local pricing
- Free
Bad guy
- Scanner struggles with round or glossy items
RedLaser is one of the most popular free iPhone shopping app. And for good reason: it will help you save money through it, where you can get the best price on a product – online or retail – just by scanning a barcode.
I’m not the only person who likes it. Just check out the App Store, where the app has an average 4.5-star rating from more than 850 critics. After testing Redlaser, I can see why it enjoys such high ratings – it’s an intuitive and simple barcode scanner app that works incredibly well.
An iPhone barcode scanner that actually works
The RedLaser app is designed to compare the price of any number of items by scanning the barcode with the iPhone’s camera . To start scanning items, tap the small playing bolt icon at the bottom of the app and enter the barcode between the arrowheads of the OScrew provided by the app. When the arrows turn green, you have positioned the barcode correctly. During the app’s magic you will see a “hold for scan” message. After the scan is complete the results pop up in one or two seconds. I was impressed with how quickly the Super RedLaser app posted its results.
Compared to some other price-comparing apps, including the Shop.com app, RedLaser’s results pages are well-organized. The app displays both online and local prices for the item you’ve scanned, and you can switch between the two screens of results (especially if you need the item now and can’t wait for it to be delivered to you). Prices appear in large green numbers, and it’s easy to see how prices compare at a glance. Each price comes with a link to that store’s website, but whether or not the pages are optimized for the iPhone depends on the store, which can be a bit of a weird experience. RedLaser also has a nifty feature where you can view your skin item email later.
The RedLaser scanner works significantly better. The values of the barcode scanning application usually come down to two things: how the scanner works and how fast the results are displayed As mentioned earlier, the results are fast. The scanner is great, too.
The RedLaser scanner seems to have less mobility than other shopping apps I’ve tested, so you don’t have to hold your hand firmly. I scanned dozens of items-everything from vodka to store-brand multivitamins এবং and the red laser app found a match every time. The scanner is not perfect: it has a hard time glancing at shiny or round objects, but you can always enter the UPC code by hand for hard-to-scan items.
Bottom line
RedLaser is a great app to take along your next shopping trip. The scanner is a huge struggle with glare, but it’s a problem you’ll encounter with the iPhone shopping app. RedLaser Scanner is faster than most apps and pricing results are displayed in an organized fashion that makes it easier to compare prices. In addition to online results, local price inclusion is a plus. Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars