14 January 2010 | Author: J. Morton Search Copywriter

Barcode reader spells out success on iPhone

An application which infuses the iPhone's barcode-scanning utility with price comparison software has been announced as selling 25,000 downloads in the past week, making it the most in-demand paid-for application for the device.

Sccope, which was released to the public last Tuesday with a further marketing push on Saturday, has drawn high marks from users with an average app store rating of over four. The price comparison feature had previously been available within Sccope applications and its website, but the integration with barcode-scanning provided a push for wider-spread popularity, according to Brand Republic.

"The app is simple to use," said Econsultancy product reviewer Graham Charlton. It's "the best mobile comparison site I have seen so far."

Charlton, in his review, went on to explain that the barcode-scanner functionality is superior to other, similar applications, eliminating the need to key in product names or descriptions.

The most queried products in the application's first week tended to be DVDs, games and books, according to Colin Glass, chairman of Sccope's parent company, Cogenta.

The developers reportedly aim to further expand the app with credit card payment functions, which, he explained, would be a first for the UK. The company also plans to bring the service to other mobile phones in the coming year.

"The barcode reader at the moment only works on the iPhone so we've got a few months work to do to make the barcode reader work on other phones," Glass said. "I would guess by the end of this year it will be pre-loaded on about 20 million phones between Germany and UK."

The application costs £1.19 in the app store, and reputedly currently sits as the third-highest grossing paid-for programme.