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Nokia announces barcode scanning smartphone
Top 10 Mobile Phones - Matt Dixon - ‎14 hours ago‎
When the Point and Find application is released in 2010 it is intended to raise the profile of mobile software on Nokia's handsets. ...

http://www.top10.co.uk/mobilephones/news/2009/11/nokia_announces_barcode_scanning_smartphone/

announces barcode scanning smartphone
11th November 2009 by Matt Dixon
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Nokia will be releasing a new software application for its next-generation smartphones that will allow users to scan barcodes by taking a picture with the phone's camera.

Working in conjunction with price comparison sites online, the application will allow the user to discover more information about the product and find the cheapest prices.

Barcode scanning has already been implemented by third-party developers on the iPhone, but experts and users have criticised the apps for their lack of accuracy and functionality.

A Nokia spokesperson claimed that the company would be circumventing such issues because its new handsets would feature better quality cameras with autofocus.

It is also hoping the service will benefit from the official partnerships with price comparison websites.

Nokia's Point and Find software will be able to scan older 1D barcodes, as well as the increasingly prevalent 2D codes which contain more information and afford quicker scanning times.

It is also expected that the Point and Find software will extend its functionality into previously uncharted territories.

Using the software in conjunction with the built-in GPS will allow users to take a photograph of a property that they see is for sale.

The application will then be able to pinpoint their location and provide the user with information about the property, as well as offering the user a chance to book a viewing and contact the estate agents.

When the Point and Find application is released in 2010 it is intended to raise the profile of mobile software on Nokia's handsets.

At the moment Apple's dominance in the West with its App Store has all but consigned Nokia's own Ovi download service to obscurity.

A Nokia spokesperson stated that although it had been somewhat sidelined by the popularity of the iPhone, it is now developing its own mobile apps software and a retail platform to make it attractive to developers.