Google Shopper App for Android Makes Shopping Easy
At a Glance
Google Shopper gives you on-the-go access to important buying information about a product such as price, item location, and item-specific details.
The app uses your phone's camera to scan barcodes; QR codes; and book, CD, DVD, or video game covers to help you find the best price for a product online or in nearby stores. Once the scanner has identified the product, the app retrieves details, reviews, and information on where to find the item nearby. In some instances, listings will indicate whether the item is in stock at a particular location.
Google Shopper has a general search feature that allows users to use the search bar or voice search to seek out a product. The app also organizes products into categories, such as electronics or fitness, for the user's convenience.
The newly launched Google Offers is integrated into the app, too. A daily deal appears in the application, as do nearby deals for food or other services (though this feature currently works only in New York City; Portland, Oregon; and the San Francisco Bay Area). You can purchase the offered deals through Google Checkout with a Google account.
Google Shopper works well. The scanner did a fine job of identifying books and video games by cover, and its barcode detection was nearly flawless. I found the information about local stores relevant and helpful, and the prices listed for online results were accurate.
The Google Offers integration functioned smoothly and provided information on nearby deals. On a general level, Google Offers still has some kinks that need to be ironed out, but it works well within the application.
Google Shopper does everything it promises to do, with a clean and simple interface. It's easy to use and free of any major bugs. The only problem I ran into was difficulty in logging into my Google account; however, I suspect that this had more to do with my keyboard than with the application. Nevertheless, I was able to report the issue to Google quickly and easily from within the app--a plus in my book.
