With the impending launch of Google glass, and likely many similar products over the next few years, we have to take a minute to think about the impacts for QR code adoption across the world.

Adoption in Asia remains strong for QR codes, but in the US, we have not seen quite the same growth in scanning, even though marketers have adopted qr codes into their campaigns pretty well across the board.  It seems, based on surveys and research, that scanning a QR code is mostly done in the cases of users getting some reward for their action … and rarely to learn more about the product being advertised.

However, that could all change as Google introduces its Google Glass product, and it’s competitors rush to develop their own similar technology.

Google glass gives users a much faster way to consume a qr code, as built into the Google Glass experience should be an auto-sensing algorithm, which can directly identify a QR code in a photo taken by the camera.

We predict a significant uptick in QR code consumption proportionate to High Tech Eyewear adoption.

I have recently updated the list of compatible models of mobile phone with our selected list of QR-Code readers.

Mobile-Barcodes now lists all compatible models for the following QR-Code readers:

Altogether, there is over 400 models of mobile phone that can download one of the 8 QR-Code readers. That’s a whole load of scanning folks!

Compatibility Engine

We are in the process of generating a more effective way of finding a compatible reader by developing a QR-Code compatibility engine. Upon completion, you can then simply select your mobile phones manufacturer, model and then be presented with a list of readers. Hopefully this should make everything that little bit more user-friendly. Expect this within the next few days.

Submit a QR-Code Reader

Know of a QR-Code reader we have not featured? Get in touch with us and we will review it.

Airsource LTD based in Cambridge, England are a mobile software development company that have developed their very own QR-Code reader called Optiscan.

Optiscan is based on Google’s ZXing, an open source QR-Code reader. Optiscan have tweaked the functionality of Google’s ZXing to remove the need for selecting when to scan the QR-Code. Apparently, Airsource LTD have also made alterations to the image processing library which should make the capturing of the QR-Code more accurate.

The Optiscan QR-Code Reader is now available from the Apple iTunes app store at $4.99, £2.99, or €3.99. If you are willing to pay money for a QR-Code reader, Optiscan is for you, otherwise, Mobile-Barcodes suggest you try a free alterntive QR-Code reader.

Expect to see a wide variety of new QR-Codes developed based on Google’s open source ZXing project. It is a great open source application that can easily be tailored to your needs.