Quick summary
Google has announced an update to Google Lens on Android and iOS that will combine online and in-store shopping experiences.
AI developments mean you will be able to snap a photo through Google Lens and find information, reviews, price comparisons and other products in stock at the store you're in.
We are currently in one of the busiest periods of the year when it comes to shopping and that's only going to increase in the next few weeks. If you're organised, you might have started and finished your Christmas shopping already, but if you're more like us, you've not even thought about it yet.
Your attention might even be more focused on the upcoming Black Friday deals to save a few pennies on pressies and more.
Before online retailers popped up, shopping was an in-store experience and Google has just introduced a new update to Google Lens that could give you the best of both online and in-store shopping worlds.
In-store shopping allows you to see things in the flesh and decide if it's what you're looking for, while online shopping lets you shop around easily for the best deal.
The update to Google Lens on Android and iOS uses AI to transform the in-store and local shopping experience, Google said in its latest The Keyword blog.
When you're shopping in store, you will be able to "snap a photo to find product information, similar products in-stock, whether a store's price is competitive and shopper reviews".
It will work across beauty products, toys and electronics to start with, and at stores that share their local inventory with Google. It means that if you see something within one of those categories at a store you are shopping in, you can take a picture and then find out whether the price the store is offering is competitive. You can also find out what else there might be that's similar and where else you might be able to find it.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Google said the update is made possible by major advancements in its AI image recognition technology, and it is available through the Google app on both iOS and Android.
For now, it is only available to users in the US, and to those sharing their precise location. We suspect it will come to the UK and other countries at some point soon though, so watch this space.
Britta is a freelance technology journalist who has been writing about tech for over a decade. She's covered all consumer tech from phones, tablets and wearables to smart home and beauty tech, with everything in between. She has a fashion journalism degree from London College of Fashion and previously did a long stint as deputy editor of Pocket-lint, but you’ll now find her byline on several titles including GQ, the Express, the Mirror, TechRadar, Stuff and iMore. You'll never find her without her Apple Watch on, aiming to complete her rings so she can justify the extra bar of chocolate and she loves a good iPhone trick.
-
A Pilates instructor says this is the five-minute routine you need for your back
Tight and tense after a long day of sitting? Unwind with these five exercises
By Bryony Firth-Bernard Published
-
Microsoft Teams gets a great free update that iPad owners will love
Happy video calling!
By Britta O'Boyle Published