Coming "soon" to Tesco?
In an amusing post on his blog Tesco’s head of R&D Nick Lansley has promised users that Tesco will be producing an Android app and providing a barcode update to their current iPhone app.
Lansley quotes a post from reader B0lty on his site:
Why haven’t you included a barcode scanner? More like why haven’t you included a Tesco Android app?
I find it flabbergasting that so many leading UK businesses seem to ignore or lag behind in developing for the Android OS. It’s like they’re oblivious to Android. You’d be a very short-sighted company indeed to ignore the phenomenal growth in the Android userbase.
It’s well recognised that Android will eclipse iPhone next year for number of users. App usage will go through the roof as affordable smartphones hit the market. With Ocado sitting pretty with their app, Tesco really should be feeling a little nervous right now.
In response Lansley says “We have heard you; we are on the case! The production mobile team we have put together is getting stuck in. On the other hand we’re not going to rush something out. Whatever we do for Android will be gorgeous on Android and we won’t release it until it is.”
Lansley has gone as far as to ditch his beloved iPhone and is instead using a Google Nexus One with Froyo installed. Presumbably as some sort of punishment until the Android grocery app is delivered to Tesco’s users.
Lansley also had some interesting things to say about the Apple approval process and why the iPhone app didn’t include a barcode scanner. Lansley said “The reason is technical and to do with the new barcode scanning code that needs to be compatible with Apple’s new iPhone operating system, iOS4 in a way that is satisfactory to Apple who are quite strict about the way that this must be performed.
However Lansley thinks the app will include the scanner soon “We were just keen to get Tesco Groceries for iPhone into your hands but there will be an update soon that will bring barcode scanning to your copy of the app. Indeed my colleague Becky is saying how much she is enjoying using it right now on our test iPhones.”