The Day Physical Store Aisles Become the "Entrance to E-commerce" — How Amazon "Lens Live" is Changing the Norms of "On-the-Spot Purchases": Price Comparison is Now Faster Than Your Fingertips

— 15 Years Since Price Comparison Apps, Showrooming Has Come This Far

What Happened (September 2, 2025)

Amazon has launched a new feature called "Lens Live" on the U.S. iOS version of the Amazon Shopping app. By simply pointing your smartphone camera, a carousel of "relevant or similar products" on Amazon is displayed in real-time at the bottom of the screen, allowing you to add items to your cart or save them to your wishlist with a single tap. This does not replace the existing Amazon Lens (still images, barcodes, image uploads) but adds a "live" visual search capability. Additionally, the company's AI shopping assistant "Rufus" provides key summaries and question suggestions, allowing for light product research on the spot. Initially, it is being rolled out to "tens of millions" of iOS users in the U.S., with plans to expand in the coming weeks. TechCrunch aboutamazon.com

Usability: Point the Lens→Tap→Instant Comparison and Purchase

In Lens Live, the camera automatically detects key objects. Users can tap on any item within the screen to focus on it, and matching products will appear in the bottom carousel. Plus (+) to add to the cart, heart to save. The hassle of taking photos and switching to search is eliminated, creating a pathway for "instant comparison" the moment you see something. TechCrunch

Difference from Competitors: Distance from Gemini Live and Google Lens

Real-time visual search is also a strong area for Google. However, Amazon's Lens Live is thoroughly designed with the philosophy of giving a "buy" button to everything you see. The Verge notes a similar operational feel to Gemini Live but points out a stronger e-commerce orientation. The integration of Rufus aims to provide the "final push" from comparison to decision-making with explanations and Q&A. The Verge

Technology Behind It: On-Device Detection × Large-Scale Product Matching

Amazon runs a lightweight object detection model on the device side to extract key objects in real-time. The extracted results are matched with "billions of products" in the catalog using high-dimensional vectors on the OpenSearch × SageMaker platform. Rufus's LLM assists decision-making by generating key summaries and questions. This hybrid configuration of large-scale cloud search × on-device inference establishes a "visual e-commerce" experience with reduced latency and operational load. aboutamazon.com

Showrooming 2.0: Maximizing "Buying Intent" in Store Aisles

Barcode comparison apps of the early 2010s popularized "showrooming" (checking in-store→buying online), but Lens Live brings it closer to an everyday action that "activates without preparation." The moment you see an appliance in a store, a friend's bag, or interior decor spotted on the street, Amazon's carousel presents prices, stock, and ratings. This makes the "consideration→departure→online purchase" process more seamless, potentially increasing price comparison pressure, especially in the electronics and daily necessities categories. Historically, the trend of mobile comparison has continued since the 2010s, but the significance of Amazon embedding a "constant scanning" experience in the prime real estate of its official app is substantial. WIRED

Summary of Initial Reactions on Social Media (X/Media Posts Focused)

• Tech media (The Verge, GeekWire, etc.) posted breaking news. The tone was largely one of curiosity, with reactions like "AI that lets you buy anything you see" and "Amazon's version of visual AI shopping." X (formerly Twitter)

• Concerns about privacy also emerged immediately. As shopping experiences become "camera-dependent," the importance of app permission settings and visibility of activation states was noted. In past discussions related to Lens, there have been recurring concerns about whether the camera might operate more than necessary. Reddit

• Among retail stakeholders and critics, there is a view that "price reversal" within stores will become even more common. Conversely, the winning strategy for stores is to emphasize "non-price value" such as experiences, immediate takeaways, and after-sales services. Retail TouchPoints

Retailers' Strategies: Competing with Value Beyond Price

As instant price and stock comparisons become the norm, physical stores will have to differentiate with values that digital cannot easily replace, such as "touch and feel," "immediate takeaway," "advice from expert staff," and "exclusive events." Research and industry papers have recommended enhancing experience design and loyalty programs as strategies to counter showrooming. Tech ExplorerJohnny Grow

Benefits and Pitfalls for Consumers

Benefits

• The moment you see something, you get candidates of "similar products" along with prices and ratings, and the operations of buying, comparing, and holding are minimized.

• With key summaries from Rufus, you can get the materials to judge "whether it suits you" without wading through a sea of reviews. TechCrunch

Pitfalls (Points to Note)

• Since camera use is a prerequisite, transparency in app permissions and ON/OFF behavior is essential. As noted in past community discussions, behaviors that undermine user confidence can become a source of controversy. Reddit

• "Instant purchase of anything" can easily trigger impulse buying. If Rufus's key summaries lean too much towards encouraging purchases, the responsibility of explanation (bias in explanations) may also become a topic of discussion. The Verge

Significance for Amazon: Shifting the Main Battleground of Search to the "Real World"

The leadership in search experience is shifting from text search→image search→"visual search." Lens Live is a challenge to make "the real world itself a search window," laying the groundwork for decision-making outside of home feeds and search bars. The struggle for leadership with Google (Lens/Gemini) will ripple through the ecosystems of search ads, affiliates, and price comparisons. The Verge

How Far Will It Spread? Points to Watch

1. Expansion of Coverage: From "tens of millions" of U.S. iOS users, how quickly will it expand to Android and other regions? aboutamazon.com

2. Accuracy and Explainability: Validity of the carousel, handling of counterfeit brands and misrecognitions, quality of generated explanations. TechCrunch

3. Battle with Stores: Dynamics with large retailers' in-app price guarantees, exclusive coupons, and experiential store creation. Tech Explorer

4. Privacy Implementation: Indication of activation states, scope of device-side processing, transparency of data retention policies. aboutamazon.com
   
   

Summary

Lens Live is a feature that implements the idea of the field of view as a "search window" optimized for shopping. Combined with Rufus, it reduces friction from "finding→comparing→convincing→buying," integrating showrooming into everyday actions. While it poses a tough challenge for physical stores, there is room for counteraction through the redesign of experiential value. For users, it is ultra-efficient——on the other hand, the "transparency" of camera activation and AI explanations will be the long-term guarantee of trust.

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