Skip to main content

QR usage on the rise, 14 million Americans scanned QR codes in June

qr-code
Image used with permission by copyright holder

According to a new study release today by comScore, more Americans are adopting the practice of scanning QR codes in retail businesses or within magazines. Over 14 million Americans scanned a QR code with a smartphone in the month of June which comes to a bit over 6 percent of all mobile users in the United States. Over 60 percent of the scans came from men, making them 25 percent more likely to scan codes then females.  The most common age bracket of QR usage were 25 to 34 year old people and 36 percent of the people scanning QR codes were in households making more than $100,000 a year.  

qr-code-tomtomThe most common place that people scanned codes were in newspapers and magazines. It was also common for users to scan the codes viewed on the Internet as well as codes on product packaging, business cars, flyers or posters. The least popular places to scan codes included television and the front of a store. While standing in front of a store holding a smartphone didn’t appeal to everyone, users didn’t mind scanning codes inside retail stores. However, 58 percent of the QR enthusiasts preferred scanning the codes at home. Other popular locations to scan codes included grocery stores, the workplace, public transit and restaurants. 

Late night comedians have also starting implementing QR codes during broadcasts for entertainment purposes. Also in June, Jon Stewart and the creative minds at The Daily Show used a QR code on-air in June to poke fun at CNN asking viewers to scan QR codes during one of the recent Republican debates. The QR code led to this Web page, which Stewart promised to be “very informative”. Jimmy Fallon had also used QR codes on his late night talk show. In February, Fallon held up a QR code that led to a music video to plug the album of his musical guest that night.

Topics
Mike Flacy
By day, I'm the content and social media manager for High-Def Digest, Steve's Digicams and The CheckOut on Ben's Bargains…
Visible just made its unlimited 5G plan better than ever
Visible wireless phones and plans featured

Digital wireless service provider Visible has announced upgrades to its premium Visible+ phone plan. The highlight is a new Global Pass feature that allows Visible customers to use their phones in 140 countries worldwide.

The Visible Global Pass offers unlimited talk and text services, along with 2GB of high-speed data, for a flat rate of $10 per day. Visible+ members can also enjoy a free Global Pass usage day every month. The activation process can be done through the Visible app.

Read more
The OnePlus Watch 2 is the Wear OS smartwatch I’ve been waiting for
Person wearing OnePlus Watch 2 with a green strap on their left wrist.

The OnePlus Watch 2 -- the company's first Wear OS watch -- has entered a market that Samsung dominates. However, OnePlus' popularity as a smartphone brand can be expected to bring small, yet meaningful changes that benefit not only OnePlus users, but all of the Wear OS segment in general.

For almost a decade, Samsung and Apple have predominantly been the default options if you want a smartwatch that is actually useful and goes beyond flashy features. With Samsung shifting gears and migrating from its own Tizen OS to the (relatively) more universal Wear OS platform and Google releasing its own Pixel Watch after struggling with an identity crisis in the smartwatch world, the platform has much more traction than it did a few years ago. As OnePlus carves its way into the segment, it has the opportunity to entice people who don't wish to live within Samsung's limitations when using a Galaxy Watch with another brand's phone.

Read more
Buying an iPad Mini today? You need to know about this deal
The Apple Pencil attaches to the iPad mini magnetically.

If you've had an eye on iPad deals for the latest model of the Apple iPad Mini for a while now, this may be the offer that you've been waiting for -- a $100 discount from Best Buy on the tablet's Wi-Fi, 64GB model, slashing its price to $400 from $500. It's still pretty popular years after its release, so we don't expect stocks of the device for this sale to last long. If you're thinking about taking advantage of this bargain, you better push through with your purchase as soon as possible to make sure that you don't miss out on the savings.

Why you should buy the Apple iPad Mini 2021
The latest generation of the Apple iPad Mini was released in 2021, but it's still featured in our roundup of the best iPads because it's the model that you should buy if you want a smaller and more compact version of Apple's tablets. Its 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display is smaller than the screens of its peers, but it's still big enough to enjoy watching streaming shows and browsing websites, while allowing you to use the device with one hand. Unlike its predecessor, there's no Home button, so the Touch ID sensor is instead built into the power button at the side of the Apple iPad Mini 2021.

Read more