We timed barcode scanning on the new iPhone 18 Pro Max, and on a 2018 iPhone XR for comparison, using PalmFlow's scanner in Safari with no app to install.
It started with a seller telling us scanning in PalmFlow took too long. They were right. So we rebuilt the scanner, and then, instead of calling it "fast" and moving on, we measured it. Most inventory apps describe their scanner as fast and leave it there. We'd rather show you the numbers, and how we got them, so you can judge for yourself.
The numbers
On an iPhone 18 Pro Max:
- 28 milliseconds to read a barcode from a camera frame (median)
- The code was read on 98.7% of camera frames while it was in view
- From the camera being ready to the first scan: 0.15 to 0.19 seconds in our steadiest runs
On a 2018 iPhone XR, a seven-year-old phone:
- 54 milliseconds to read a barcode from a camera frame (median)
- The code was read on 96% of camera frames while it was in view
- From the camera being ready to the first scan: 0.14 seconds, in 5 of 6 runs
For a sense of scale, a blink takes about 100 to 150 milliseconds. PalmFlow reads a barcode in less time than that, on a phone from 2018.
What each number means
Time to read a frame is how long the scanner takes to find and decode a barcode in one picture from your camera. It happens many times a second while the camera is open.
Frames read is how often the scanner catches the code while you're pointing at it. At 96 to 99%, you don't have to hold perfectly still and hope it picks up.
Camera ready to first scan is the time from the camera showing a picture to the first successful scan. It leaves out the moment it takes your phone to switch its camera on, about 0.4 seconds on the 18 Pro Max and 0.8 on the XR, because that part is up to the phone, not the scanner. Once the camera is on, the scanner is already loaded and waiting.
How we tested
We built a test page that runs the exact same scanner, camera settings and timing as PalmFlow's Scan page, and records every run.
- Safari on each iPhone, camera at 1080p with a slight zoom
- Eight test barcodes shown on a laptop screen: EAN-13, UPC-A, an ISBN, two
- Code 128 labels like the ones PalmFlow prints, and a PalmFlow QR code
- Indoor lighting, phone held by hand, not on a stand
- Each run held the phone on one barcode for 10 seconds
We kept every run in the results, including the slow ones. On the 18 Pro Max, three runs took 0.33 to 0.63 seconds to the first scan: the lens was still focusing, or the phone was still being aimed. On the XR, one run took 0.82 seconds for the same reason. We think it's more honest to show those than to quote only our best runs.
What we changed to get here
- A new reading engine. On iPhone, scanning now runs on a much faster
- barcode engine, built to run right in your browser.
- A sharper camera picture. The camera now opens at 1080p, so small or
- slightly soft barcodes have enough detail to read.
- A slight zoom. Phone lenses can't focus up close, so people hold the
- phone too near and get a blur that never clears. A little zoom lets you
- hold it farther back, where it focuses.
- It looks more often. The scanner checks the camera every 75
- milliseconds, so a barcode is picked up almost the moment it's in view.
- It's ready before you are. The scanner loads when you open the Scan
- page, so tapping Start goes straight to the camera.
- A beep on every scan, so you know it registered before you reach for
- the next item. You can turn it off in Settings.
How to scan barcodes on an iPhone 18
You don't need a separate scanner app. On an iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max:
- Open PalmFlow in Safari and go to the Scan page
- Tap Start and allow the camera when Safari asks
- Hold the phone about 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) from the barcode, not
- right up against it. Phone cameras can't focus up close, and the slight
- zoom lets you hold it back where it's sharp
- Listen for the beep, then move to the next item. The camera stays open,
- so you can scan a whole shelf in one go
Scanning a barcode that's already in your inventory takes you straight to that item. Scanning one that isn't looks the product up online so you can add it with a photo and details.
Does it work on older iPhones?
Yes. The iPhone XR in this test came out in 2018, and it read barcodes in 54 milliseconds, still faster than a blink. The main difference on older phones is how long the camera takes to switch on, not how fast the scanner reads once it's on.
What we're not claiming
We haven't timed other inventory apps side by side, so we're not calling PalmFlow the fastest. If we run that comparison, we'll publish it here, with the method, the same way.
Try it
The scanner works with your phone's camera, right in the browser, with nothing to install. It's part of PalmFlow Ultra. Open the Scan page, point your phone at a barcode, and see how long it takes.