eBay has upgraded its Motors iPhone app with visual search. There are other new attributes as well, such as broadcasts from racing events and a Twitter feed. However the visual search is rare enough still to make the app stand out, Users are able to identify a car's make, model and year by taking a photo of the back of the vehicle, eConsultancy explains. These are then matched with listings on eBay Motors.

This feature could well be replicated on other advanced m-commerce apps, Internet Retailer says, as its reduces “friction” in the transaction—that is, anything that stands in the way of the consumer making a purchase.

An Offshoot of QR Codes

One way companies could deliver the visual search experience is via a technology that some say will replace the QR code—mobile acuity. bieMEDIA, an online marketing and media company, is predicting the end of the QR Code. It believes that these codes will be replaced with mobile visual search, which provides consumers with faster, more convenient and compelling, interactive marketing experiences.