Amazon Lens Live: Amazon’s next step in visual shopping

What is Amazon Lens Live and how does it work

Amazon Lens Live is a new AI-powered feature recently introduced in the Amazon Shopping app for iOS.

This innovation allows users to scan real-world objects using their smartphone camera and instantly view matching or similar products available on Amazon.

Unlike Amazon Lens, which requires uploading images or scanning barcodes, Lens Live adds a real-time component, enabling users to discover and purchase products simply by pointing their camera at them, offering a seamless and immediate shopping experience.

How Amazon Lens Live works

As mentioned, Amazon Lens Live transforms your smartphone camera into an instant shopping tool, simplifying the identification of products and related information. Key features include:

• Real-time scanning: Point your camera at an object, and the app automatically detects the main item, displaying matches in a scrollable carousel.

• Immediate interaction: Add items to your cart or wishlist directly from the camera screen without navigating through product pages.

• Integrated AI assistance: Rufus, Amazon’s virtual assistant, provides summaries, answers to frequently asked questions, and product comparisons.

• Underlying technology: Lens Live leverages computer vision and machine learning models to identify objects and link them to Amazon’s catalogue, providing accurate and relevant results.

Practical applications of Amazon Lens Live

Lens Live can be used in various shopping scenarios, offering practical tools to explore products and information:

• Price comparison: Quickly check the prices of products in physical stores against Amazon listings.

• Alternative search: Identify similar or equivalent products without manually typing searches.

• Practical recommendations: Suggests variants or related accessories, providing additional information about the identified item.

• Source of inspiration: Offers ideas for gifts or special occasions, helping users discover new options.

The impact of Amazon Lens Live on traditional retail

The traditional retail sector is closely observing the evolution of Amazon technologies, considering how tools like Lens Live might affect a market already undergoing significant digital transformation.

A deeper analysis, however, paints a different picture: Lens Live represents a tool for progress rather than disruption.

The technology changes the role of physical stores, turning them into smart showrooms where tactile experiences are integrated with instant access to comparative information.

This dynamic encourages retailers to rethink their strategies: omnichannel integration, personalised experiences, and enhanced in-store value become key competitive levers.

Paradoxically, Lens Live represents an opportunity to renew business models, shifting the focus from simple transactions to creating experiential ecosystems that enhance the physical dimension of retail.

When will Amazon Lens Live be available in Italy?

Amazon Lens Live is currently available in the United States for iOS Amazon Shopping app users. The feature is being rolled out to tens of millions of customers and is expected to be accessible to all US users in the coming weeks.

As for Italy, Amazon has not yet announced an official launch date for Lens Live. However, given the company’s global reach and the growing interest in AI-powered shopping technologies, it is plausible that the feature will expand to Europe by the end of 2025.