Nokia outlines sell phone concept

Boffins at Nokia's Research Centre have fleshed out the technology behind a concept phone originally unveiled earlier this year that allows shoppers to take a photo of a store item and then order it online.

Users of the camera phone will be able to jump queues on the high street by simply photographing their desired purchase. The handset then uses image recognition software to seek out and buy the item on the shop's internet site via the phone’s internet browser.

According to Nokia, software available "in the near future" is also under development that will enable users of the phone to scan menus in Japanese or Chinese and translate items into English. The prototype is currently capable of scanning 9,000 Chinese words and 600 Japanese words, according to the company.

Nokia has yet to announce a release data or name for handset.