Features:  

Save Benjis provides an array of search features.

• Search by category, keyword, or barcode.
• Advanced search includes manufacturer and part number. It also allows you to specify information to exclude in the search results.
• Connect to Safari to buy immediately or email a link to one or more email addresses for consideration later.
• Option to view web page within Save Benjis’ program or launch Safari.
• Recent Products contains your search history up to 50 entries.
• Uses FindersCheapers.com database.

This app’s intention is to help the user find the best deal on any product entered into the search field. Unfortunately, according to the developer, Amazon doesn’t allow their prices to be displayed in the results list (even though they are listed as a search option in the app’s settings). This means that you won’t know for sure if you’ve really got the best price until you manually search Amazon’s site for their price and compare it to the others. This is an issue that Amazon and the developer are currently discussing and hopefully will change in the future, but as it stands now, the search results are incomplete. The app is useful for searching the lesser-known sites and does maintain a history of your searches for later reference, which is also very useful.

Interface:  

The learning curve for Save Benjis is probably longer than it needs to be because the interface isn’t very intuitive. Changing the various settings in the app adds unnecessary extra steps because you must leave the app, go to the iPhone’s home screen, and then choose the Settings program find the app’s preference settings. Being able to adjust the preferences from within the app would be much easier and faster. There is no landscape mode for viewing web pages in Save Benjis, which means you spend a lot of time scrolling and zooming in and out in order to see the information.

Graphics:  

Save Benjis doesn’t use graphics beyond those that display after a search has been conducted. If there is a picture of the item you’ve searched for, a thumbnail of it will show up in the results list using an interesting animation. The website for the app has more polish, but the app just has basic buttons in a grayscale color scheme.

Stability:  

Save Benjis was tested on an iPhone with the latest 2.1 software from Apple. During testing, the app crashed repeatedly. Upon re-launch it did return to the screen, but it was difficult to keep the program running long enough to get sufficient information to use. Once the iPhone was restarted, the problem diminished, but viewing a web page with Save Benjis was still an iffy proposition. The app does offer you the option to view the page through Safari which is much more stable.

Support:  

Contact with the developer is handled via phone, fax or email. During testing, the app crashed repeatedly, so we sent a message to the email address provided on the developer’s website. A response from the developer was received in just 30 minutes with a suggestion for a fix and a request for further details in case the fix didn’t work. The app’s website also contains a helpful FAQs page. The developer is obviously interested in the feedback from users and is responsive and very personable.

Value:  

Since the app is free, it’s a good comparison tool to have, but the reliability of the search results can be questionable. You’ll probably end up using a combination of methods (direct searching online, Save Benjis, etc.) to get a clear picture of the cost of the products you are comparing.

Save Benjis is a really great idea but it lacks a polished delivery and due to its conflict with Amazon, the information it provides is incomplete. It’s a good comparison tool for lesser-known websites but it’s in need of some refining before it becomes the go-to reference tool of choice.

Check out our iPhone 3G review, music and movie download reviews as well as our other App reviews to help you get the most out of your iPhone.