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Bring back menus, QR codes are terrible

(slate.com)
527 points lxm | 8 comments | 29 Jun 21 03:25 UTC | HN request time: 1.133s | source | bottom
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sksksk ◴[29 Jun 21 08:51 UTC] No.27673432[source]▶
When they work well, they're really good, but when they work badly, they're _really_ bad.

The other week, I went for dinner at a place that had a online ordering system. My experience was as follows...

Arrive at the table, scan the QR code

No phone signal in the restaurant, so I need to connect to the wifi.

Connect to the wifi, get a captive portal

Need to put my phone number in to connect to the wifi; there is no signal, so I need to go outside, to receieve the confirmation code.

Connected to the wifi, scan the code again, choose my food.

Go to pay, need to register an account

Put my email address in, I already have an account on this food ordering service!?

Do a password reset

Put in my credit card details (why not use apple pay?).

This whole time, we're sat at a table, in theory to meet friends, but we've spent the first 15 minutes all glued to our phones!

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egman_ekki ◴[29 Jun 21 09:10 UTC] No.27673544[source]▶
I can already see myself, as a tourist who buys a US SIM card to get data on vacation, having to add a SIM card swap to this ordeal to confirm debit card transaction via my EU phone number. Why, oh why...
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oleks ◴[29 Jun 21 10:55 UTC] No.27674142[source]▶
Aren't most smartphones dual-sim by now?
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rplnt ◴[29 Jun 21 11:04 UTC] No.27674199[source]▶
No, most aren't.
replies(1): >>27675457 #
1. hungryforcodes ◴[29 Jun 21 13:26 UTC] No.27675457[source]▶
I would dispute that -- except for iPhones -- almost all the smart phones I've seen sold in Asia are dual SIM.
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2. rplnt ◴[29 Jun 21 13:53 UTC] No.27675781[source]▶
That could have something to do with it. I've ordered from India before when I wanted a dual sim android. Local stock for that model was single sim only.

Looked at gsmarena now and indeed most models have dual-sim versions (as well as single sim). But when I look at a local store, it seems that roughly 1/2 has dual sims (that's including eSIM).

3. malka ◴[29 Jun 21 13:53 UTC] No.27675784[source]▶
> sold in Asia

irrelevant.

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4. colinmhayes ◴[29 Jun 21 14:08 UTC] No.27675958[source]▶
If we're talking about tourists it definitely isn't. In fact, the phones that are sold in the US are the irrelevant ones.
5. atommclain ◴[29 Jun 21 14:23 UTC] No.27676177[source]▶
My understanding is that the current iPhones offer both a traditional SIM card slot along with an esim, which gives you the option of two sims provided one of the carriers supports esim.

I also believe that current iPhones sold in China support two physical SIM cards and no esim.

6. skocznymroczny ◴[29 Jun 21 15:30 UTC] No.27677302[source]▶
Well, Asian phones too I suppose. Most Xiaomi phones if not all are dual sim.
replies(1): >>27678186 #
7. stjohnswarts ◴[29 Jun 21 16:29 UTC] No.27678186{3}[source]▶
I refuse to buy phones from Chinese government majority owned companies tho.
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8. hungryforcodes ◴[29 Jun 21 20:04 UTC] No.27681020{4}[source]▶
I own Samsungs, and they are all dual SIMS.