Is It Worth: Price Checker - React Native + Expo Guide
What We're Building
A mobile app that helps users check if a product's price is fair by:
Taking screenshots of product listings OR manual text input
Using AI to analyze the price against market data
Giving recommendations: "Fair Price", "Overpriced", or "Great Deal"
Step 1: Setting Up Your Development Environment
Install Required Tools
1. Node.js (JavaScript runtime)
bash
# Download from nodejs.org (get LTS version)
node --version # Should show v18+
2. Expo CLI (Tool to create React Native apps easily)
bash
npm install -g @expo/cli
3. Expo Go App on your phone
Download from App Store/Play Store
This lets you test your app instantly!
Step 2: Create Your Project
bash
# Create new Expo project
npx create-expo-app IsItWorthApp --template blank
# Navigate to project folder
cd IsItWorthApp
# Start development server
npm start
Step 3: Project Structure Overview
IsItWorthApp/
├── App.js # Main app entry point
├── app.json # App configuration
├── package.json # Dependencies
├── components/ # Reusable UI components
│ ├── PriceAnalyzer.js
│ ├── ImageUploader.js
│ └── ResultDisplay.js
├── screens/ # Different app screens
│ ├── HomeScreen.js
│ ├── AnalysisScreen.js
│ └── HistoryScreen.js
├── services/ # API calls and business logic
│ └── aiService.js
└── assets/ # Images, icons, fonts
Step 4: Key Dependencies to Install
bash
# UI and Navigation
npm install @react-navigation/native @react-navigation/bottom-tabs @react-navigation/stack
npm install react-native-screens react-native-safe-area-context
# Image handling
npm install expo-image-picker expo-camera
# State management and storage
npm install @react-native-async-storage/async-storage
# UI components
npm install react-native-elements react-native-vector-icons
# API calls
npm install axios
Step 5: Core Features to Build
5.1 Image Upload Component
Camera access for taking photos
Gallery access for existing photos
Image preview before analysis
5.2 Text Input Alternative
Manual product detail entry
Form with fields: product name, price, condition, etc.
5.3 AI Analysis Integration
Send image/text to AI service (OpenAI, Google Vision, etc.)
Parse product details from image
Compare with market data APIs
5.4 Results Display
Price comparison charts
"Buy/Don't Buy" recommendation
Detailed feature analysis
Market trend data
5.5 History & Storage
Save analysis results
Cloud sync capability
Search through past analyses
Step 6: App Navigation Structure
Tab Navigator:
├── Home (Analysis input)
├── History (Past analyses)
└── Settings (Theme, account)
Stack Navigator within each tab:
Home → Analysis → Results
Step 7: Key APIs You'll Need
7.1 AI/ML Services
OpenAI GPT-4 Vision - For image analysis
Google Cloud Vision - Text extraction from images
Azure Computer Vision - Product detection
7.2 Price Data APIs
eBay API - Market prices
Amazon Product API - Price comparisons
PriceAPI - Multi-platform price data
7.3 Currency & Location
Exchange Rate API - Multi-currency support
IP Geolocation - Auto-detect user location
Step 8: Development Phases
Phase 1: Basic Setup (Week 1)
✅ Project initialization
✅ Basic navigation
✅ Simple UI layouts
Phase 2: Core Features (Week 2-3)
📸 Image upload functionality
📝 Text input forms
🎨 UI design and styling
Phase 3: AI Integration (Week 4-5)
🤖 Connect AI services
📊 Price comparison logic
📈 Results display
Phase 4: Advanced Features (Week 6-7)
💾 Data persistence
☁️ Cloud sync
🔔 Push notifications
Phase 5: Polish & Deploy (Week 8)
🎨 Final UI touches
📱 App store preparation
🚀 Publishing
Step 9: Monetization Strategy
Free Tier
3 analyses per day
Basic price comparison
Limited history
Premium ($4.99/month)
Unlimited analyses
Advanced market insights
Priority support
Family sharing
Step 10: Getting Started Commands
bash
# 1. Create project
npx create-expo-app IsItWorthApp --template blank
# 2. Install dependencies
cd IsItWorthApp
npm install @react-navigation/native expo-image-picker axios
# 3. Start development
npm start
# 4. Open on phone
# Scan QR code with Expo Go app
Development Tips for Beginners
🎯 Start Simple
Build one feature at a time
Test on real device frequently
Use Expo Go for instant testing
🛠 Debugging
Use console.log() everywhere
Check Expo DevTools in browser
Enable Remote Debugging
📱 Testing
Test on both iOS and Android
Try different screen sizes
Test with slow internet
🎨 UI/UX Tips
Keep it simple and clean
Use consistent colors/fonts
Make buttons big enough to tap
Add loading states
Next Steps
1. Start with the basic project setup
2. Create a simple home screen
3. Add image upload functionality
4. Build the analysis flow
5. Integrate AI services
Want me to create the actual code for any specific part? I can build the complete components for you!
