AS204 magnetic USB-C auto sensing barcode scanner enables your smartphone and tablet with enterprise-level barcode scanning capability. Designed with an unbreakable magnetic USB-C connector, the AS204 attaches to Android smartphones and USB-C iPhone / iPad models and decodes both 1D and 2D barcodes — including barcodes printed on paper and barcodes displayed on phone screens — in about 1/10 of a second. The AS204 is the smallest magnetic snap-on smartphone scanner in the AIDC industry, weighing only 6 grams and measuring 23.1 × 15.9 × 14 mm. No app, no driver, no pairing — plug it into the USB-C port and start scanning.
The finest engineering for the modern smartphone:
The Arkscan AS204 magnetic USB-C barcode scanner turns Android phones and USB-C iPhone or iPad models into business-class barcode data terminals. Built around an unbreakable magnetic USB-C connector, the AS204 measures only 23.1 × 15.9 × 14 mm and weighs 6 grams — the smallest magnetic snap-on smartphone scanner in the AIDC industry.
A single tap on the on-screen ScanKey® button (Android) or the host app's scan trigger fires the AS204's high-speed 1D and 2D scan engine. Average decode time is approximately 1/10 of a second across UPC, EAN, Code 128, QR Code, Data Matrix, PDF417, Aztec, and every other popular symbology used in modern retail, logistics, healthcare, and mobile point of sale.
The AS204 reads barcodes printed on paper as well as barcodes displayed on phone screens and LCDs — enabling eTicket, eCoupon, digital ID, loyalty, and mobile-payment workflows without changing the way your team works. Plug it in and scan. No app to install, no driver to load, no Bluetooth pairing, and the magnetic pass-through cable keeps the host phone charging while the AS204 stays connected and scanning.
Snappy 1D and 2D data capture. The AS204 reads UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8, EAN-13, Code 128, Code 39, Code 93, ITF-25, Codabar, GS1 DataBar, GS1-128, MSI Plessey, QR Code, Micro QR, Data Matrix, PDF417, MicroPDF417, Aztec, MaxiCode, Han Xin, and Code 16K — with an average decode time of about 1/10 second.
Unbreakable magnetic USB-C connector. The magnetic USB-C connector seats the scanner securely on the back of the smartphone and releases cleanly under stress, so everyday bumps and drops do not break the connector. The AS204 has passed a rigorous 1.5-meter drop test. The pass-through magnetic USB-C cable allows the host phone to charge while the AS204 stays connected and scanning.
ScanKey® on-screen trigger. ScanKey® is a free Android app that overlays a semi-transparent on-screen button on top of any application in use — a POS, an inventory app, a web form, a spreadsheet. Tapping the on-screen button triggers the AS204 and drops the scanned data into the cursor of the active app. The button follows the user between apps so there is nothing to relaunch.
Mobile-friendly scanning. The optical design and decode algorithm are tuned to capture barcodes printed on any surface — matte or glossy paper labels — and barcodes displayed on phone screens and LCD displays. The AS204 handles eTickets, eCoupons, digital ID cards, loyalty cards, and mobile-payment QR codes without retraining staff or rewriting POS software.
Plug-and-play USB HID interface. Scanned data flows directly into the cursor of any text field — Square, Shopify POS, Lightspeed, ServiceTitan, Sortly, Snipe-IT, Salesforce Field Service, ServiceNow, Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or any web form — with no driver to install, no app to launch, and no Bluetooth pairing to manage.
Ez Utility configuration app. Power users can fine-tune the AS204 with the free Ez Utility configuration app on Android. The app exposes prefix and suffix programming, symbology enable / disable, scan tone, and other settings without scanning a long configuration code sheet.
| Optical & Performance | |
|
Light Source
|
White LED with red LED aimer
|
| Sensor | 640 × 480 area imager |
|
Decode Speed
|
Approx. 1/10 second per decode |
|
Resolution
|
5 mil / 0.125 mm (1D); 10 mil / 0.25 mm (2D) |
|
Scan Angle
|
Horizontal 37°, Vertical 27.5° |
|
Pitch / Skew / Roll
|
±60° / ±60° / 360° |
|
Print Contrast
|
40% |
|
Width of Field
|
141 mm (13 Mil Code 39) |
|
D.O.F
(Environment: 800 lux) |
5 Mil Code 39: 61 ~ 102 mm 13 Mil UPC / EAN: 52 ~ 294 mm 15 Mil QR Code: 52 ~ 405 mm 6.67 Mil PDF417: 54 ~ 133 mm 10 Mil Data Matrix: 44 ~ 103 mm |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Dimension | W23.1 × L15.9 × H14 mm (when plugged into smartphone) |
| Weight | 6 g |
| Color | Black |
| Material | PC (Polycarbonate) |
| Connector | Magnetic USB Type-C |
| Trigger | On-screen Button (ScanKey®) |
| Indicator | N/A |
| Power | |
| Operation Voltage | 5 VDC ± 5% |
| Working Current | < 195 mA |
| Standby Current | < 85 mA |
| Connectivity | |
| Interface / Profile | USB Type-C (HID) |
| Compatibility | Android 8.0 or later (USB-C OTG); iOS 16 or later on USB-C iPhone and iPad |
| User Environment | |
| Operating Temperature | -20 ~ 50°C |
| Storage Temperature | -40 ~ 70°C |
| Humidity | 0% ~ 95% RH (Non-condensing) |
| Drop Durability | 1.5 M |
| Ambient Light | 100,000 Lux (Sunlight) |
| Decode Capability | |
| 1D Symbologies | UPC-A / UPC-E, EAN-8 / EAN-13, Industrial 2 of 5, Codabar, Matrix 2 of 5, Code 11, Code 93, Code 32, Code 128, Standard Code 39, Full ASCII Code 39, Interleaved 2 of 5, IATA Code, GS1-128, MSI Plessey, UK Plessey, GS1 DataBar |
| 2D Symbologies | QR Code, Micro QR Code, PDF417, MicroPDF417, Data Matrix, Aztec, MaxiCode, Han Xin, Code 16K |
| Regulatory | |
| EMC | FCC Part 15B Class B, CE EN55024 / EN55032 |
| ESD | Functional after 4KV contact, 8KV air discharge |
| Safety | WEEE, RoHS 2.0, EN / IEC 62471 (Exempt Group) |
The AS204 is the successor to the popular Arkscan AS203 and represents a major upgrade in capability, ergonomics, and device compatibility.
Magnetic USB-C connector. The AS204 replaces the fixed micro-USB connector of the AS203 with an unbreakable magnetic USB-C connector. It works with current-generation Android smartphones and with USB-C iPhone and iPad models. The magnetic design eliminates connector damage from everyday handling and allows the host phone to charge while the scanner stays attached.
1D AND 2D barcode reading. The AS204's high-speed area imager replaces the 1D-only engine of the AS203. The AS204 reads QR codes, Data Matrix, PDF417, Aztec, MaxiCode, Han Xin, and Code 16K in addition to every popular 1D symbology — opening eTicket, eCoupon, digital ID, loyalty, and mobile-payment workflows that the AS203 could not handle.
On-screen barcode scanning. The AS204's enhanced optical design reads barcodes displayed on phone screens and LCD displays, not just barcodes printed on paper. This is new.
ScanKey® on-screen trigger. A semi-transparent on-screen button on Android lets users fire the AS204 with a single tap from inside any active app — POS, inventory, web form, or spreadsheet. The button follows the user between apps.
Smaller, lighter, tougher. The AS204 measures 23.1 × 15.9 × 14 mm and weighs only 6 grams. It passes a 1.5-meter drop test.
Wider device compatibility. The AS204 supports Android 8.0 or later and iOS 16 or later on USB-C iPhone and iPad. The AS203 supported Android-only via micro USB OTG.
