One is a $140 digital scanner while the other is a free app called SlideScan. The app is unique in that all you need to scan your slides is your iPhone or Android.

The PhotoScan app is not the first app to suggest it's able to scan photos on a smartphone. What makes this app different is Google's approach – and access to next-level technology.

The Smartphone Method As with prints, you can “scan” a slide or negative with your smartphone by taking a picture of it or using one of the many slide/film-scanning apps.