With the launch of Firefly, Amazon has the opportunity to create millions of what Forrester calls impulse sales moments. These are the mobile moments when I pull out my phone and make an unplanned purchase – even if it is for something that I need. Impulse sales moments are one of the leading mCommerce opportunities, which we detail in our new book, The Mobile Mind Shift. They include flash sales, sales of diminishing/remnant inventory, or sale of goods that I would have otherwise forgotten to buy. WTSO, Backcountry.com, and Gilt all use this tactic.

How often have you seen something you wanted to buy only to later forget? Sometimes it is as simple as milk at the grocery. Other times it is the latest kitchen gadget at your friend’s home.

Yesterday, Amazon announced its new Firefly service (and hard button on the Amazon Fire Phone). As a consumer, you point your phone at an object or hold it to listen to music, and the Firefly service will identify the product, music, or video. Amazon uses a combination of optical or audio recognition.

Buying products on Amazon – especially for Prime members – is already low friction with 1-click purchase. Firefly takes even more friction out of the process.

Some may wonder if the feature is too gimmicky. I’ll place a bet that Amazon knows what it is doing. It has decades of experience and data that shows the impact of reducing friction of making purchases online and in mobile. On mobile, it was an early entrant with the use of 2D bar codes and optical recognition of book and DVD titles, for example. The company is an expert at improving conversion by streamlining experiences with the use of technology.

Amazon made a strong move with the launch of its Fire Phone to win in its customers’ mobile moments and drive incremental revenue. For further analysis on the Fire Phone, check out our new research: Quick Take: Fire Phone Fails; Amazon Doesn’t.