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Single-image analysis is never going to be that accurate unless you've got a melanoma which already is very advanced. Detecting a changing lesion is a much more effective way of spotting a potential melanoma, and can catch something much sooner than these apps, many of which have come before.

Disclosure: I work for Skin Analytics http://skin-analytics.com

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Can you comment on the dermoscope? I'm curious why something like this costs 500$ - it sounds like a plastic lens and some LEDs would fit the job description.

A dermascope uses different wavelengths of light to get a picture of what's going on slightly below the skin as well as on its surface. This requires special lenses and lights, which I imagine are not used outside of this specific case, hence the cost.

I wonder if the iPhone 5s fingerprint scanner could be hacked to produce a rudimentary system it is meant to to involve 'subdermal scanning' according to the Apple marketing department.