Not for scanning barcodes; I've seen them in action, they're noticeably slower and the image processing seems more involved than whatever magic is in barcode scanners.
They sure beat camera based ones yes (although they technically also use a camera but it's really optimised for the purpose)
Most of the couriers that come to my door also use these or similar, not standard smartphones.
It seems comparable to the laser based scanners used at library checkouts for example.