Last minute holiday shopping? — Yep, there are mobile apps for that
In case you’re not keeping track, there’s only a week left till Christmas. Thankfully, if you’ve got a smartphone, there are 8 apps that could make this year’s last minute shopping easier than usual. These are available either on the Android or iPhone platform, although I’ve only tested out the Android apps since I own a Motorola Droid. (Pictured right is Christmas List by Developers Simplify Lives).
Countdown Clocks
Tick-tock, tick-tock. With not many shopping days left, having a countdown clock is a necessity. Whether you looking at the Droid version with its Christmas-tree-adorned widget, or watching the seconds run down on your iPhone, you’ll know just how much time you have left after spending 28 minutes picking out a Rudolph sweater for cousin Jim.
– Countdown to Christmas (Available on the Android Market. Developed by FMKaiba. Cost: Free)
– Christmas Countdown (Available on the iPhone App Store. Developed by Hankinsoft. Cost: $0.99)
Christmas List
Organization plays a key role in not having to tell your wife that you forgot to pick up a gift for her mother! Use a Christmas list app to organize your last minute shopping game plan by tracking who you need to buy for and how much you’re planning to spend. You can easily add notes about each person on your list and check off those you’ve finished shopping for.
– Christmas List (Available on the Android Market. Developer: Developers Simplify Lives. Cost: Free, although a paid “Pro” version is also available.)
– Christmas Shopping List (Available on the iPhone App Store. Developer: Mark Wilson. Cost: $0.99)
Comparison Shop
Using the camera on your phone to scan barcodes, ShopSavvy can locate an item online or even find the item in a nearby store. This means that when your co-worker is showing off a recent gift item that you think will match up perfectly with someone on your list, all you need to do is discreetly find a barcode and scan. Soon you’ll know exactly where to find it and what store will have the best price.
– ShopSavvy (Both Android Market and iPhone App Store. Developer: Big in Japan. Cost: Free)
Find the Right Store
Stumped on where to shop? Yelp, a favorite online review site, now has a mobile app that makes it easy to browse potential shopping destinations on the go. Check out the shopping category in Yelp where you’ll find local reviews. You can quickly scroll through a summarized list of nearby stores and get an idea of what items they carry, if others have had a good experience shopping there, and the average price range. The perfect present might be closer than you think!
– Yelp (Both Android Market and iPhone App Store. Developer: Yelp. Cost: Free)
Save Money
Finally, you have a list of who you need to buy presents for, and you have a few stores picked out. There is one thing left to ask: Can I get a deal? Use a coupon app to find out. Type in the store name you’re heading to and see if any coupons are available. If they are, you can print them or simply display your phone to the cashier to redeem.
– My Coupons-Eat Free Daily (Available on the Android Market. Developer: Most Popular Download. Cost: Free)
– MobiQpons, pictured right (Available on iPhone, Android, and Blackberry. Developer: MobiQpons. Cost: Free)
