The holiday shopping season is almost upon us and that means retailers are getting ready for the Black Friday (the Friday following Thanksgiving) craziness that comes with super shopping deals. They’re also making it easier to navigate Black Friday this year with iPhone and Android apps that put various deals in the palm of you hand.
So, in the spirit of consumerism and Black Friday, we have compiled 11 mobile apps to help you survive the frenzy of Black Friday shopping. These apps are among the best Android and iOS have to offer for the mobile shopper.
You should also check out our Black Friday 2010 deals list for a full run-down of all mobile-related deals.
1. Christmas Shopper Pro (Android)
Christmas Shopper Pro lets you organize your holiday shopping list with ease. You can easily import your loved ones from your address book and add gifts for each person on your list. As you assign gifts to friends and family, the application generates a shopping list that can sorted and checked off as you shop. A very handy feature is the ability to save information, such as shoe size and clothing size, about the people on your list. Budgeting is built into the application so you can watch what you spend. Best of all, the application can be password protected so spying eyes can not inadvertently ruin their holiday surprise.
Available for $0.99 in the Android Market.
2. Better Christmas List (iOS)
Every holiday shopping season starts off with a well-crafted gift list and the Better Christmas List is my choice for managing this list on your iOS device. Better Christmas Lis is feature-rich and includes the ability to organize your shopping lists into groups like work, family, and friends. Better Christmas list also integrates with your contacts, allows you track purchases and setup a budget for holiday spending, and is password protected so your gift list remains a secret. This app has been updated for iOS 4 and the iPhone 4, so you get support for multi-tasking and the retina display as well.
Available for $1.99 in the App Store.
3. Black Friday App from Dealnews (iOS, Android)
The Black Friday application from Dealnews compiles the superabundance of Black Friday deals that are available on Dealnews’ website . The app lets you browse Black Friday ads on your handset and save items of interest to your shopping list. When you are ready to spend your hard-earned cask, you can make a purchase directly on your handset or locate the item in a nearby store. Social features are integrated into the app so you can share your great find with your friends on Twitter and Facebook.
Available for FREE in the App Store and the Android Market.
4. The Deal Map (iOS)
The Dealmap is a shopping application that mixes retail sales with location-based services. The application takes your location information and uses it to find sales, coupon offers, and other discounts in your immediate area. The application displays these deals via your standard list view or an interesting map view that is visually appealing.
Available deals are abundant as the application compiles 350,000 deals from local businesses and 100 daily deals from online sources. Deals are categorized which makes it easier to sort through the wealth of sales information now at your fingertips. If you find a keeper, you can save the deal for posterity or share it via Twitter, Facebook, or email.
Dealmap takes a page from Foursquare’s book and offers rewards such as points, badges, and gift certificates for sharing and adding deals. A feature that lets you have fun as well as save money.
Available for FREE in the App Store.
5. Amazon Price Check (iOS)
Amazon Price Check is a search application that lets you mine Amazon’s vast catalog of products, reviews, and pricing information. The application lets you search via barcode scanning, picture capture, voice search, and text search. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can checkout with your membership benefits to receive free two-day and reduced overnight shipping. The application also supports 1-Click purchasing so buying a gift is as easy as pie.
Available for FREE in the App Store.
6. Google Shopper (Android)
Google Shopper is the competitor to Amazon’s new iOS Price Check application. Google shopper lets you find product information by photographing cover art, scanning barcodes, and searching via voice and text. Search results include local prices, online prices, reviews, specifications, and more. Shopping is a social activity and the application lets you share your awesome deals with friends and family. Unfortunately, the app only provides pricing information for the U.S and the UK.
Available for FREE in the Android Market.
7. Simon Malls (iOS)
Simon Malls is your personal concierge for your local Simon Mall. The application includes maps of your local mall, coupons and special offers from stores within the mall, and even location-based tracking that lets you mark the location of your car in the parking lot. The app is socially-aware and lets you share your location, deals, and events with family and friends. It also integrates with Foursquare so can connect with friends while shopping up a storm.
The features available within the app may vary from mall to mall so you will have to download the application to see which features are available in your area on your selected device. As an example, my local mall did not have an interior map and I was unable to use GPS as I installed this on an iPod touch. Despite these limitations, the Simon Malls app will help with your Mall crawl this holiday season.
Available for FREE in the App Store.
8. Discount Calculator (Android)
Ever been shopping and see a sign advertising 15% off all items on a shelf? Before your brain explodes trying to calculate 15% of $127.63, you should check out Discount Calculator on your Android device.
Discount Calculator is a shopping application for Android that lets you calculate the price of an item after a percentage discount has been applied. In addition to the discount, the application calculates the amount you money you will save off the full retail price. No need to worry about taxes as the application includes an entry for your local tax rate so the calculated price is the absolute price that you will pay. Sweet!
Available for FREE in the Android Market.
9. eBay Mobile (iOS and Android)
eBay Mobile is the official application from the online auction giant. The application is available for both iOS and Android and each platform offers different a set of features. The iOS app was updated this past weekend and now includes barcode scanning so you can find an item on eBay quickly and easily. The Android version was updated at the beginning of the month and includes voice search, one of the hallmark features of Google’s mobile OS.
Both applications let you find and track auctions, bid, and contact a seller. As a seller, the app lets you monitor your auction remotely and respond to questions from prospective buyers. It will not replace the full website or a dedicated desktop tool, but the mobile app is great for those times when you are out and about.
Available for FREE in the App Store and the Android Market
10. The Coupons App (Android)
The Coupons App lets you find, manage, and share coupons using your Android handset. The app uses your location to find local coupons as well as coupons from national retailers. If you need a specific coupon, you can use the Voice search function to find the coupon of interest. Once you find a coupon, you can save the coupon to your calendar for future use. You can even use your phone to present the coupon for scanning when you are at the checkout. Socially-aware, the application lets you share these coupons with friends and family on Facebook and Twitter.
Available for FREE in the Android Market.
11. Retailer Apps (iOS, Android)
Retailers are jumping on the App bandwagon in droves. Almost all the major big box retailers offer an iOS or Android application. Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart, and more are all available as a mobile application. The applications are chock full of sales information, pricing, inventory, and store information. If you have a favorite retailer, it is worth your time to scan the app store for an application to make your holiday shopping that much easier.
Available for FREE in the App Store and the Android Market.
Make sure to check out our list of Black Friday 2010 Mobile deals here!