Best Holiday Apps: Top 8 Android And iOS Applications For Shopping And Gift Giving This Season

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday wrapping up their sales it's time for the holiday sales to start rolling out. Being in the thick of the holiday sales can be overwhelming, especially with the long lines and numerous sales it's hard to determine who has the best one. Luckily this year technology is making it so much easier to cut those lines and find the best deals this holiday season. Check out the app recommendation for iOS and Android to make shopping easier this holiday season.

1. Apple App Store (iOS, FREE) - The Apple Store app allows you to easily see product availability for many items and have them reserved for you when you arrive at the store. It also breaks down when you need to order specific items in time for holiday shipping. While the Apple Store app is primarily for iPhone users, Apple recently added an iPad-optimized version to its catalog, but the iPhone version currently offers more functionality. Apple is also giving away a free holiday playlist for US customers in its Apple Store app this week.

2. iPhoto (iOS, $4.99) - The new iPhoto app has some amazing features to help with Christmas and holiday cards. iPhoto now allows you to order 8×8-inch or 10×10-inch hard cover photo books as well as a number of custom size photographs including auto-sized panorama prints. These gifts can be highly personalized and sentimental, and they're affordable. iPhoto for iOS is compatible with iPhone and iPad and offers a number of editing and sharing features as well.

3. Amazon and Amazon Santa (Android/iOS, FREE) - Amazon is becoming more of a staple in holiday gift buying routine, using the apps to manage wish lists and track orders is absolutely delightful. Amazon allows you to create specific wish lists and even share them with friends and family to make holiday shipping that much easier. Amazon even has a Santa app geared toward making shopping for kids easier.

4. Delivery Status (iOS, $4.99) - While Amazon can track your purchases fairly well and notify you after packages are delivered, the Delivery Status app offers much more granular updates along the way. The app is extremely useful as it centralizes shipment tracking from UPS, FedEx, USPS, and more all within the app. It syncs data between iPhone and iPad using iCloud, or you can use its native syncing solution and also sync with its OS X Dashboard widget.

5. SnipSnap (Android/iOS, FREE) - With SnipSnap, there's no longer a need to carry around a stack of physical coupons. SnipSnap lets the modern day couponer snap photos of their favorite coupons and store them within the app, making them readily searchable. SnipSnap also allows you to browse the coupons of other users. There are over 1.1 million coupons on the site, with an estimated $113 million in savings so far.

6. SaleSorter (iOS, FREE) - The SaleSorter app uses your smartphone's location to show which discounts are currently available at your local stores. Right now, Free People is 20 percent off, but JCrew is selling items up to 40 percent. SaleSorter uses a map to show you where the deals are. It also includes store hours and contact info. Which makes it easy for users to call and see how the lines are, before making the hike to the mall.

7. ShopAdvisor (Android/iOS, FREE) - ShopAdvisor makes it easy to stalk an item you want and wait until that item goes on sale. Users can scan the barcode of your favorite product and ShopAdvisor will put it on your "watch list," alerting you when the app goes on sale. It charts price history and finds the best deal at a nearby location. Set price alerts to be notified once that bag is under $100. ShopAdvisor does all the price research so you don't have to.

8. eBay Now (Android,iOS, FREE) - eBay Now is the best thing to happen to last minute shoppers everywhere. Until Dec. 24, eBay Now is offering free same-day delivery from a users nearby stores . Use the app to purchase items retailing at local brick-and-mortars. Then just sit back, relax, and the app will notify you when the "valet" is on their way with your items.

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