Top 5 iPhone and iPad apps for electronics shoppers

Breaking down the top 5 best iPhone and iPad shopping apps to help you find, compare, and buy the electronic gifts you need and want

Itching to purchase a new electronic gadget or accessory and wish you could shop from the comfort of your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad? Whether you're looking to buy a bigger screen TV, some speakers, or even a brand new iPad, there are a ton of apps for just exactly that. Here are some of our favorites.

Amazon Mobile

Everyone who is familiar with online shopping knows that Amazon is one of the primary for just about anything, including electronics. With Amazon Mobile, you can shop for your latest gadget with ease from your iPhone or iPad. Additionally, you can shop for a friend or family member's a wish list or add items to your own.

Out and about and wish to compare the price of an item in a retail store with Amazon? Scan the barcode with Amazon Mobile to instantly search for the item. Once you place your order, you can also track its status in anticipation for its arrival.

Apple Store

The Apple Store, online or retail, should be your first stop when shopping for Apple products, and the Apple Store app should be your first tap when shopping from your iPhone. In addition to online shopping, you can reserve items for in-store pickup, track your orders, and schedule appointments at the Genius Bar.

While visiting an Apple Store location, you can even purchase accessories on your own with EasyPay, request help, check in for reservations, and meet up with a Specialist at the store. Unfortunately, the Apple Store app is not a universal app, so there's no optimized version for the iPad. (Get on that, Apple!)

Best Buy

If you have a Best Buy nearby, I'm sure it's one of your primary locations for picking up anything related to electronics. With the Best Buy app, you can do your shopping from the comfort of your iPhone. Now, if you need an HDMI cable for your Apple TV, you may be wondering why you'd want to shop for that with an app and wait for shipping when you can just drive a few miles down the road and pick it up now. Well, with the Best Buy app, you can verify that your local store has the item in stock, purchase it ahead of time, then head into the store and pick it up in person. You can also look up the Best Buy trade-in value for your Wii, Xbox, Sony and other video games. Shop smarter, not harder.

Ebay

With the eBay apps for iPhone and iPad, you can can bring the word's largest marketplace with you wherever you go. And as all eBay shoppers know, this can be an essential asset to eBay shopping because you will receive instant alerts when you are outbid or when auctions are ending. In addition to shopping with the eBay app, you can sell your own items and upload photos directly from your iPhone or iPad's camera.

Newegg Mobile

Looking to build a new PC or upgrade your iMac's ram? Newegg is likely your first stop for computer hardware or software purchases. With Newegg Mobile, you can shop from your iPhone - read reviews, view photos, and make purchases. You can also keep up with the latest deals, even when out and about.

Your favorite electronics catalog?

So there you have them, our top 5 best electronics shopping apps for iPhone and iPad. Be sure to check out our other Top 5 picks, our Picks of the Week, and iPhone App and Games Forum for more recommendations, and if we missed any of your favorites leave them in the comments below!

Leanna Lofte

Former app and photography editor at iMore, Leanna has since moved on to other endeavors. Mother, wife, mathamagician, even though she no longer writes for iMore you can still follow her on Twitter @llofte.