Just like it is for clothing, cars and other electronics, the end of this calendar year is the best time to pick up cheap apps for your Android or iPhone (or iPad!) that you'll use all throughout the next one. As we tick away the remaining days of 2015, top developers have slashed prices on some apps and games in a last-ditch effort to pad their revenue before closing out the year. And it doesn't hurt to hook new fans along the way.
Both Google's Play Store or Apple's App Store feature sections on year-end deals that typically cost between 30 percent and 50 percent of their usual price. I've rounded up a few here to get you started. Enjoy!
7 best Android deals right now
> Calendar Status Pro($0.99): Keep organized by placing your calendar in the drop-down notification shade.
> Minecraft Story Mode ($0.10): 8-bit choose-your-own-adventure game with high replay value.
> Lara Croft GO ($.99): Puzzle adventure game featuring the titular Tomb Raider heroine.
> Kingdom Rush Origins($0.99): Elves, mages and druids! Third in a series of wildly popular tower defense games.
> Hitman: Sniper ($0.50): Channel your inner hitman across 150 levels with more than a dozen rifles.
> Rayman Fiesta Run ($0.25): Fly, punch and run through a cartoonish world of vivid creatures and baddies.
> LEGO Batman: Beyond Gotham ($0.99) 100 characters, 45 missions and endless hours of DC Comics fun for all ages.
8 best iOS deals right now
- Notability ($0.99): Record audio, annotate documents and create sketches with this note-taking tool.
- Procreate Pocket ($0.99): Draw with layers and filters; this advanced illustration app also works with Apple Watch.
- Scanner Pro ($0.99): Turn any receipt, whiteboard or document you photograph into a PDF (ideal for expense reporting).
- Word Swag($0.99): Automatically transform plain text into artistic graphics.
- Trick Shot($0.99): Pull off hard-to-nail shots to bounce a ball around obstacles and into a box in this physics-based game.
- Alto's Adventure($0.99): This infinite runner has you skiing down a never-ending mountain while facing three challenges per level.
- Duet ($0.99): Control two objects in sync while avoiding falling obstacles.
- Goat Simulator($0.99): Channel your inner capricious nature as a digital havoc-wreaking goat in a gag game that swears its bugs are part of the charm.