Back in 2015, Amazon made waves with its first annual Prime Day shopping event. “You can’t just make up a shopping holiday!” folks cried, and yet the sale took off, statistically outperforming Black Friday and Cyber Monday in some years. It spurred competing sales and millions of Amazon Prime memberships. And it’s happening again—kind of. Amazon has another Prime Day this year, dubbed the Prime Early Access event, and it runs from October 11 to October 12.
Similar to Prime Day, many of the discounts will be available exclusively to Amazon Prime Members (here’s a free 30-day trial; set a reminder to cancel it before it automatically renews). But, as usual, the price drops have already started. We’ve rounded up the best early Prime Day deals we’ve found right here—on Amazon and other retailers—and we’ll keep this story updated ahead of the main event. Just remember: Black Friday is around the corner—don’t feel pressured to buy something just because it’s on sale. Our Prime Day Shopping Guide is full of tips to help you navigate the event like a pro. And if you’re looking for more, Target’s rival Deal Days event has kicked off. We’ve rounded up our favorite discounts here.
Updated October 8: We’ve added deals on the Fire HD 8, iPad Mini, a Razor mouse, a Staples chair, and Samsung phones.
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Amazon Device Deals
Deals on Amazon devices are a dime a dozen, but since Amazon recently unveiled several new gadgets, we’re seeing discounts on older models. We’ve highlighted the best deals below, but you can check out all of the Amazon device discounts here.
Amazon Fire HD 10
Photograph: Amazon
This is a match of a low price we’ve only seen a couple of times. The Fire HD 10 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is our favorite Amazon tablet. It’s best for light browsing, watching videos, or playing games, but it’s powerful enough to do some very light work tasks, especially if you pair it with a Bluetooth keyboard. There’s no Google Play Store, but there’s a workaround to add it and access more apps. It’s hard to find another good tablet at such a low price. Read our Best Tablet and Best Fire Tablet guides for more.
Amazon recently refreshed the Fire HD 8 tablet, and it’s available for preorder right now, but if you’re in the market for a cheap tablet, this previous-gen Fire HD 8 is still a good deal. The travel-friendly size, combined with a reasonably powerful processor, makes it nearly as capable as its larger sibling. It’s portable enough to take with you anywhere, and its screen won’t torture your eyes when you watch Netflix. You can even use our guide on installing the Google Play Store to make it much more capable than it is out of the box.
This was $5 cheaper on Prime Day (the one in July), and it’s possible that it’ll drop down in price next week. The fourth-generation Echo Dot (8/10, WIRED Recommends) has been our favorite Alexa speaker for some time, but Amazon announced a fifth-generation model with better sound if you’d rather have the latest and greatest. This fourth-gen model is still a great device. It’s small enough to fit in any room, and the sound quality is decent despite its size. You can set alarms or timers, check the weather, listen to music, or play Skyrim with just your voice. You can get the model with a built-in clock for $10 more.
Amazon Echo Glow
Photograph: Amazon
This is the best price we’ve tracked for the Echo Glow. It’s a bad sunrise alarm, but it’s a decent nightlight. It’s meant for kids, though it may also work well in a guest room, especially given that Alexa speakers can double as sound machines. Controlling the lamp requires pairing it with either an Echo device or the Alexa app.
The Amazon Echo Show 8 is our favorite Alexa-powered smart display, and this price brings it down to $5 cheaper than we saw during this past Prime Day—a historic low. The 8-inch display size is nearly universally useful, whether you’re following a recipe or checking the weather. There’s a built-in camera with automatic zoom and pan capabilities for video calling or conferencing. Read our Best Smart Displays guide for more recommendations.
Note that the coupon codes need to be entered at checkout and they’re only valid for Prime members. We’ve seen this drop to $35 before, but never as low as $25. The Echo Show 5 is too small for our tastes, but it’s a good Alexa-enabled alternative to the Show 8 if you want a screen in an area with limited space.
Tech Deals
Google Pixel 6A
Photograph: Google
The Google Pixel 6A (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is our favorite Android phone, and it also earned our top pick as the Best Cheap Phone. This deal is a match of the best discount we’ve seen. Even when it’s not on sale, the Pixel 6A offers incredible value, with great performance, excellent cameras, impressive battery life, and a nice display. If you’re in the market for a new smartphone, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better deal than this.
It costs a fortune. But it folds! And believe it or not, that extra screen real estate really is nice. Android 12L also makes life on a bigger screen easier thanks to its improved multitasking. The battery life is good, and you get a bright, smooth screen–no crease on the fold. This is the lowest price we’ve seen to date on this relatively new folding phone.
The smaller of Samsung’s folding phones, the Z Flip4 feels like a “normal” phone when it’s unfolded, but fold it up and it’ll slip into some seriously small pockets. It’s almost like a StarTak, but with a real screen. The battery will get you through the day, but not much longer. Still, if you’ve been wanting a folding phone, this deal is the cheapest we’ve seen on this new model.
Apple iPad Mini 2021
Photograph: Apple
Apple’s 2021 iPad Mini (8/10, WIRED Recommends) looks like an iPad Pro with slimmer bezels and a smaller, 8.3-inch screen. Its portable size makes it great for traveling. You might even be able to fit it into your cargo pants pocket.
This Anker dock works on any iPhone with MagSafe support (iPhone 12 and newer). Plop your iPhone on the circular center pad and it will magnetically stick and wirelessly recharge. But the highlight is what’s in the back. You get an array of charging ports, making it a great little orb for the desk to charge several items. There are two USB-C and two USB-A ports, plus three AC outlets.
This is the smaller, corded companion to our favorite Razer mouse, the Razor Ultimate. Don’t let the “mini” in the name fool you—this is a standard-size mouse and the accuracy is very good. It’s a great cheap mouse if the one below is out of your budget.
SteelSeries Prime Wireless
Photograph: SteelSeries
Our favorite gaming mouse is on sale! Technically made for esports gaming, the Prime isn’t cluttered with too many buttons. It’s snappy and responsive, and satisfyingly clicky. The wireless range is impressive and reliable, and it moves smoothly on just about any surface.
Click the coupon button on the page to see the discount at checkout. We highlighted this deal a few weeks ago, and it’s effectively back if you use the coupon code. With just a single USB-C cable connected to your laptop, you get an extra 15.6-inch screen that’s thin and lightweight, and you can bring it anywhere you go. It comes with a kickstand case, though you might want to invest in something more sturdy.
The TCL 6-Series (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is the best TV for most people. This is one of the best deals we’ve seen for the 55-inch size. The quantum dot panel means viewers will experience bright colors, deep blacks, and excellent contrast. This TV also has Roku built right in for easy streaming capabilities. If you don’t need the latest and greatest, the TCL 5-Series is nearly as good as the 6-Series—we recommend it for entry-level TV shoppers—and every size is on sale. Read more about them in our Best TVs guide.
Home Deals
Staples FlexFit Hyken Mesh Task Chair
Photograph: Staples
This is the lowest price we have ever seen on this chair, which is our favorite budget option in our Best Office Chairs guide. It reclines and has a headrest, and the mesh allows for good airflow. It does the job very well.
We last saw a deal like this last December. Now is a good time to get in on it if you missed it then and you’re in the market, though chances are it’ll go on sale again for this price at some point in the future. This luxe (and pricey) espresso machine has a built-in burr grinder and hot water spout. Simply load it up with beans and tap the digital display to whip up drinks at home. There’s even a steam wand for easy lattes and cappuccinos. Our Best Espresso Machines and Best Latte Machines guides have additional picks, including some that are easier on your wallet.
Free weights are one of the best tools for working out at home, and many different weights of these AmazonBasics dumbbells are on sale for historically low prices. We haven’t tested these ourselves, but they have good customer reviews overall. Some reviews mention the rubber has a bad odor on arrival, but a few days of ventilation should nix that if it arises. Note that these are sold individually, so you’ll need to add two to your cart if you’re trying to get a pair.
Competing Retailer Sales Pages
Other stores have started offering competing deals that don’t require an Amazon Prime membership (and others likely will). Here’s a list of merchants that may be getting in on the action.
Source by www.wired.com
