Amazon’s Prime Day has returned for its fall edition, and the Amazon Alexa-powered devices are already on sale. But are the sales actually any good?
There’s already the question of whether you want Alexa in your house, and now it’s a question of whether the sales are more of a mind game than a real discount. That’s thanks to Amazon raising prices across its device categories at the end of August, leaving us with the same product lineup but a worse case to recommend it. Some devices are already on sale right now ahead of Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days for $40 off, but went up in price by $20 just a few weeks ago, cutting that discount into something that feels barely worth the spend.
If you’re interested in Amazon’s device sales but want the real picture of what the discount is and which devices are worth it, I’ve got you covered. I’ve been testing Amazon Alexa speakers since they launched in 2012, and I am also WIRED’s resident Kindle tester, which gives me almost too much insight into the price games Amazon plays with these devices. Here’s my full breakdown.
Which Amazon Devices Are on Sale Already, and Which Aren’t
Right now, Amazon’s Alexa-powered Echo speakers and Fire TV sticks are currently on sale ahead of Amazon Prime Big Deal Days next week (October 6-7). These devices saw price hikes at the end of August, so some of the deals aren’t as good as in the past. They do seem to be permanent price changes, though, so if you’re certain you want one of these models, this is the best time to buy.
So far, most Kindles aren’t on sale yet, but all three Kindle Kids models (the Kindle Kids, the Kindle Paperwhite Kids, and Kindle Colorsoft Kids) are already on sale. (Amazon also announced new versions of these Kindles today, along with the rest of its lineup, so it’s up to you whether you want the current on-sale model or to preorder the new one!) If you’re looking for a Paperwhite and Scribe, they aren’t on sale yet as of this writing. Neither are Eero routers.
But I expect most of those models will be discounted once the event begins. Both Kindle and Eero products also saw price hikes at the end of August, so I recommend buying them only on sale (even if the sales aren’t as good as they used to be, since they’re similar discounts but on higher prices).
The Best Early Amazon Device Deals
Not all deals are great, especially given the recent price increases. If you’re set on getting a new Amazon Alexa-powered speaker, though, here are the discounts (and devices themselves!) that are still worth it.