Amazon’s Prime Day is back for its fall edition, and 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 whether the sales are a real discount or more of a mind game. 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 for recommending it.
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 expert, which gives me almost too much insight into the price games Amazon plays with these devices. Here’s my full breakdown of all of Amazon’s on-sale gadgets and which sales are best, whether it’s an Amazon Echo speaker or a Kindle e-reader.
Updated October 6, 10am ET: This story has been updated with new deals now that Amazon Prime Day has officially started.
WIRED Featured Deals
- My favorite Amazon Echo deal: Echo Spot for $55 ($55 Off)
- The cheapest Amazon Echo: Echo Dot (5th Gen) for $40 ($40 Off)
- A better version of our favorite Kindle e-reader: Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition for $170 ($80 Off)
- A great price for a color Kindle: Kindle Colorsoft for $190 ($100 Off)
- An art TV powered by Amazon: Ember Artline TV (55 inches) for $500 ($400 Off)
The Best Amazon Alexa 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.
The Best Amazon Kindle Deals
If you’re shopping for a Kindle, this is the best time to buy since most were hit with price increases. You won’t get as good a deal anymore after Amazon raised prices across its e-reader lineup, but it’s much better to buy at a discount off the new price than at full price for the same product.
Just about every older Kindle (specifically the 2024 line) is on sale. Brand-new Kindles were announced just last week, but we don’t expect those to go on sale during this event. Here are the sales I’d recommend checking out.
The Best Fire TV Deals
If you’re shopping for a Fire TV or streaming device, look no further. Here are our favorites from Amazon’s lineup that are also on sale.
Best Amazon Eero Deals
If you haven’t already upgraded your home Wi-Fi router with a mesh system, then you’re long overdue. Amazon’s Eero system is one of the most popular for a reason, and Prime Day has a few versions on sale that we like.
Other On-Sale Amazon Devices We’ve Tested
Looking for a different device during Amazon’s sale event? We’ve tested several other Amazon Echo and Fire TV devices that are also on sale right now. Here’s what else you can consider, and what the discount looks like.
- Amazon Echo Dot Max for $80 ($40 Off): If you’re looking for a small speaker with bigger sound than the older Echo Dot, the Echo Dot Max has impressive sound for its size, plus a built-in smart home hub. Its price did increase by $20, though, so it feels like it’s just $20 off even if it looks like $40.
- Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen) for $125 ($75 Off): While this model is on sale, I prefer the older Echo Show 8 (though it seems rarely available anymore) and the Echo Show 11 since both have better sound. It’s a good discount, even off the original $180 price tag, but I’d just spend $25 more and get the better Echo Show 11 if you’re set on a new Amazon Alexa-powered smart display.
- Amazon Echo Show 15 for $250 ($100 Off): The Echo Show 15 and Echo Show 21 are on sale and both double as a Fire TV device, with a massive screen, a flat back for mounting, and an included Alexa Voice Remote. I don’t love the TV experience, but it works, and the homepage fits a ton of widgets if you want to see multiple at once. Both sizes are discounted, but both models also cost more now, so it’s not as good as you’d think for the same device.
- Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $45 ($40 Off): If you love Amazon Prime as your streaming service, this is the favorite we’ve tested of Amazon’s Fire TV streaming devices. It’s not a crazy discount since it went up $25 in August, but it’s still a really affordable streaming stick during this same event.
- Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids for $170 ($60 Off): The Paperwhite Kids has everything we like about a Kindle Paperwhite, but adds a cover to protect it from any drops by your kiddo’s hands and comes with six months of Kids+ content, which is like Kindle Unlimited but designed for kids. It’s a good device, but the discount isn’t as good as before; it used to retail for $180, so it’s really only $10 off what it used to cost. But you won’t find it new for cheaper.
- Amazon Kindle Kids for $123 ($57 Off): This is the cheapest Kindle Kids device, with a 6-inch screen similar to the cheapest Kindle, and it still comes with a colorful cover and six months of Kids+ content like the Paperwhite Kids above. It has the smallest discount out of the Kids devices, and it used to retail for $130, so it’s only $7 off the original price. The other Kids models are a better buy.
- Amazon Kindle Scribe Colorsoft for $480 ($150 Off): The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft has one of the biggest discounts on an Amazon device for Prime Day, but for the most expensive Kindle ever. While I really like the Kindle Scribe system if you want both an e-reader and a digital notebook, for that price I’d recommend a reMarkable Paper Pro digital notebook, which comes with a ton more features and a color screen. Otherwise, stick with the more affordable Kindle Scribes. It is a much better price right now if you really want those features and color, but it’s hard for me to recommend over other options.
Which Amazon Device Prices Went Up?
Amazon raised prices across several of its device categories at the end of August. It’s not a shocking move, but it hit many affordable products and makes for a worse sale season since we’re getting discounts on a higher price tag for no other improvements. Here’s a quick breakdown of most of the price changes to help you navigate what sales are good and which are really just bringing you back to the old price.
Either way, I’d only buy an Amazon device on sale now, but it is unfortunate that the sales just won’t be as good anymore on these existing devices. I expect most, if not all, of these devices to go on sale at some point during Amazon Prime Big Deal Days.
The Amazon Echo smart speaker price changes were:
- Echo Dot (5th Gen): $80 (up $30)
- Echo Spot (2nd Gen): $110 (up $30)
- Echo Dot Max: $120 (up $20)
- Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen): $100 (up $10)
- Echo Show 8 (4th Gen): $200 (up $20)
- Echo Show 11: $250 (up $30)
- Echo Show 15: $350 (up $50)
- Echo Show 21: $500 (up $100)
The Amazon Kindle e-reader price changes were:
- Amazon Kindle (2024, 11th Gen): $150 (up $40)
- Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024, 12th Gen): $200 (up $40)
- Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature (2024, 12th Gen): $250 (up $50)
- Amazon Kindle Colorsoft: $290 (up $40)
- Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature: $320 (up $40)
- Amazon Kindle Kids (2024, 2nd Gen): $180 (up $50)
- Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids: $300 (up $30)
The Amazon Eero mesh Wi-Fi routers we recommend saw price changes of:
- Amazon Eero 7: $400 (up $50)
- Amazon Eero 7 Pro: $800 (up $100)
And finally, the changes to Fire TV devices we recommend were:
- Fire TV Stick 4K Max: $85 (up $25)
- Fire TV Stick HD: $40 (up $5)
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The post The 13 Amazon Device Deals Actually Worth Snagging This Prime Day appeared first on Wired.
