the annual The Amazon Prime Day event will take place from July 11 to 12but many of the best deals are already available, if you’re an Amazon Prime member.
Amazon Prime Day was created for a reason, so that people sign up as an Amazon Prime subscriber. But the mini-vacation, launched in 2015, has been far more successful than its original intent, spawning a whole new shopping season for Amazon and its many retail competitors, both online and in-store. Target, Walmart, Best Buy, and other stores have their versions as well, so there will be plenty of comparisons for savvy shoppers.
One of the great secrets of Prime Day is that many of the best deals start weeks early for Prime members. Many of those early deals are on Amazon’s own products, from brands like the Kindle, Fire TV, Ring, Eero and Echo, but early deals sometimes pop up on Apple or Samsung products, video games and other items.
Based on my years of experience as a technical reporter and product reviewer, some of the best early offers are below, and we’ll update this list regularly.
Apple Watch Series 8, $359 (usually $429)
The latest Apple Watch, keep in mind that it drops to this price periodically if you’re patient.
Anker MagGo, $69, after 30% off coupon (usually $99)
Anker makes some of my favorite accessories. This is a combo power cube and phone charger, with both USB-A and USB-C ports. Be sure to click the checkbox on the product page for the automatic 30% off coupon.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2, $84 (usually $149)
This is the lowest price I’ve seen on these pretty good AirPods alternatives.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, $59 (usually $69)
Yes, the latest Zelda game is already on discount. However, please note that this is for the physical version of the game.
Amazon Fire TV 75″ Omni QLED Series $899 (usually $1,099)
LG and TCL are my go-to TV brands, but if you’re not going to go for an expensive OLED TV, this QLED model (which sounds the same, but isn’t) has local dimming, HDR support, and built-in Fire TV software, all at a very good price for a 75-inch team.
When is Amazon Prime Day?
Prime Day officially begins on July 11 at 3 am EST and will continue for 48 hours, until July 12. That being said, the first deals are already available and some deals will continue after July 12.
Do you have to be an Amazon Prime member?
To get these Prime Day deals, yes, and that’s the whole point of Prime Day, to get you to sign up for the $140 per year subscription. One handy trick, you can sign up for the 30-day free trial and cancel afterwards. Just be careful because it can be difficult to cancel if you’re not careful.
Will other stores have Prime Day sales?
Yes and no. Since Amazon launched Prime Day in 2015, competitors have made suspiciously similar sales on overlapping days. Target, Best Buy, Walmart, and similar stores, both online and in the real world, have had their own special days with names like “Black Friday in July.” In 2023, Target will host Target Circle Week from July 9-15, and Walmart will host Walmart Plus Week from July 10-13. It makes sense to compare purchases between these different stores to get the best price.