The actual start of Prime Day is July 12th, and it will continue through the 13th. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Amazon Prime Day is inching ever closer, and there’s already some momentum building with early deals. July 12th is slated as the start of the two-day sales event, but you can bet on some nice discounts popping up ahead of that date. We may see a slow crescendo of deals building up or the occasional deluge. It’s also likely other retailers will be looking to get into the mix, so keep on the lookout for sales from the likes of Walmart and Target, the latter of which already has a “Deal Days” event planned for the same time period. While Amazon is obviously the star of its own show, it also bears mentioning that Prime Day deals are exclusive to Prime members while competing sales from other retailers are open to all.
In the meantime, we’re compiling the best early Prime Day deals you can get on smart home tech, TVs, streaming devices, and whatever other noteworthy gadgets crop up. Some of the items may not be available for their outright best prices — and others may receive larger discounts once Prime Day proper begins — but, for now, here are some of the best early discounts, sales, and deals on offer.
Deals on Amazon Echo devices
Prime Day is usually one of the best times of the year to buy Amazon devices, whether you’re looking for Alexa-equipped smart speakers and displays or products from Amazon-owned companies like Ring and Eero. The bottom line is that, if Amazon makes it or owns it, there’s a good chance Prime Day may have the best price of the year on it outside of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
The jumbo-sized Echo Show 15 is available right now with a second-gen Echo Show 5 for a grand total of $249.99, the typical asking price of the Echo Show 15. The discounted bundle — which combines the largest and smallest Echo smart displays — saves you $84.99, and you get a 15.6-inch screen for your wall as well as a 5.5-inch display for your bedside table.
Deals on TVs and streaming devices
The Fire TV Stick Lite is a simple, barebones device for streaming 1080p content via its built-in HDMI connector. This one may not wow you with 4K resolution or fancy HDR video features, but it remains an affordable way to stream Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney Plus, and the like. It’s currently on sale for $19.99 ($10 off) at Amazon, which is only about $1 shy of its lowest price to date.
If you have a larger budget for a streaming stick, the Fire TV 4K Max is a far more capable device that’s currently on sale at Amazon for $44.99 ($10 off), one of its best prices since Black Friday. It supports a robust app selection and HDR for high-quality video as well as Wi-Fi 6 for faster speeds. Read our review.
Amazon’s top-tier Fire TV Cube is on sale for $69.99 ($50 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. It’s a speedy set-top box that combines a streaming device with a smart speaker, giving you easy access to Amazon Alexa and all the smart home functionality that goes with it.
The 50-inch, HDR-ready Hisense 50U6HF QLED is one of the few early 4K TV deals that shows promise. Released in May, it’s currently available on Amazon for $399.99. That’s $130 off the regular price of the Fire TV-equipped set and matches the TV’s best price to date.
Amazon’s 55-inch Fire TV Omni is on sale for just $299.99 ($260 off) at checkout for Prime members. The TVs aren’t the best in terms of picture quality, but they do offer some native Alexa smarts as well as low input lag for gaming. Just note that, unlike the 65-inch and 75-inch models, the 55-inch configuration doesn’t support Dolby Vision HDR. Read our review.
Deals on Kindle e-readers
Amazon is selling a refurbished ad-supported Kindle for $79.99. This may not be the fancier Paperwhite model that came out last year, but it’s the latest generation of the standard Kindle — launched in 2019. It’s got a front light for nighttime reading and lengthy battery life, and this refurb saves you $10 while offering a one-year warranty. Read our review.
Deals on smartphone accessories
The occasional unlocked phone may see a solid discount during Prime Day, but accessory deals will most likely be ripe for the picking (even ahead of Prime Day).
Totallee is discounting iPhone screen protectors by up to 36 percent through July 10th. It has a selection of tempered glass protectors for iPhone 11, 12, and 13 models ranging in price from $9.99 to $24.99.
Totallee is also selling its Qi-compatible car charger for $34.50 (about $25 off). It’s your pretty standard mount that attaches to most car air vents.
Lastly, Totallee’s MagSafe-compatible Hybrid Clear case for the iPhone 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, 13 Mini, 13, and 13 Pro is on sale for $22.99 (as much as $16 off).
Deals on services and subscriptions
New subscribers to Amazon’s Music Unlimited streaming service can get an extended three-month free trial instead of the usual one month. After the trial ends, the price is $9.99 per month or $8.99 for Prime members.