// WIRED US/UK — SALUTE
The 13 Amazon Device Deals Actually Worth Snagging This Prime Day
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.
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 deal in Amazon’s early device deals is easily the second-gen Echo Spot, revived in 2024. It’s 50 percent off its new price, and it’s still a solid discount off its original price of $80. I really like this fun little smart speaker. It works great as a bedside alarm, shows when your next alarm is set, and can display the weather or your calendar details when you ask Alexa. Best of all, you get the fun benefits of a screen without a camera to worry about.
The only new Amazon Alexa speaker that didn’t get hit with a price change is the second-gen Echo Studio. It still sits at $220, which is not only its original price, but also the original price of the first-gen model. It’s a nice thing to see. Its discount isn’t huge for Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, but it’s $40 for powerful, room-filling sound that could extend across great rooms without getting muddy.
Out of Amazon’s new smart displays, the Echo Show 11 is my favorite. It’s a little larger than the Echo Show 8, but not so much that you can’t comfortably fit it onto a kitchen counter. It also has better sound than the newer Echo Show 8. The price rose by $30 at the end of August, but $100 is still a good discount, even if it is off the new price.
If you want an Echo for as cheap as possible, this is the one to get, and this is the best time to buy it. The fifth-generation Echo Dot packs good sound for its size, but is best on sale since I don’t think it’s worth the new $80 price tag it got in August. But $40 is fine, and the cheapest you’ll get for a current model. (Still more than I think it needs to be, though.)
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.