9 Best Prime Day Deals on Amazon Devices (2022): Early Access Sale

the holiday season is quickly approaching, and if any Amazon devices have made it onto your gift list, we have some good news. With Amazon’s Prime Early Access Sale, you can take advantage of great sales on everything from an Echo smart display to a Fire tablet during the two-day event—saving you money and allowing you to get ahead on some shopping. We’ve rounded up all the great deals on WIRED-approved gadgets below.

The WIRED Gear team tests products year-round. We sorted through hundreds of thousands of deals by hand to make these picks. Crossed out products are out of stock or no longer discounted. Our Amazon Prime Day coverage page and our Prime Day Shopping Tips will help you avoid bad deals. You can also get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 here.

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Echo Speaker Deals

We’ve tested a wide range of speakers and smart displays, in addition to the ones below. You can read our Best Echo and Alexa Speakers guide for more Alexa-powered devices. If you want to go beyond Amazon’s very own, check out our Best Smart Speakers guide and Best Smart Displays guide.

Echo Show 8

Photograph: Amazon

The Amazon Echo Show 8 is our favorite Alexa-powered smart display. The 8-inch screen is a great size for watching movies, reading recipes, and making video calls (it has an auto-pan and zoom feature to keep you in frame). Its compact size makes it a great addition to your kitchen counter or nightstand too. It’s $5 cheaper than it was on Prime Day. 

Upgrade to this larger 10-inch smart display and you’ll get better audio quality, plus a screen that swivels nearly 360 degrees to follow you around while you’re on a video call (or when you’re reading a recipe). 

Use the codes listed above to see the discount at checkout. In our review of the Echo Show 5, we criticized the device for its small screen—because it’s slightly too small to navigate comfortably. But it’s still a good option if you want a smart display that’s compact enough to fit on a nightstand. Like the Show 8, it has a physical mute button and a camera shutter for privacy. It often fluctuates in price, but this is the lowest we’ve seen.

Amazon Echo

Photograph: Amazon

There’s a new Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) available for preorder, but Amazon hasn’t introduced a successor to its flagship smart speaker just yet. You’ll be surprised at how great this Echo sounds with its room-filling sound. It’s compact enough that you can put it anywhere to talk to Alexa. 

These buds (8/10, WIRED Recommends) have dipped to a lower price before, but this is still a great deal. They’re easy to pair, have good sound, and you basically get Alexa right in your ear to help you with any task. It comes with a wireless charging case and multiple size options for ear tips. Just know that the noise cancellation isn’t great, and the touch controls can be triggered by sweaty hair (during workouts). 

The Echo Glow Night-Light is a solid option if you’re looking to add an extra source of light to your kid’s bedroom. You can control the lamp by pairing it with another Echo device or using the Alexa app. With speakers built in, it can be used as a sound machine too. This is also the best price we’ve seen yet for the Echo Glow.

Fire Tablet Deals

Interested in a Fire tablet? We don’t blame you. They’re affordable, capable, and practical slates—although the software could use some improvements. Make sure to also check out our Best Amazon Fire Tablets buying guide.

Fire HD 10

Photograph: Amazon

The Fire HD 10 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is our favorite Fire tablet of them all. The latest version has a brighter screen, solid battery life, and extra RAM for smoother performance. We also recommend the HD 10 With Bluetooth Keyboard, which is also on sale for $155 ($40 off). It comes with a free year of Microsoft 365 and is an ideal setup for getting some light work done.

Amazon recently refreshed the Fire HD 8 tablet, and it’s available for preorder right now for $100. But if you don’t want to spend that much, its predecessor is still a good buy. WIRED reviewer Scott Gilbertson says the Fire HD 8 is “one of the best values around for a tablet.” It offers fast performance, an HD display, and 12 hours of battery life. If you want additional features like more RAM and wireless charging, the Fire HD 8 Plus is on sale for $55 ($55 off). 

Amazon is also offering this tablet in a bundle. You can purchase the Fire HD 8 tablet with a Fire TV Stick for $65 ($65 off). The Fire TV Stick streams in HD, and the included remote has Alexa Voice built in, allowing you to search and launch shows using voice commands. Its interface is also the same as the rest of Amazon’s smart devices. 

Don’t Buy Older Fire 7 Tablets

Amazon’s older Fire 7 tablet is on sale, but we don’t recommend it. The new Fire 7 isn’t bad if you don’t mind the tiny screen. It’s more powerful than its predecessor and has a USB-C port for charging. 

Other Amazon Device Deals

Photograph: Eero

The Blink Video Doorbell received an honorable mention in our Best Video Doorbell Cameras roundup, and we’re still in the process of testing it. It’s affordable, works with Alexa, and comes in both a battery-powered or tethered version. This bundle comes with two of Blink’s Outdoor cameras as well, which can provide you with broader coverage around your home.

Retailer Sale Pages

Photograph: Qi Yang/Getty Images

Other stores have started offering competing deals that don’t require an Amazon Prime membership (and others likely will). Here’s a list of merchants that may be getting in on the action.

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Author: showrunner