Amazon Prime Day 2020 officially launches in just a few days. Unofficially, though? The long-awaited sales event is happening right now, as Amazon has been trotting out early deals since last week. The two-day shopping event, which is essentially Amazon’s version of Black Friday, kicks off at midnight PT on Oct. 13 and runs through Oct. 14. But some deep discounts on popular products, including TVs, phones, and other devices, have already debuted. You can also check out our preview of what’s coming next week.
I’ve got to say, there are some solid deals queued up, with some products (including those in the Amazon product arena) marked down to their lowest prices ever. A few notable highlights:
- Echo Show 8: $65 (save $65)
- DJI Mavic Mini Fly More Combo: $399 (save $100)
- Eero Mesh Wi-Fi system: $174 (save $75)
- Kindle Paperwhite: $80 (save $50)
Below you’ll find some of the best discounts available right now — and there are some darn good ones — as curated by yours truly. Here’s the important caveat: To take advantage of these, and most other, Prime Day deals, you must be an Amazon Prime subscriber.
Assuming you’re already have a Prime membership, you should think seriously about applying for an Amazon Prime Rewards Visa card. Right now, that will net you a $100 Amazon gift card you can use for any upcoming purchases. You also get 5% back on nearly everything you buy from Amazon, and for a limited time you can get 10% back on select electronics. That includes the Oculus Quest 2 VR headset, which effectively drops to $269 when you preorder it using that card.
Meanwhile, you can get a $10 credit to use on Prime Day when you spend at least $10 at a select US-based small business. And there are several other ways to spend $10 at Amazon and get $10 from Amazon. Be sure to check out my six ways to win Prime Day for additional money-saving strategies.
If you don’t see what you’re looking for on this list, hold tight. The closer we get to Prime Day, the more exclusive deals there will be. So, if you’re in the market for laptop deals, a Fire tablet, a smart speaker or something else, chances are they will start to appear.
I’ll update this post as more early Amazon Prime Day deals roll in. You can also sign up for Cheapskate deal alerts via text message. Use that link or send a text to 415-878-5807. Only one text per day, opt out anytime.
Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Door Opener
$36.66 with an option for a $30 Amazon credit
Chamberlain
The all-around great MyQ (I’ve used one for years) is only a few dollars below its regular selling price — already a great deal, because this thing used to be over $100. But here’s the real deal: If you decide to use it for Amazon In-Garage Delivery, you can get a $30 credit after your first order by applying promo code KEY30 when placing that order. That just about covers the cost of the MyQ itself.
Amazon Music Unlimited subscription
4 months for $1
Amazon
Amazon Prime subscribers already get a pretty decent deal on the music-streaming service: $8 per month, which is $2 less than Spotify, Apple Music and the like.
However, if you haven’t yet tried the service, here’s your chance to enjoy four months for just a buck. Don’t have Prime? You can get three months for a buck. And if you were already a Music Unlimited subscriber in the past, you can come back for $3 per month for the first three months.
Blink Mini Indoor Camera
On sale for $25 (save $10)
Amazon
At this price, the Blink Mini is within spitting distance of the CNET-favorite Wyze Cam ($20 plus shipping). Both models work quite well, though the latter includes free cloud storage, which the Blink does not.
However, you get a free Blink cloud-storage trial through the end of 2020, and the forthcoming Blink Sync Module 2 will afford you subscription-free local storage for just $35.
Another great option: Get the Blink Mini bundled with an Echo Show 5 for just $50. These two have a combined retail value of $125!
Toshiba 55LF711U20 55-inch 4K Fire TV Edition
On sale for $300 (save $150)
Toshiba
This appears to be a 2020 version of the Toshiba Fire TV Edition that David Katzmaier reviewed last year. It’s hard to tell exactly what’s different here, but the verdict then was “great prices, great voice features, great Fire TV app selection.” The picture quality, however, didn’t measure up to similar Roku TVs — and Katzmaier noted his preference for the latter’s interface, a sentiment I share.
That said, a 55-inch Toshiba smart TV for $300? With mostly stellar user ratings (from Best Buy customers)? At the very least it’s worth a look.
Echo Show 5 smart display
On sale for $45
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
This is the lowest price to date, and it can get even better: Use the aforementioned Prime Rewards Visa card and you’ll get 10% back, effectively bringing your price down to $40.50.
As noted above, you can also get the Echo Show 5 bundled with a Blink Mini Indoor Camera for just $5 more. I don’t think the 10% cash-back option applies, but that’s still a stellar bundle.
Echo Auto
On sale for $20
Brian Cooley/CNET
Amazon wants to put Alexa in your car. Is that worth $50? No. Is it worth $20? Maybe. Echo Auto reviews have been fairly mixed, in part because the price feels too high and in part because you can accomplish a lot of the same voice-powered things with your phone’s Google Assistant or Siri. (Can’t say I’m wild about the wires, either.)
That said, if you’ve been curious to give this a try, I believe this is the lowest price on record (by a lot).
Read more: Amazon Echo preview
Rick and Morty Seasons 1-4 (Update: Expired)
$10 each
Ooooh, wee! Although you can stream Rick and Morty on Hulu and HBO Max, here’s your chance to own each season for half the regular price on Prime Video. Like the other deals, you’ll need to be an Amazon Prime member.
2 Echo Dot smart speakers (Update: Expired)
$39.98 with code DOTPRIME2PK
Amazon/Screenshot by Nick Hide/CNET
That’s basically like buying one and getting one free, because right now a single Dot is selling for $40. This deal is for the third-generation models.
More interested in the brand-new Echo Dot with Clock that Amazon announced just last week? There’s already a deal to be had there, too: It currently sells for $60, but you can save $20 on a Dot with Clock two-pack with promo code DOT2PACK. (That same code will save you $20 on a pair of new no-clock Echo Dots as well.)
Fire TV Recast over-the-air DVR (Update: Expired)
On sale for $130 (save $100)
Amazon
Cut the cord! This deal ties the lowest price on record. In fact, it hasn’t been that low since around the holidays last year. For $130 you’re getting the two-tuner, 500GB model. If you want the four-tuner, 1TB version, it’ll cost you just $50 more.
Insignia 50-inch 4K Fire TV Edition (Update: Expired)
On sale for $250 (save $100)
Amazon
Another “lowest price ever” deal, the Insignia is a current-generation 4K UHD TV (it was released this year) built around Amazon’s Fire TV interface. That means you get all the compatible apps and streaming services, plus an Alexa-powered voice remote. There are three HDMI inputs as well, the better to accommodate your game consoles and whatnot.
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