Amazon Devices Have Steep Discounts on Prime Day

Amazon Devices on Colorful Background

In 2007, Amazon launched the very first Kindle. This original device did not have backlighting or a touch screen, but people working for the company at the time say it sold out overnight. Given Amazon’s origin as an online bookseller, the Kindle made a tremendous amount of sense as a product and allowed Amazon to get a head start on the growing e-reader market. Since then, the company’s investment in electronics has only grown. From the first Fire tablet release in 2011 to Alexa’s debut in 2014, Amazon continues to iterate on highly usable devices that integrate smoothly with other aspects of their marketplace. Even if you haven’t owned something from Amazon’s growing fleet of devices yourself, you probably know someone who has.

This means Amazon is not just a retailer—they develop these various devices with an eye for what users want. The company also clearly continues their tradition of being highly customer focused by keeping price points as a priority. At anywhere from $50 for the Echo Dot to about $270 for a Kindle Oasis, Amazon devices could hardly be called cheap, but they are highly affordable, user friendly, and they work great!

It’s no surprise that on Prime Day, Amazon pushes sales on their devices hard. In 2019, the Fire HD was as much as $50 off, the Echo Show was bundled with a free Echo Dot for $160, and Kindle Oasis was on sale with an $80 savings. This year, the Toshiba Fire TV Edition Smart TVs are already on sale for up to 33% off, and the Echo Dot is already sporting a 20% discount.

Let’s take this opportunity to take a look at Amazon’s devices and where you might be able to find the best sales in 2020.

Amazon Alexa: The Voice Command Portable Speaker You Can Rely on Amazon

The Alexa suite of devices was designed to help you move your home into the future. These hands-free electronics can inform you of the news, weather forecast, and play music while you do things around the house. The Echo and Echo Dot are designed to meet your needs. When paired with Amazon Home branded devices, they can be a budget track to smart home technology—enabling the convenience of doing things like dim your lights and control your thermostat with only your voice. The Echo Show adds a smart display to your Alexa collection and allows you to do video calls, cook along to Food Network shows, watch media from your favorite streaming services, and more. This year, Amazon is releasing the 4th Generation of Echo Dot as well as the 3rd Generation Echo Show, and Prime Day may be the perfect opportunity to pre-order. While the device is new and there may not be sales, look for special bundles and promotions on this budget entry into the Alexa family. At the same time, keep an eye out for even bigger discounts on previous generations of Echo Dot or Echo Show, as new models typically mean huge sales on perfectly good last-gen devices.

Kindle Devices Make It Easy to Read on the Go Amazon

The Kindle collection can be broken down into several major categories—the original Kindle line, the Kindle Paperwhite, and the luxurious Kindle Oasis e-reader. The price points for these devices are more or less in line with their features, such as storage, touch screen, backlighting, and reading experience. The $129 Kindle Paperwhite falls right in between the original Kindle and the Oasis, with twice the storage of the Kindle, waterproofing, and a 330 pixel-per-inch screen (compared to Kindle’s 167 pixels). In 2019, the Paperwhite was on sale for up to 35% off. If we see similar sales this year, that will make Prime Day the best day to buy the Paperwhite. The Oasis is in another tier. With a lightly textured metal backing, unparalleled ergonomic design, and the best specs of the line in terms of storage, performance, and graphics, it is easily one of the top premium e-readers on the market. While it is generally agreed upon that the Oasis is the best device overall, its typical $270 price point generally sets it aside for avid readers only. However, with past Prime Days, we’ve seen the price drop down to $200, making the Oasis a more reasonable treat for yourself or a reader you know. While you’re at it, be sure to keep an eye out for bundles involving a subscription to Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited service. This gives you access to a massive library of ebooks for one flat subscription cost.

The Fire TV Devices Are the Perfect Intro to the Smart TV Generation Amazon

Amazon’s approach to entertainment is complex and multi-faceted. They have partnered with Insignia and Toshiba to deliver a collection of Fire Edition TVs for about $170 to $330. These TVs are affordable, and with Fire and Alexa integration, they’re smarter than ever. These excellent budget TVs are already on sale in the lead-up to Prime Day, with the steepest discount so far being 33% off for the 32” Toshiba Fire Edition Smart TV. However, if you like your current TV, there is another option that pairs seamlessly. Amazon’s Fire TV Stick and Cube integrate with a working HDMI port. This turns any TV into a smart TV, and the Cube integrates smoothly with the rest of the Alexa suite.

The Fire HD Tablet Could Be the Right One for You Amazon

With the Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 8 Plus sporting up to 64GB of storage and up to 3GB of RAM, the Fire HD tablet is an excellent budget tablet if you don’t have steep processing needs. It makes an excellent on-the-go streaming device, is capable of light gaming, and works as an e-reader as well. This tablet is not necessarily fancy, but it is highly versatile. It’s also a great gift for people, especially younger folks, that may have their eyes on more expensive tablets for schoolwork or downtime. Fire tablets are another device that typically sees huge price drops for Prime Day. During this year’s 48 hours of Prime Day, keep an eye out for steep discounts on older generations and bundles with Alexa devices.

Kids Editions Are Fun for the Whole Family Amazon

There’s one more thing to talk about—Kids Editions! The Kindle Kids Edition, Fire HD Kids Edition, and the Echo Dot Kids Edition all sport kid-friendly experiences and content. Some models, such as the legacy Fire HD 7, come with a promise from Amazon to replace them if they break. This year, Prime Day falls in October, making it the perfect day to grab that special holiday gift for the kids in your life and get some early Christmas shopping out of the way. These Kids’ Editions are more durable and have more content and screen time control options for parents. They also come in a variety of fun colors and designs, which is a nice departure from the grownup tech world of charcoal grays. Because of this, they are a great option for younger children who may be rougher with devices or need a little extra parental support.
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