Six days and counting: Amazon Prime Day is less than a week away. The 36-hour sale starting Monday, July 16 will feature more than one million deals, and its global reach has been extended to four more countries this year: Australia, Singapore, Netherlands and Luxembourg join the US, UK, Spain, Mexico, Japan, India, Italy, Germany, France, China, Canada, Belgium and Austria.
Here’s everything you need to know, including what’s already on sale.
Last updated: Tuesday, July 10, 12:04 p.m. PT with the Audible deal
What: Amazon’s smorgasbord of deals — pretty much “Black Friday in July.” More than a million products will be discounted, but not all at the same time, and not all for the duration of the event. Some will be available only during certain hours, for example, while others may sell out.
When: Prime Day starts at 3 p.m. ET (noon PT) on Monday, July 16. It runs through 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday night, July 17. (Note it will start at noon UK and noon AEST on July 16 in the UK and Australia, and run for 36 hours in both countries. Offers will differ from country to country.)
Who can participate: Technically, you must be an Amazon Prime subscriber to take advantage of Prime Day deals… but some vendors may offer discounts that are available to all shoppers.
Disclaimer: CNET may get a share of revenue from the sale of the products featured on this page.
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Early Prime Day deals available now
Just as Black Friday deals often start appearing well before Black Friday, Prime Day deals have already surfaced. As of Monday, July 9, here’s what you can get:
The Echo Show for $130. That’s a full $100 off the regular price and the biggest discount to date for Amazon’s screen-equipped smart-home companion. Read CNET’s Amazon Echo Show review.
Free PC games from Twitch. Amazon already gives Prime subscribers free games every month. In the run-up to Prime Day and for a couple days after, it’s giving away a different game every day. Many of the previous ones are still available — but they won’t be much longer, so hurry up. Today’s entry: the puzzle-adventure game Hue.
Three months of Kindle Unlimited for $1. Normally $10 a month, Kindle Unlimited lets you read all the books you want, though from a relatively modest library of about 1 million titles. Take note, too, that this is for new subscribers only, and after the first three months, you’ll automatically get billed at the standard rate unless you cancel.
Four months of Amazon Music for $1. Another extended trial for newcomers only, Amazon Music rivals Spotify and similar services by offering unlimited access to some 40 million songs. After your first four months, you’ll get billed at the standard $7.99 monthly rate unless you cancel.
$2 movie rentals. Amazon has a smattering of newer movies you can rent, via Prime Video, for $1.99 apiece. The titles include Hostiles, Downsizing and Wonder.
3 months of Audible for $4.95 per month. The standard subscription rate for Amazon’s audiobook service: $14.95 per month. Right now, Prime subscribers can get the first three months for $4.95 each, a total savings of $30. Interestingly, there’s nothing to indicate this is for new subscribers only, so if you’ve tried Audible in the past, you may be able to get this deal.
A $10 credit when you spend $10 at Whole Foods. Yep, you’ll get a $10 Amazon credit when you spend at least $10 at the Amazon-owned grocery chain. But that doesn’t kick in until Prime Day proper, so don’t head to the store just yet. Thankfully, you don’t need to have an Amazon Prime Rewards Visa card to score this perk; you just need to scan the Prime Code in your Amazon or Whole Foods app when you check out.
You can get discounts on other items as well. For example, some of Amazon’s Everyday Essentials brands have been marked down by 30 percent. You can also save up to 25 percent on select furniture and home decor products.
That’s it for now… check back soon for additional deals as we find them!
What is Prime Day?
Back in 2015, Amazon celebrated its 20th anniversary with a full day of discounts — not just on Amazon-branded products, but on tens of thousands of other items as well. It was moderately successful — OK, it was wildly popular — despite some hiccups.
In the years since, Amazon has worked to make more products and more inventory available (so items wouldn’t sell out in minutes) and simplify the means of finding sale items.
When is Prime Day?
July 16. It was just announced and, get ready for this, this year it expands to 36 hours (!) and goes global. Australia, Singapore, Netherlands and Luxembourg join the Prime Day fun this year.
In years past, Prime Day has fallen sometime in mid-July. Last year, for example, it was July 11 — though in 2017 it actually started the day before and lasted a total of 30 hours. (It’s kind of like the way Black Friday now starts on Thanksgiving Day or even earlier.) “Prime Day Plus,” anyone?
Who can shop on Prime Day?
True to its name, Prime Day is for Amazon Prime subscribers only. If you’re not a paid member, you can’t take advantage of the deals. Note, though, that Prime Day is merely one of several advantages of being an Amazon Prime member.
As you may have heard, the company recently raised its annual Prime rate to $119. That’s now the price for newcomers and existing subscribers alike. Ah, but will Prime Day bring a Prime subscription deal? Read on.
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What kinds of deals can I expect?
There’s little question that Prime Day will bring deals on many, if not most, of Amazon’s branded products: Fire TV ($70 at Amazon.com) devices, Fire tablets, Kindle e-readers and of course every Echo speaker.
Beyond that, look for a Black Friday-style assortment of deals in pretty much every category. There will undoubtedly be a few standouts: In 2017, Amazon offered sweet deals on a Motorola Moto G5 Plus ($225 at Amazon.com) phone and a 55-inch 4K TV with built-in Fire TV, for example. But don’t get too carried away — many of the discounts are no better than what you’ll find in the average Amazon Gold Box daily deals.
Speaking of which…
How do I know if a deal is really a deal?
On the internet, every day is Black Friday — and Cyber Monday, and Prime Day. That means you should approach every deal with some skepticism — or at least a little bit of research.
One great place to start: CamelCamelCamel, the site that tracks Amazon price histories. (It can also notify you when Amazon products go on sale; here’s how to use it to track Amazon Echo deals.)
Before you pull the trigger on any Prime Day deal, copy the URL, paste it into CamelCamelCamel’s search field and check the results. You may discover that the product has indeed been priced lower in the past, and therefore may be again.
At the same time, consider using a browser plug-in such as Honey, which can instantly inform you if any third-party sellers have the same product for a lower price (which doesn’t happen often, but it’s worth checking).
Finally, be sure to check other sites. Best Buy, Walmart and other major stores usually trot out their own answers to Prime Day, offering loss-leader pricing on popular items.
How can I shop on Prime Day if I’m not a Prime subscriber?
As noted, you can’t — but you might be able to game the system a little. For starters, if you’ve never subscribed before, you can get a free one-month Amazon Prime trial. Sign up right now and you’ll be able to shop Prime Day during the trial period.
It’s even better if you’re a student: Amazon has partnered with Sprint to offer college students a free six-month trial.
Finally, be on the lookout for a Prime subscription deal in the days leading up to Prime Day. Although it’s questionable whether Amazon would offer such a deal so soon after enacting a rate increase, Prime Day’s very existence is to help attract new subscribers. Thus, something like an $89 rate for new subscribers wouldn’t be unthinkable.
Where else can I find info on Prime Day?
Looking for even more info on Amazon Prime Day? Check out CNET’s sister sites:
Originally published May 22, this story is updated with details, leaks and more as news comes in.
Amazon Prime Day 2018: Complete coverage on CNET.
CNET Deals: The best bargains we’ve found online.
