Best Prime Early Access Deals on Echo Speakers, Fire TVs, and Other Amazon Devices
Amazon's fall sales event is officially underway
By Consumer Reports
Any time Amazon runs a big sale, whether it’s Prime Day, during Black Friday, or the new Prime Early Access Sale, you can expect big savings on Amazon’s own devices and brands. The two-day Early Access sale is underway, and as usual, the retailer is offering prices on its own suite of products to match the deepest discounts we ever see. The company also recently released its newest models, which CR hasn’t yet had a chance to test in our labs.
If you want to expand your Alexa smart speaker collection to better connect your household, there are some impressive prices on the older models of Echo smart speaker lineup. You’ll also see big savings on Fire tablets, Fire TVs, and Fire streaming devices, as well as deals on Kindles and Amazon’s other tech brands: Blink, Ring, and eero.
Consumer Reports’ experts are combing through all the offers to bring you the best deals on the best products in Amazon’s lineup (just note that we don’t test Kindles at this time, and thus cannot provide recommendations). All the deals on this list take into consideration not only price but CR’s test scores to ensure you’re not only saving but getting a quality item if you choose to buy anything.
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• Smart Speakers
• Streaming Devices
• Tablets
• TVs
• Smart Home
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Smart Speakers
Amazon Echo (4th Gen)
The fourth-generation Echo is better than its predecessor in every way. The new Zigbee hub is a useful smart home upgrade. And the sound quality is improved with strong but slightly boomy bass and enough volume to fill a medium-sized room. That said, the latest Echo still can’t compete with the best-sounding smart speakers like the Sonos One or Amazon’s Echo Studio.
Why it’s a good deal: This model is back to the low price we always see during major holidays.
Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen)
The Echo Show 5 is Amazon’s smallest smart screen. Our testers report that the sound is subpar for a music-listening device, but that’s not why you should consider this device. It’s a utility machine that works well placed on a night table or desk. You get all the Amazon Alexa functionality you’d have in other Echo devices, including the super-cheap Dot, and some added value thanks to the small screen and camera.
Why it’s a good deal: This is back to the best price we’ve seen.
Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen)
The Echo Dot is the cheapest way to enter the Amazon smart speaker ecosystem, especially when it’s on sale. This discount puts the price just a few dollars higher than we usually see on Prime Day. Despite its low price and small size, it’s powered by Amazon’s cloud servers, so it offers the same smart speaker functionality as its far more expensive brethren. With stronger bass and more extended trebles, the sound quality on the latest globe-shaped model is improved over previous versions, but it’s still not the best choice for listening to music. If you’re looking for a smart speaker to get weather reports and perhaps listen to podcasts the Dot will do just fine.
Why it’s a good deal: This is just $5 more than the lowest price we’ve seen for this model. It may drop even further during the Amazon sale and/or Black Friday if you’d rather wait and save a bit more.
Amazon Echo Show 8
The Echo Show 8 has an 8-inch touch screen (ideal for displaying online recipes), responds to voice commands (useful when you’ve got messy hands), and has a camera that can adjust the focus to “follow” you as you move about the room on a video call. The device’s footprint is also significantly smaller than that of the new Show 10, which needs a beach-ball-sized space on the countertop to provide clearance for a rotating screen. As with many smart speakers, though, the Show 8’s sound quality is somewhat lacking, according to our testers, who noted the model’s strident high frequencies.
Why it’s a good deal: This price matches the lowest we’ve seen for this model.
Streaming Devices
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max
The Amazon Fire TV 4K Max is not only the latest stick-style streaming player from Amazon but also the fastest, thanks to a more powerful processor, so apps launch quicker. The model supports the new WiFi 6 standard, but you need a WiFi 6 router to take full advantage of the tech. (If you don’t have one, no worries—the device works with older routers, too.) The player supports the HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision HDR formats, as well as Dolby Atmos audio. It comes with an Alexa voice remote, so you can find, launch, and control content or even change inputs using voice commands.
Why it’s a good deal: This matches the lowest price we’ve seen for this device.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
If you’re not picky about having the fastest speeds and WiFi 6 compatibility, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K delivers a solid performance at a better price. The 4K stick-style player has a nice array of content and features—including voice control and Dolby Vision HDR. You can control it from Alexa-enabled devices such as the Echo and Dot, and use the included remote to control power and volume on many TVs and sound bar speakers. The player comes with an Alexa remote control with dedicated buttons for Amazon, Disney+, Hulu, and Netflix.
Why it’s a good deal: This is the best price you’ll find for this model.
Amazon Fire TV Stick (3rd Gen)
The Amazon Fire TV Stick (third-generation) is a highly rated high-definition streamer that pops into your TV’s HDMI port. The newest version has been updated with a faster processor for quicker app starts. It comes with an Alexa remote, which has TV power and volume controls.
Why it’s a good deal: This is just $3 more than the lowest price we’ve seen.
Amazon Fire TV Cube (2nd Gen)
The Fire TV Cube brings Amazon’s smart speaker and streaming player technology together in one device that acts as a universal remote, allowing you to control your TV as well as other compatible devices, like a stereo, soundbar, receiver, and even some cable and satellite boxes, with voice commands. And if you don’t want to use your voice, there are buttons on top of the cube to adjust the volume and mute the microphone.
Why it’s a good deal: This matches the best price we’ve seen for the Fire TV Cube.
Tablets
Amazon Fire HD 10 32 GB (2021)
This deal gives you a solid discount on a 10-inch Amazon Fire tablet. This model doesn’t get outstanding scores in our tests but it’s a solid device, and given the low price tag its worth considering if your don’t mind a screen that’s just okay. For reading books, scanning the news, browsing emails, and so on it works perfectly well, though movies might not look as vibrant as you’d like. The biggest drawback is the Amazon app store, where you won’t find some mainstream apps such as Gmail—but you can just use a web browser instead, like you would on a computer.
Why it’s a good deal: These discounts match the low prices we saw during Prime Day.
Amazon Fire HD 8
The Fire HD 8 is the cheapest tablet we recommend. You probably won’t be blown away by the screen, and its speed is just okay, but it is perfectly well suited for simple tasks such as reading or scrolling through social media. It’s a relatively small tablet at 8 inches, so it’s easy to slip into a bag when you’re on the go. As with other Fire tablets, you are restricted to the Amazon app store, and you will have to find alternatives to some popular apps.
Why it’s a good deal: The model without lockscreen ads wasn’t on sale during Prime Day, making this the best discount of the year for that version. The model with lockscreen ads is the same price we saw for the last big sale.
TVs
Insignia NS-32DF310NA19
This Insignia TV may be a good option for budget shoppers who don’t need all the bells and whistles. It offers HD picture-quality—no 4K here—but at a great price, particularly if you need a set for a guest room or playroom. The 32-inch smart TV offers above-average picture quality, but as with many sets this size, the viewing angle is fairly narrow. The model uses Amazon’s Fire TV platform for access to streaming services, and it has built-in support for Amazon’s Alexa voice-powered digital assistant.
Why it’s a good deal: This matches the best price of the year.
Pioneer PN50951-22U
If you’re looking for a budget 4K TV, this 50-inch set from Pioneer might do the trick. It gets above-average scores for picture quality and 4K UHD performance, and at this price, it’s a real bargain for a model this size. CR’s tests did reveal that the viewing angle is narrower than average and the HDR performance is limited, but given the impressive size, picture quality, and 40 percent discount, those details may be easy to overlook.
Why it’s a good deal: This is a good discount, but it is $40 more than we saw during Prime Day so the price may improve during the sale.
Amazon B08T6JZTH4
The Amazon B08T6JZTH4, one of the newer Fire TVs sold under Amazon’s own brand, is in the step-up Omni series, with a slimmer design and a few more features than the Amazon 4-series sets. Those features include Dolby Vision HDR and built-in microphones for hands-free operation. We tested this model and it performed well for HD and 4K picture quality, but its HDR performance was minimal, mainly due to limited peak brightness. The TV uses Amazon’s Fire TV system, with built-in Alexa and a voice remote for voice commands.
Why it’s a good deal: This is the best price we’ve seen for this model since the summer. It was around $750 during Prime Day so it may drop lower soon.
Amazon B08T6J1HG8
The Amazon B08T6J1HG8 is another step-up Omni series, and it performed similarly to the 75-inch set, with satisfying overall picture quality but limited HDR performance. The TV uses Amazon’s Fire TV system, with built-in Alexa and a voice remote for voice commands. Note that many Amazon Omni and 4-series sets in other sizes are on sale during the event.
Why it’s a good deal: Best Buy had this TV for 499.99 just last week, and Amazon may drop its price again during the big sale.
Smart Home
Ring Gen 2 2020
It wouldn’t be Prime Day without Amazon discounting Ring’s popular $100 video doorbell, which is currently $30 off. In our tests, this doorbell offers terrific video quality, response time, and data security. Its free feature set is a bit sparse, though, only offering monitoring zones and voice control via Amazon Alexa. Cloud video storage and additional features (such as person alerts and photo snapshots between recordings) require a Ring Protect subscription. Existing Ring Protect subscribers can also receive an additional 10 percent discount either at Ring.com or Amazon (provided you’ve linked your Amazon and Ring accounts together).
Why it’s a good deal: This is $5 better than the price we saw for Prime Day.
Ring Doorbell Wired
The Ring Video Doorbell Wired is the cheapest model in Ring’s lineup at just $65, but the doorbell is now on sale for its lowest price ever, making now a great time to give your front door an upgrade. In our tests, this bell received high scores for its video quality and data security, but we found its response time and free feature set a bit lacking. The latter mainly includes monitoring zones and voice control via Amazon Alexa. And while this doorbell needs to be wired for power, it will not ring your home’s existing doorbell chime. However, if you already own an Amazon Echo smart speaker or display, it can act as a chime for the doorbell. If you don’t have an Echo, Amazon is also selling the doorbell with a plug-in Ring Chime for just under $70, netting you a savings of about $20. Cloud video storage and additional features require a Ring Protect subscription. Existing Ring Protect subscribers can also receive an additional 10 percent discount either at Ring.com or Amazon (provided you’ve linked your Amazon and Ring accounts together).
Why it’s a good deal: The sale price is $10 better than the lowest we’ve ever seen.
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