Prime Day's 10 very best tech deals: TVs, speakers, an iPad (lowest price ever) and more
Happy Prime Day! Wait, what? Is it July again already? Nope: Amazon decided to hold a second Prime Day event this year. Officially it's called Prime Day Early Access, which is confusing because early access to what? I guess it's better than some of the other names Amazon was considering, based on totally legitimate, not-made-up internal documents I uncovered:
Prime Day II: Prime Harder
Prime Day II: The Search for More Money
2 Prime 2 Day
Snark aside, this Prime Day is similar to, er, Original Prime Day (Prime Day Prime?) in that it has deals on top of deals — many of them quite good. Below I've rounded up what I consider the 10 best Prime Day deals on tech goodies.
One important note: Although all of them were available at the time of this writing, it should come as no surprise that products often sell out quickly. If you miss out, fear not: With Black Friday looming large on the horizon, it's a safe bet that many, if not most, of these deals will be back.
If you've decided it's time for a home-theater upgrade, well, you've just found your new TV. It features 4K Ultra HD, HDR 10, and HLG, along with Amazon's patented Fire TV Alexa remote. Oh, and, as the customer below relates, it'll sync immediately to your pre-existing Fire devices. What's not to love?
"There really isn't anything bad to say about this TV. Great picture, very easy to mount, and the setup was super easy. Since I already had Fire TV devices, it just transferred all the info to the new TV. Whole process with the update and such took less than 10 minutes. At this price, just great."
Designed to serve as a home hub, the Echo Show 15 is a wall-mountable information station with widgets, speakers, a face-recognizing camera and, thanks to a recent update, the full-on Fire TV streaming experience. This is the largest discount in the product's admittedly short history, and it definitely makes for a more affordable purchase.
Just be prepared for a power cord running down your wall and speakers that sound just so-so. If it seems like I'm not super-enthusiastic about the product, that's true: I'm not sure it really fills a need. But apparently I'm in the minority, because it has a 4.6-star rating from over 10,000 buyers. People seem to really like it. I'd certainly like it more at $170 than $250.
The best upgrade for any TV? A soundbar. Polk's Signa S2 is a great option right now at $149, especially if you pay using an Amazon Prime Visa card, which will net you 10% cash back.
The soundbar itself includes five drivers and incorporates Polk's Voice Adjust technology to help you hear dialogue better. The wireless subwoofer, which you can park just about anywhere in your living room, adds much-needed bass thump to the mix. Trust me when I say your TV viewing — well, listening — experience is about to get a whole lot better.
Try as I might, I can't quit my iPad. Amazon Fire tablets cost considerably less and do almost as much, but the iPad experience is just plain better. This 2021 model, normally $329, is down to $269 for October Prime Day, officially the lowest price to date.
Thankfully, it's anything but an entry-level tablet, with 64GB of onboard storage, a gorgeous 10.2-inch display, stereo speakers and a 12-megapixel rear camera. It works with the Apple Pencil and, of course, supports zillions of third-party accessories (like keyboards). So, yeah, iPad: Still pricey, but totally worth it.
Like the idea of noise-cancelling earbuds but don't want to shell out $250 for Apple AirPods Pro? Try Jabra's latest: The new Elite 5 earbuds offer nearly all the same features (and a few more, actually) for half the price, at least while they're on sale for Prime Day.
Among the highlights: hybrid ANC, multipoint pairing (meaning you can connect to two devices at once), up to seven hours of play time on a charge and a 2-year warranty. Jabra also promises to block wind noise on calls thanks to six (!) built-in microphones. This is the first time the Elite 5 has been discounted.
Got a garage? Get Chamberlain's myQ and make it smart. Compatible with the vast majority of modern garage-door openers, the myQ allows you to raise and lower the door via your phone, grant guest access, set schedules. receive open/close notifications and more.
Most important of all, it solves the "Did I shut the garage?" concern that typically arises the moment you get into bed. Once glance at the app and you'll know for sure. Two taps and you can close it if need be. I've used one of these for years; it works like a charm and I highly recommend it.
Maybe you can't judge a book by its cover, but you can judge a TV by its ratings. The LG OLED C1 Series earned a jaw-dropping 4.8-star average from over 6,100 Amazon customers, meaning if you don't like this TV, it's probably because you dropped it on your foot or something.
Based on OLED technology, which produces image color and clarity that's also jaw-dropping, the C1 features a dedicated game mode, your choice of Alexa or Google Assistant voice controls and the "Dolby twins": Atmos and Vision IQ. This is also a remarkable thin TV with almost zero bezel surrounding it. If you're ready to splurge, take advantage of this all-time-low pricing.
Whether you're prepping for a storm or just packing for a camping trip, it's a good idea to keep a big battery at the ready. Jackery's luggable power station includes two AC outlets, three USB ports and more, with a 293-watt lithium-ion battery standing ready to power all your devices. An optional solar panel can put power back into the unit for a virtually unlimited supply.
The Explorer 300 hasn't been priced this low since Black Friday of 2021, and you really have to admire the ratings: 4.8 stars from over 5,000 buyers.
Can't carry a tune? You can now: Philips' S7807 is a battery-powered Bluetooth speaker that comes with a shoulder strap, the better to take it with you to parks, picnics and the like. And don't worry if it accidentally takes a dunk in the pond or pool: It has an IP67 rating, which means it's protected against water, dust and other cruelties of the outdoors.
It also supports multipoint pairing: You can link two S7807s together for true stereo separation, and you can also pair two different devices — a phone and a tablet, for example — to supply music. To top it all off, Philips promises up to 24 hours of playtime on a charge, well above average for portable speakers. This sale price is the lowest on record for this admittedly quite new outdoor companion.
If you'd prefer a portable speaker you can toss into a tote bag or purse, look no further than the UBoom L. (Just don't ask me to explain the weird name.) Already a solid deal at $80, it's on sale for $64 for Prime Day and drops to $60 when you apply promo code UBOOML01 at checkout.
The UBoom L is compact, waterproof (for real — I dunked it) and able to play for up to 16 hours on a charge. It sounds extremely good for its size, with extra bass available at the push of a button, and you have the option of pairing a second speaker for true stereo sound. Read my full EarFun UBoom L review to learn more.
See all of our Prime Early Access Sale coverage, here. Shop the top Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life, get the best Prime Day tech advice on Engadget, learn about Prime Day trends on In the Know, and check out Prime Day car deals on Autoblog.
