Prime Day deals on Amazon devices: You can still get up to 68 percent off Echo speakers, Fire TV Sticks and Blink cameras and more

When it comes to tech on sale for Amazon Prime Day, Amazon’s own hardware is at the top of the list. The online retailer usually discounts Echo speakers, Fire tablets, Kindles and the like to record-low prices for October Prime Day, and this year has been no different. We’re seeing some of the best prices of the year right now on things like Echo speakers, Kindle e-readers, Fire TV devices and more even in the final hours of the sale. If you’ve had one of these gadgets on your wishlist, or you want to cross it off your holiday gift list early, now’s the time to grab it. These are the best October Prime Day deals on Amazon gear you can get.

Amazon Echo Dot
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

If you’re keen on making your home a bit smarter, an Echo speaker or smart display can help by giving you an easy way to interact with Alexa. The voice assistant is compatible with so many smart home devices at this point, including smart light bulbs and robot vacuum cleaners, and it’s convenient that there’s an Echo device for nearly every budget now.

  • Echo Dot for $23 ($27 off): This is one of the best smart speakers you can get right now thanks to its compact design, physical button controls that compliment voice commands and its solid sound quality for its size.

  • Echo Pop for $18 ($22 off): One of Amazon’s newest smart devices, the Pop sports a 1.95-inch front-facing speaker, a physical mic mute switch for extra privacy and eero compatibility.

  • Amazon Echo Spot for $45 ($35 off): This recently revived smart display is billed as a smart alarm clock, and it features a customizable screen, big sound for its size and all the perks for Alexa voice commands. You can also grab it bundled with a free TP-Link smart light bulb.

  • Echo for $55 ($45 off): We consider this to be the best smart speaker for $100 or less at the moment thanks to its loud audio with good bass quality, the ability to pair two together for stereo sound and Alexa’s utility.

  • Echo Show 5 for $50 ($40 off): This is one of our favorite smart displays thanks to its compact design, ambient light sensor and sunrise alarm feature, all of which make it an excellent smart alarm clock. Amazon improved the speaker quality on this latest model, which gives sound deeper bass and clearer vocals.

  • Echo Show 8 for $85 ($65 off): This is our current top pick for the best smart display with Amazon’s Alexa thanks in part to its 8-inch touchscreen, 13MP camera that supports auto-framing for better video chats and its built-in Zigbee smart home hub.

  • Echo Buds for $25 ($25 off): These are one of our top picks for the best budget wireless earbuds you can get right now thanks to their comfortable design, pocket-friendly case, automatic wear detection, multi-device connectivity and, of course, built-in Alexa voice controls.

  • Echo Dot Kids for $28 ($32 off): The kids version of the Echo Dot uses the same basic hardware, but comes with a cute dragon or owl cover, plus parental controls and a year’s subscription to Amazon Kids+ that can play kid-friendly audiobooks and more.

Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

The three best times of the year to buy a new Kindle ereader are Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Prime Day. Typically the latter is the best of the three, and we’re seeing solid sale prices across the entire Kindle lineup right now.

  • Kindle Paperwhite for $125 ($25 off): The latest version of the Paperwhite has thinner bezels, an adjustable warm light, speedier page turns and a battery that can last up to 10 weeks on a single charge. This model is also IPX8 waterproof and has built-in Audible integration.

  • Kindle Scribe for $255 ($85 off): The Scribe is one of the best E-Ink tablets you can buy at the moment, and certainly the top pick if you want a writable table that also excels as an ereader. It provides a great reading and writing experience, thanks in part to its ability to access the entire Kindle ebook library, and it has handy Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox integration.

Fire TV devices can help turn an old TV into a smart one, or give you respite from a smart TV interface that you despise (as long as you can deal with Fire TV OS pushing Prime Video content in your face). But arguably the best thing about these devices is that there’s an option for every budget, and the barrier to entry lowers even further with Prime Day deals.

  • Fire TV Stick Lite streamer for $18 ($12 off): This is already the most affordable Fire TV streaming stick, but it’s a steal at this sale price. It supports 1080p content and comes with a “lite” version of the Alexa Voice Remote.

  • Fire TV Stick streamer for $20 ($20 off): This dongle ups the ante on the TV Stick Lite by adding support for Dolby Atmos audio, plus it comes with the regular version of the Alexa Voice Remote. It also supports Wi-Fi 5 and comes with 8GB of internal storage.

  • Fire TV Stick 4K streamer for $25 ($25 off): This mode is the cheapest Fire TV Stick you can get to stream 4K content, plus it has support for Wi-Fi 6 and Dolby Vision and Atmos. With its live picture-in-picture feature, you can view security camera feeds right on your TV while you’re watching your favorite show or movie.

  • Fire TV Stick 4K Max streamer for $35 ($25 off): In addition to 4K HDR streaming with Dolby Vision and Atmos support, the 4K Max dongle includes Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, 16GB of built-in storage and live picture-in-picture capabilities.

  • Fire TV Cube set-top box for $100 ($40 off): This model will provide the best performance of any Fire TV streaming device, and it supports 4K HDR content, Dolby Vision and Atmos and an enhanced version of the Alexa Voice Remote. Along with live picture-in-picture view and the Fire TV ambient experience, you can also hardware other devices to the Fire TV Cube including a cable box or a game console.

Amazon Fire HD 10
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

Amazon’s Fire tablets make great couch devices, or first tablets for kids who have no business touching their parents’ fancy iPads and Galaxy tabs. While they go on sale semi-frequently throughout the year, Prime Day is the time where you’re likely to get the greatest discounts.

  • Fire HD 8 tablet for $55 ($45 off): Amazon just released this new version of the HD 8 tablet, which includes more RAM, a better camera and new AI features not found on the previous model.

  • Fire HD 10 tablet for $75 ($65 off): This slab has a 10-inch FHD touchscreen, improved camera for video calls, 13 hours of battery life and it works with a stylus (although you have to buy that separately). If you’re looking for a cheap tablet that doesn’t compromise too many of the basics, this is a good option.

  • Fire Max 11 tablet for $140 ($90 off): Amazon’s most powerful tablet sports an 11-inch 2,000 x 1,200 touchscreen, an octa-core processor, up to 128GB of storage and 14 hours of battery life. It also works with a number of optional accessories, including a stylus and keyboard case.

  • Fire HD 10 Kids tablet for $110 ($80 off): Designed for kids aged three to seven, this tablet comes with full parental controls plus one year of Amazon Kids+ for free with the tablet purchase. It also has a 10-inch FHD touchscreen, an octa-core processor and 13 hours of battery life, plus it comes with a two-year warranty and a protective case.

  • Fire HD 10 Kids Pro tablet for $110 ($80 off): This model is designed for kids aged six to 12 and comes with a slimmer protective case, a two-year warranty and one year of access to Amazon Kids+. Otherwise, you get a very similar experience here that you would with the non-Pro version, including parental controls, a 10-inch touchscreen, solid performance and a 13-hour battery life.

Ring Video Doorbell
Ring

You may not immediately think of them when you think about Amazon's own tech, but the shopping giant also owns Ring and Blink. Gadgets from these companies make up most of Amazon's home security offerings, and you can usually find steep discounts during Prime Day on security cameras, alarm systems and other bundles.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prime-day-deals-on-amazon-devices-you-can-still-get-up-to-68-percent-off-echo-speakers-fire-tv-sticks-and-blink-cameras-and-more-083236769.html?src=rss

Our favorite budget Samsung phone is only $180 for Prime Day

It’s officially Amazon Prime Day, so be prepared to be inundated with deals if you head over to the online retailer's site. If you're on the market for a new smartphone, one of our favorite affordable handsets has dropped to a great sale price. The fantastic Samsung Galaxy A15 smartphone is available for just $180, which is a discount of ten percent. The typical price is $200 for this budget-friendly handset.

The A15 found a place of distinction in our list of the best cheap phones, in addition to appearing in our list of the best budget Android smartphones. It’s a solid offering with plenty of features typically reserved for more expensive models.

It boasts a fairly robust camera system, with a 50MP rear camera and a 13MP front camera. There’s also 5MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro. It’s lightweight, at seven ounces, and includes an actual OLED display. That’s practically unheard of for budget-tier smartphones. The 5G-enabled handset ships with a 5,000 mAh battery, which gets the job done. 

There are some light caveats. This deal is for the entry-level model with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. However, the Galaxy A15 boasts a nano SIM slot that expands the storage all the way up to 1TB. Today’s sale includes both the black and light blue versions of the phone.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/our-favorite-budget-samsung-phone-is-only-180-for-prime-day-152458679.html?src=rss

Pick up one of our favorite Marshall Bluetooth speakers for a record-low price thanks to October Prime Day deals

As to be expected, there are a ton of Amazon Prime Day speaker deals to consider right now if you're looking for one as a gift or one to add to your own home office or backyard setup. There's a noteworthy deal on one of our favorite portable Bluetooth speakers that brings it down to a record-low price. The Marshall Emberton II is on sale for $100, which is 41 percent off and about $20 cheaper than the price we've seen it go for over the past few months. In our testing, we found it to be stylish and compact, and it provides balanced output and 360-degree sound.

The first thing you’ll notice about the Marshall Emberton II is its style, which draws on the company’s history and looks like a scaled-down Marshall amp. Front and center is its vintage-looking metal grille, with the company’s iconic logo prominently displayed. You can order the device in black and cream, both on sale for the same price.

More than looks, though, the Emberton II has upgraded specs from the first-generation model that make it an even better value (especially at this sale price). It has a pair of 10-watt full-range drivers and passive radiators that deliver imposing sound for its size. It isn’t the most room-thumping speaker, with its tuning focusing more on a balanced sound signature than eardrum-blasting power. (But it’s still plenty loud for most uses.)

Like its predecessor, it supports 360-degree sound for a multidirectional experience. If you buy a pair, you can stack them together wirelessly using Marshall’s companion app for more immersive listening. Even if you already own one, its $100 sale price could be an excellent opportunity to get a second and try linking them.

The speaker lasts over 30 hours per charge and can recharge to full in three hours. It has an IP67 dust / water rating, meaning it’s rated for up to 30 minutes of immersion in a few feet of water. The Emberton II only weighs 118 g (4.2 oz).

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/pick-up-one-of-our-favorite-marshall-bluetooth-speakers-for-a-record-low-price-thanks-to-october-prime-day-deals-163805144.html?src=rss

Prime Day deals on Legos are still available: Get up to 41 percent off Super Mario and Star Wars sets

October Prime Day may have come and gone, but you can still save on Lego sets at the moment. While you may think it's early to think about holiday shopping, these kits make amazing presents — for the young and full-grown adults alike. At Engadget, we're most interested in specific sets from lines like Super Mario, Star Wars and Harry Potter, and some of these are still on sale for up to 41 percent off. These are the best Prime Day Lego deals you can still get today.

On the Star Wars side of things, this Spider Tank set is 36 percent off and down to only $32, which is the lowest it's ever been. It includes 526 pieces that replicate the spider tank from season three of The Mandalorian, plus three minifigures: Din Djarin, Bo-Katan Kryze and Grogu. Once built, the spider tank has grabbing claws, flexible legs and a little cockpit in which one of the figures can sit. Also on sale is this Boarding The Tantive IV set in which you recreate the iconic scene from Star Wars: A New Hope. That will set you back $44, which represents a 20-percent discount.

The Star Wars Lego Advent calendar (complete with Luke and Leia in holiday sweaters) is down to $36, after a 20 percent discount, and we don't expect this one to last long. 

In the Mario space, this Dixie Kong’s Jungle Jam expansion set has the biggest discount: 41 percent off and down to $16. It has 174 pieces along with buildable Dixie Kong and Squawks figures that both come with musical accessories. Mario fans who are old enough to have a work-from-home setup might appreciate this displayable Piranha Plant set that would look great in the background of any video conference call. It's 20 percent off and down to $48.

Rounding things out with Harry Potter sets, this Hogwarts Castle and Grounds set is down to $136 and has never been cheaper. It includes 2,660 pieces that create a final product that's over eight inches high, 13 inches wide and 10 inches deep. Plus, it comes with a cute, golden Hogwarts architect statue minifigure.

If you're looking for more general Lego sets, the best deal we found was on the Classic Medium Creative Brick Box, down to $21. The box includes 484 pieces in all different sizes and colors, and would make a great gift for anyone who just likes to build with Lego without following a set of instructions. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prime-day-deals-on-legos-are-still-available-get-up-to-41-percent-off-super-mario-and-star-wars-sets-143008447.html?src=rss

Amazon Prime Day 2024: The best deals we found from Apple, Anker, Sony, Lego and others before October Big Deal Days ends tonight

October Prime Day 2024 is half over but you can still save thanks to a slew of deals across the entirety of Amazon’s online storefront. Props to you if you came prepared with a wishlist of items you hope to buy on sale, because it can be easy to get distracted by the thousands of other deals available during this members-only shopping event. If any of the items on your list happen to be tech or tech related, Engadget has you covered. We’ve scoured Amazon to find the October Prime Day deals on tech that you can get this year. We’ll be updating this post regularly throughout the duration of Prime Day, so check back to see the latest discounts.

Apple MacBook Air M2
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

Apple deals can be hit or miss during Amazon Prime Day, but this year there are a number of good ones you can shop. Whether you've been on the hunt for a new Apple device for yourself or you know you want to pick one up as a gift, you can save a bit of cash if you do so now.

A trio of the new Echo Spot by Amazon, in blue, white and black. The Echo logo followed by the word Spot are hovering above the devices.
Amazon

Aside from Black Friday, Amazon Prime Day is the best time of the year to pick up a piece of tech made by the online retailer. Usually, you can snag record-low prices on things like Echo speakers, Fire TV devices, Kindle ereaders and much more.

Anker Prime Power Bank 200W
Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

One can never have too many charging accessories, be they cables, wireless charging pads or power banks. Anker makes some of our favorites across all those categories, and you'll find deep discounts on Anker gear for Prime Day.

LEGO Super Mario Piranha Plant
LEGO

A number of Lego sets have already been discounted for October Prime Day. Some of our favorites come from the Star Wars, Super Mario and Harry Potter lineups, and you'll find savings up to 41 percent on those. 

Sony WH-1000XM5
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

Headphones and earbuds are typically some of the most plentiful deals on Prime Day, which makes it a great time to consider upgrading or picking up a pair for someone as a gift. Whether you prefer over-ear headphones or in-ear wireless buds, you'll find steep discounts across all types for Prime Day.

Ninja Creami
Photo by Sam Rutherford / Engadget

The right kitchen tech can make all the difference in your cooking journey, whether you've just started to meal-prep or you have a multi-course Thanksgiving menu already planned. This fall Prime Day, we're seeing big discounts on some of our favorite small appliances from air fryers to pizza ovens to ice cream machines.

iRobot Roomba 694
iRobot

Everyone needs a vacuum, regardless of if you prefer to do the chore yourself or automate it with a robotic gadget. Plenty of top robot vacuums (and cordless vacuums) are on sale for Prime Day, along with a number of other smart home gadgets we recommend.

65-inch Samsung The Frame LED 4K TV
Samsung

Yes, Black Friday is right around the corner, but it would be unwise to sleep on Prime Day tech deals (particularly if you already pay the annual fee to be a Prime member). We're seeing steep discounts on smartphones, TVs, streaming devices, gaming gear and much more this time around, making it a good time to pick up something for yourself or cross a few items off your holiday shopping list early.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-prime-day-2024-the-best-deals-we-found-from-apple-anker-sony-lego-and-others-before-october-big-deal-days-ends-tonight-190039430.html?src=rss

Prime Day TV deals include LG C4 OLED smart TVs at record-low prices

Amazon's October Prime Day sale kicked off today, and it includes a nice little savings on one of this year's highest-rated OLED TVs. We're referring LG's C4 OLED smart TV lineup, which has dropped in price, bringing the 55-inch model down to a record low of $1,297 — that's roughly $700 off. While it's typical to see TV prices fall throughout the year, starting basically soon after the TVs get announced, that doesn't change the fact that these are some of the steepest discounts we've seen since the C4 launched. You can save hundreds of dollars on other sizes, too.

As a refresher, the C4 is the company’s mid-grade line of OLED TVs. Each model includes the updated Alpha 9 Gen 7 chip, which makes menu navigation much snappier. They also boast improved brightness when compared to previous models. These TVs almost hit 1,000 nits of brightness, which is a little dimmer than a Mini LED panel and not quite on par with some sets that use advanced QD-OLED panels, but still better than many OLED alternatives.

There’s a maximum refresh rate of 144Hz, which is fast enough to get the most out of a PS5 or Xbox Series X and good for PC gaming as well. Along those lines, these sets are compatible with G-Sync and AMD FreeSync. The PC gaming bona-fides are strong with this one. 

One of the cool features of this smart TV is enhanced compatibility with LG soundbars. Newly-released soundbars will connect wirelessly to the television, clearing away the endless clutter of cables from the living room. 

The 65-inch model is also on sale for $1,497, which is a good $200 off that set's usual street price over the last few months. And for the big spenders, the massive 83-inch version is available for $3,997. That's $1,403 or so off that model's typical price.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prime-day-tv-deals-include-lg-c4-oled-smart-tvs-at-record-low-prices-184104211.html?src=rss

Fujifilm GFX100S II review: Outstanding performance at a reduced price

Fujifilm’s original GFX100S was a popular alternative to the GFX100, as it offered the same picture quality in a slimmer body at a much lower price. It did have some flaws, though, most notably its autofocus that didn’t always keep up with the subject. In a similar vein, the company recently released the $5,000 GFX100S II as a smaller and cheaper alternative to the $7,500 flagship GFX100 II. It looks much the same as before, but has an updated sensor, processor, autofocus and more.

Both cameras are clearly aimed at pros, but is the GFX100 II worth the extra $2,500, or is the S model fine for most? 

At 1.9 pounds, the GFX100S II weighs an ounce less than its predecessor and its body's design and controls are nearly the same. As before, it comes with a mode dial and focus selector switch, dual control dials, drive select buttons and a quick menu. On top is a small, always-on display that shows settings, simulated mode dials and a histogram. That way, you can see all your key settings when shooting at hip level.

It feels a lot more like a mirrorless than a classic medium format camera. It handles well, but after spending time with both models, I prefer the GFX100 II’s larger body and extra controls, even though it's five ounces heavier.

Fujifilm GFX100S II review: Outstanding performance at a reduced price
Steve Dent for Engadget

The rear 3.2-inch, 2.36-million-dot-display is unchanged, tilting up, down and to the right, but it doesn't flip out. However, Fujifilm boosted the viewfinder’s resolution to 5.76 million dots, so it’s noticeably sharper than the last model’s 3.69-million-dot EVF.

The GFX100S II includes dual SD UHS-II card slots but lacks a high-speed CFexpress port like the GFX100 II. Though it uses the same battery as before, it can now shoot 540 photos on a charge, up from 530. Other features include USB-C, mic and headphone ports, along with a micro HDMI connection. A new feature is USB-SSD connectivity that allows for faster burst shooting and ProRes video capture.

Fujifilm GFX100S II review: Outstanding performance at a reduced price
Steve Dent for Engadget

The GFX100S II does shoot faster than its predecessor at up to 7 fps compared to 5 fps in mechanical shutter mode. Without a fast CFexpress card, though, you can only capture about 30 compressed RAW frames before the buffer fills. There’s also a slight image quality penalty as the camera downshifts from 16- to 14-bit RAW images when shooting bursts. Fortunately, most of the frames are likely to be sharp thanks to some big autofocus improvements. Even with the faster burst speeds, I noticed a large boost in the percentage of sharp photos when shooting quick moving subjects.

The AF improvements don’t end there. AI face and eye tracking is smarter and more accurate, meaning your subject's eye and not their eyelash is more likely to be in focus — something that’s critical with 100 megapixels of resolution. Fujifilm also introduced new subject tracking modes for animals, birds, automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, airplanes and trains.

In-body stabilization also gets an upgrade, with eight stops in shake reduction compared to six before. That allows you to capture dimly lit scenes or blur movement at shutter speeds as low as a half second, without the need for a tripod. As with the previous model, rolling shutter distortion is a real problem with this camera in electronic mode, so neither you nor your subject can move much when using it. Otherwise, you’ll get some nasty skewing that will ruin your photo.

For pro photographers who can afford it, the GFX100S II offers unmatched image quality. The 100-megapixel sensor delivers pin-sharp photos and 16-bit RAW pixel depth that delivers 14 stops of dynamic range, beating most other mirrorless cameras. That means you can shoot in very dark, bright or contrasty conditions and retain detail in all parts of the photo.

Fujifilm’s color science is ideal for portrait work, with accurate and pleasing skin tones. The level of detail means prints can be blown up to very large sizes, nearly 40 x 30 inches at 300 pixels per inch (PPI). The resolution and precision color rendering also makes it ideal for landscape photography, art archival work and more.

The outstanding RAW quality lets photographers perform detailed post-production work without hurting image quality, even on shots not exposed correctly. In low-light, you’ll start to see a fair amount of noise above ISO 8000 or so. However, a lot of that grain disappears when you shrink those 100-megapixel images down to a more reasonable size.

Fujifilm GFX100S II review: Outstanding performance at a reduced price
Nathanael Charpentier for Engadget

At the same time, JPEG images are outstanding straight out of the camera. Like other Fuji models, the GFX100S II comes with an array of film simulations, from the new Reala Ace to Velvia, Acros and others. Most pro photographers like to tweak their images, but many may shoot both RAW and JPEG with film simulations so they can show their clients something right away and make detailed adjustments later on.

Unlike the more expensive GFX100 II, video is a weak point with this camera. Resolution is limited to 4K 10-bit, and while there’s no cropping, there’s considerable pixel binning that reduces sharpness. You can capture 10-bit 4:2:2 ProRes video at up to 30fps, though that entails hooking up an SSD drive. There aren’t really any slo-mo modes, as both 4K and 1080p recording are limited to 60fps.

While video lacks the sharpness seen on other mirrorless cameras like the Sony A1, color rendering is excellent. You can also improve dynamic range by shooting in Fujifilm’s FLog or FLog2 modes and applying a LUT later on in post.

Rolling shutter in video mode is reduced compared to photos because of the pixel binning, but you still need to be careful not to move the camera too much to avoid excessive wobble and skewing. The in-body stabilization is only effective for handheld shooting without much movement. If you try to walk while vlogging, you’ll see some severe jolts. All told, I’d say the Fujifilm GFX100S II is mostly a photo camera, with video available for emergency use only.

Fujifilm GFX100S II review: Outstanding performance at a reduced price
Steve Dent for Engadget

The $5,000 Fujifilm GFX100S II gives professionals outstanding picture quality at a significantly reduced price over the $7,500 flagship GFX100 II. It even goes beyond what buyers might expect by offering fairly quick burst shooting with autofocus that’s much more reliable than on the original GFX100S. Video isn’t a strong point, but that won’t be important for its target market.

The GFX100S II is also the cheapest camera in the mainstream medium format space, with its primary competition being either the GFX100 II or Hasselblad’s $8,200 X2D100C. I’d highly recommend it for portraits and other types of shooting where detail is key. However, burst speeds and autofocus still aren’t quite good enough in fast moving scenarios.

Those who need more speed and reliability for things like weddings or live events would be better off with high-resolution full-frame models like the $3,700 Nikon Z8, $6,500 Sony A1 or Canon’s new $4,300 EOS R5 II.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/fujifilm-gfx100s-ii-review-outstanding-performance-at-a-reduced-price-153020497.html?src=rss

Amazon Prime Day 2024: The best early deals ahead of the October Big Deal Days sale and everything we know about the event so far

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is back this year, returning on October 8 and 9. The “fall Prime Day” of sorts has served as the online retailer’s unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season for the past few years.

We expect most of the deals to be Prime exclusives, meaning you must be an active Prime subscriber to get the discounts. There are always a couple of deals available for everyone, though, so it’s worth perusing Amazon’s site even if you don’t pay for Prime. It’s also worth doing so now because we’ve found a number of solid early Prime Day deals already available. These are the best of the bunch; we’ll be updating this post regularly in the lead-up to October Prime Day, so check back for the latest deals.

Apple AirPods 4
Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget

In addition to discounts on iPads and Apple Watches, you can save a bit on the new AirPods 4 right now. AirTags have a slight discount as well, both in single and multi-packs.

Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020)
Valentina Palladino / Engadget

It's a safe bet that we'll see even more Amazon gear discounted on October Prime Day, but for now, you can snag a Fire tablet on sale, as well as Ring and Blink security cameras for much cheaper than usual.

Google Pixel Buds Series A
Engadget

Early Prime Day deals on tech include discounts on robot vacuums, webcams, smart plugs and more. There are also wireless earbuds and smartphones that you can grab for cheap, along with storage gear and power banks.

Paramount+
Paramount+

While these discounts aren't technically October Prime day tech deals, we'd be remiss not to mention them. While sales on streaming services are becoming more common, there isn't as much rhyme or reason to them as there is to, say, Amazon's Prime Day sale cycle. That said, if you see a discount on a service you've been meaning to try, it's worthwhile to jump on it.

October Prime Day will be held on October 8 and 9 this year.

October Prime Day is a members-only sale event run by Amazon in which the online retailer has thousands of sales on its site that are exclusively available to those with an active Prime members.

October Prime Day will last two full days.

Most October Prime Day deals will not be revealed until the days of the event. However, in years past, we've seen everything from clothing to household essentials to outdoor gear go on sale during this event. Engadget cares most about tech deals, and in past fall Prime Days, we've seen things like phones, tablets, headphones, earbuds, robot vacuums, smart home gear and more receive deep discounts.

Yes, because most deals will be Prime exclusives. However, there are always a few decent deals available to all Amazon shoppers, so it's worth checking out Amazon's site during October Prime Day to see where you can save even if you don't pay for Prime.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice in the lead up to October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-prime-day-2024-the-best-early-deals-ahead-of-the-october-big-deal-days-sale-and-everything-we-know-about-the-event-so-far-050506744.html?src=rss

The best early Amazon Prime Day deals to shop before October Big Deal Days

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is back this year, returning on October 8 and 9. The “fall Prime Day” of sorts has served as the online retailer’s unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season for the past few years. We expect most of the deals to be Prime exclusives, meaning you must be an active Prime subscriber to get the discounts. There are always a couple of deals available for everyone, though, so it’s worth perusing Amazon’s site even if you don’t pay for Prime. It’s also worth doing so now because we’ve found a number of solid early Prime Day deals already available. These are the best of the bunch; we’ll be updating this post regularly in the lead-up to October Prime Day, so check back for the latest deals.

Apple AirPods 4
Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget

While Apple deals are few and far between right now, you can save a bit on the new AirPods 4. AirTags have a slight discount as well, both in single and multi-packs.

Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020)
Valentina Palladino / Engadget

It's a safe bet that we'll see even more Amazon gear discounted on October Prime Day, but for now, you can snag a Fire tablet on sale, as well as Ring and Blink security cameras for much cheaper than usual.

Logitech Brio 500
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

Early Prime Day deals on tech include discounts on power banks, webcams, smart plugs and more.

October Prime Day will be held on October 8 and 9 this year.

October Prime Day is a members-only sale event run by Amazon in which the online retailer has thousands of sales on its site that are exclusively available to those with an active Prime members.

October Prime Day will last two full days.

Most October Prime Day deals will not be revealed until the days of the event. However, in years past, we've seen everything from clothing to household essentials to outdoor gear go on sale during this event. Engadget cares most about tech deals, and in past fall Prime Days, we've seen things like phones, tablets, headphones, earbuds, robot vacuums, smart home gear and more receive deep discounts.

Yes, because most deals will be Prime exclusives. However, there are always a few decent deals available to all Amazon shoppers, so it's worth checking out Amazon's site during October Prime Day to see where you can save even if you don't pay for Prime.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice in the lead up to October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-early-amazon-prime-day-deals-to-shop-before-october-big-deal-days-050506937.html?src=rss

Amazon announces the return of Prime Big Deal Days on October 8 and 9

We knew Amazon would revive its Prime Big Deal Days sale event this fall, but we didn’t know the exact dates until today. The online retailer announced that the sale event will return this year on October 8 and 9, giving us all the more reason to call it October Prime Day as we have done in years past. This is the third iteration of the fall sale event that Amazon has used as its (un)official kickoff to the holiday shopping season, and there are already discounts to be had as we see early October Prime Day deals pop up.

Prime Day in July remains Amazon’s marquee sale event for Prime members, but ever since its debut in 2022, October Prime Day provides subscribers with thousands of exclusive deals to shop during the two-day window. In turn, it also provides Amazon a way to boost sales during the same time period and, arguably more importantly, increase the number of overall Prime subscribers. While we expect most of the deals during Prime Big Deal Days to be exclusively for Prime members, there are always a few thrown in that are available to all Amazon shoppers.

As for the deals we expect, it’s a safe bet that Amazon’s own devices will be on sale: things like Echo speakers, Kindle ereaders, Blink security cameras and more. We usually see tech like wireless earbuds, speakers, robot vacuums and SSDs go on sale during events like this as well. While it might feel too early to even think about holiday shopping, it’s a good idea to entertain. If history is any indication, the sale prices we see during October Prime Day will be similar (and in some cases, the same) as those we see during Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year. If you can shop early and cross a few things off your list, we recommend doing so.

You can also expect to see some “Lightning deals” happen during October Prime Day. Thankfully, these are usually clearly labeled with the amount of time remaining to grab the sale price noted on the product page. In our experience, only a handful of these flash deals are actually worth your money — but if you see something that’s been on your wishlist drop in price for only a few hours, it’s in your best interest to grab it immediately.

To give you an idea of what we could expect to see during October Prime Day this year, these are a few of the standout deals we saw during the 2023 event:

Engadget will be covering October Prime Day in full, so if you have a lot of tech on your to-buy list, be sure to check back here on Prime Day for the best tech sales we can find. We’ll be sure to include gadgets from across the board – from headphones to robot vacuums to gaming gear. The volume of deals will be daunting, but we sift through them all and pick out the best ones to make Prime Day a bit easier for you.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-announces-the-return-of-prime-big-deal-days-on-october-8-and-9-050356758.html?src=rss