Surprise, surprise: another Prime Day is almost here. Though we just had a Prime Day sale in July, Amazon is hosting its Prime Big Deal Days event on Oct. 8-9, ahead of the busy holiday shopping season.
As someone who has researched and written about these deals events for over a year, I've noticed a lot of fake "deals" that run amok during sales like Prime Day. Brands will raise the price of a product ahead of a discount to make the deal look more attractive than it actually is. Since most people aren't checking the price of an e-reader five days ahead of Prime Day and two days after (like I do for my job), they won't see this trick and will think they're saving themselves some money. They aren't.
And often, the best deals are on Amazon-owned products, like Kindles, Echo speakers, and Ring doorbells, since Amazon has the most control over its merchandise during deals events. So if you're in the market for a new e-reader for yourself or your loved one (or you're already getting a start on holiday shopping -- kudos to you), now could be the time to buy a Kindle. Not every Kindle deal is worth your while, and I'll do my best to highlight the ones that are during this October Prime Day. While we wait for the official deals to take shape, peruse these deals on certain models and Kindle accessories below.
The international version of the Kindle Oasis is 50% off right now on Amazon, a substantial deal for a device with IPX8 water resistance and warm light adjustment. Read in the bathtub, on the beach, and on the go with this 7-inch Paperwhite display.
This is a nice alternative to a Kindle with a far cheaper price tag than the e-readers themselves, and you can still use the Kindle app on this device to read your favorite books while also streaming your shows on apps like Max and Netflix and tending to emails on Gmail. If you want a more versatile device for a cheaper price, this isn't a bad deal.
If you're in the market for the Kindle Scribe and would like the adapter and a leather cover included in your purchase, this bundle cuts down the price by $60. Draw, take notes, and annotate your favorite novels with the Scribe.
Amazon's October Prime Day takes place on Oct. 8 and 9, though you can expect some products to be discounted a few days ahead of and after the deals event.
For some Kindle products, 100% yes. We've seen Amazon slash the prices on Kindle Scribes and other models during its Prime Day deals events in the past. Your best bet is to buy one during these events when the deals are more substantial. Throughout the event, we'll call out when a deal is rare and when it's middling.
ZDNET only writes about deals we want to buy -- devices and products we desire, need, or would recommend. Our experts looked for deals that were at least 20% off (or are hardly ever on sale), using established price comparison tools and trackers to determine whether the deal is actually on sale and how frequently it drops.
We also looked over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the deals we're recommending. Our recommendations may also be based on our own testing -- in addition to extensive research and comparison shopping. The goal is to deliver the most accurate advice to help you shop smarter.