Amazon’s second Prime-related event for 2023 is officially called Prime Big Deal Days and will happen October 10 and 11. This is the second year in a row for a fall-based, site-wide Amazon sale and we’re already seeing discounts pop up. You’ll need a Prime membership to access many of the deals, though a few are available to everyone. This week, there are early Prime Day deals on the AirPods Pro, Blink’s Video Doorbell and Outdoor cameras, Amazon Music Unlimited, Eero 6 mesh Wi-Fi systems and Amazon Fire Omni smart TVs. We’re also seeing lower-than-usual prices on Bluetooth speakers, microSD cards, gaming mice and other wireless headphones we recommend in various buying guides. Here are the best early October Prime Day deals you can get right now.
Apple AirPods Pro
Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget
Apple’s AirPods Pro are the “best for iOS” pick in our wireless earbuds buying guide, as they provide pleasing audio quality, strong active noise cancellation (ANC) and a range of iPhone-friendly features.
Amazon has the USB-C and Lightning models of Apple’s AirPods Pro on sale for $199 and $200, respectively, which is roughly $50 off Apple’s list price. Best Buy has both pairs for $200 as well. The new USB-C model adds improved dust resistance and support for lossless audio with the upcoming Vision Pro headset alongside the updated charging port, though the two pairs are otherwise identical. In any event, we consider the AirPods Pros the best wireless earphones for those who use an iPhone or lots of Apple devices. They still deliver excellent noise cancellation, a pleasingly warm sound profile and a variety of Apple-specific features such as hands-free Siri access, Find My device tracking and quick pairing and switching between iPhones, iPads and MacBooks. With a recent update, they’ve also gained a useful “Adaptive Audio” mode that blends the pair’s ANC and transparency modes dynamically based on your surroundings.
Blink Video Doorbell + Outdoor cameras
Blink
Prime members can take $140 off this bundle of budget-friendly Blink security cameras.
Prime members can grab a Blink Video Doorbell and two third-generation Blink Outdoor cameras for $100, which is an all-time low. In recent months, this bundle has gone for $240, though Blink recently released a fourth-gen Outdoor camera with improved video quality, a wider field of view and person detection alerts (with a Blink subscription plan).
Still, if price is your main concern, the last-gen model should suffice, as should the Video Doorbell. Both Blink devices provide serviceable 1080p video during the day, night vision, two-way audio, motion detection alerts and Alexa support. They’re relatively simple to install, and each is rated for up to two years of battery life off a pair of AA batteries. Amazon says the bundle also includes Blink’s Sync Module 2, which is required for local storage and access to on-demand live feeds. The two are relatively basic in terms of features — there’s no direct support for Google Assistant or Apple HomeKit, for instance — and there are better options for video quality, especially at night. But if you just need the basics, this is a decent value. We highlight the Blink Outdoor in our smart home gadgets buying guide.
Amazon Music Unlimited
Amazon
New subscribers can get three months of Amazon’s premium music streaming service for free. Those who also subscribe to Amazon Prime get a four-month free trial.
If you’ve never subscribed to Amazon Music Unlimited, you can now get three months of the music streaming service for free. If you’re an Amazon Prime member who has never subscribed, that jumps to four months. Music Unlimited usually comes with a one-month free trial and goes for $11 a month — or $10 if you use Prime — so this deal saves you either $22 or $30. We highlight Music Unlimited in our guide to the best music streaming services: Its UI and music discovery features aren’t as robust as Apple Music or Spotify, but it offers a large library in CD streaming quality and a wide podcast selection. Naturally, it also works well with Echo speakers and other Amazon devices. Note that your subscription will be set to auto-renew by default, so you’ll have to manually cancel if you’re just looking to snag a few months of music streaming at no cost.
Kasa Smart Bulbs
Kasa Smart
A four-pack of one of our favorite smart bulbs is on sale for 35 percent off when you clip the $6 on-page coupon.
Smart lightbulbs like these not only adjust to whatever color you want, you can also control them with the app or just your voice (and a compatible smart speaker). Kasa’s KL125 bulbs made the cut as the budget pick in our guide to smart bulbs because they are easy to install, easy to use and pack a ton of features. Right now a four-pack is down to $26 with an on-page coupon, which is a 35 percent discount off this bundle’s list price.
Eero Pro 6E mesh Wi-Fi system
eero
An Eero Pro 6E three pack will give you Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, up to 6,000 square feet of coverage and a built-in smart home hub.
Amazon has discounted most of its Eero 6 Wi-Fi systems as an early Prime Day deal, including the most powerful of the bunch, the Eero Pro 6E. You can pick up one router for $180, or spring for a three-pack for $400, both of which are down to record-low prices. Devices with support for Wi-Fi 6E can connect directly to the Eero’s 6 GHz radio band, and if you get the three-pack, you’ll get up to 6,000 square feet of coverage — more than enough for most homes. These Eeros have a built-in smart home hub as well, so you don’t need to have an extra device if you want to build out an IoT ecosystem in your house.
Tribit StormBox Micro 2
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget
Clip the on-page coupon to take about $14 off the typical price for this ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker we recommend.
The Tribit StormBox Micro 2 is down to $46 at Amazon when you clip the 5 percent on-page coupon. That’s about $14 below its usual price. We recommend the StormBox Micro 2 as an compact, budget-friendly option in our guide to the best portable Bluetooth speakers. Its small size means it’s not the loudest or fullest-sounding thing, but it plays well for what it is, and it’s easy to take on the road. It has a built-in strap for attaching to things like backpacks or bike handlebars, plus it can double as a power bank for your smartphone in a pinch. It’s also IP67-rated, so it’s dustproof and water-resistant enough to survive a shower or drop in the pool.
EarFun Air Pro 3
Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget
This deal takes $24 off the runner up pick in our guide to the best budget wireless earbuds.
Amazon has the EarFun Air Pro 3 on sale for $56, which is within a few dollars of the price we saw during July’s Prime Day event. Normally, these noise-cancelling true wireless earphones retail for $80. The Air Pro 3s are the runner up pick in our guide to the best budget wireless earbuds, as they offer effective ANC, IPX5-rated water resistance, wireless charging, multi-device pairing, a relatively stable design and battery life in the six- to seven-hour range. The sound goes hard on the bass and treble by default, which can be fun for hip-hop and pop music, though you can rein it in slightly with a graphic EQ in EarFun’s companion app.
Samsung Pro Plus
Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget
This is the all-time low for a bundle that pairs the top pick in our microSD card buying guide with a USB card reader. The latter helps the card achieve faster read and write speeds on compatible devices.
If you need more storage for your Nintendo Switch, GoPro or anything else that accepts microSD cards, the 256GB version of the Samsung Pro Plus with Samsung’s USB reader is on sale for $22. We’ve seen the card alone fall as low as $20, but this matches the all-time low for the bundle with the reader, which helps the card get closer to its advertised read and write speeds — up to 180 MB/s and 130 MB/s for reading and writing, respectively — on devices that allow them. Normally, this SKU retails for $25. The Pro Plus is the top recommendation in our guide to the best microSD cards, as it delivered the fastest sequential write speeds and random performance of any card we tested and comes with a 10-year warranty.
Crucial X6 portable SSD
Crucial
Crucial’s palm-sized portable drive has read speeds up to 800MB/s and works with PCs, Macs, iPads and some game consoles.
Amazon has knocked up to 55 percent off Crucial external and internal SSDs, including the 2TB Crucial X6 portable SSD for $90. That’s 55 percent off and only $10 more than it was during Prime Day in July. This drive has read speeds up to 800 MB/s and works with a variety of devices including Mac and Windows laptops, iPads and even some game consoles. It’s also quite small, so it will fit into nearly any bag when you need to take it on the go.
Apple Watch Ultra (1st gen)
Photo by Cherlynn Low / Engadget
The first generation of the Apple Watch Ultra with the orange band is down to $699, which is its lowest price yet.
The second generation of the Apple Watch Ultra is now available — but the new version isn’t significantly discounted. First-gen Apple Watch Ultras, however, has been discounted by $100 on Amazon, bringing them to $699 instead of $799. The discount only applies to the watch with the orange Alpine Loop in small. The medium and large bands are about a dollar more, and watches with different colored bands aren’t discounted. We gave the first Apple Watch Ultra an 85 in our review, praising its long battery life, bright display and useful fitness and health features. It doesn’t have the Ultra 2’s double-tap navigation system and S9 SiP (system-in-package) processor for on-board Siri requests, but if all you need is a rugged watch with lots of hiking, running and other activity features, now’s your chance to save.
Apple iPhone 15 FineWoven cases
Apple
Apple’s new leather-alternative cases for the iPhone 15 are already seeing their first discount.
In addition to announcing the iPhone 15 earlier this month, Apple also spent lots of time talking up the company’s environmental initiatives. One change eliminates all leather from Apple’s product lineup — and a new material called FineWoven will take its place on accessories like iPhone cases. Right now, Amazon is discounting those new FineWoven cases for the iPhone 15 by five percent. It’s a small discount, but if you’ve just dropped a grand on the new iPhone 15 Pro, even a little savings may help.
Logitech G203 Lightsync
Logitech
Clip the $5 coupon to see this deal on the top budget pick in our gaming mouse buying guide. Note that the discount only applies to the black model for now, though.
The black version of the Logitech G203 Lightsync is down to $20.49 at Amazon with a $5 on-page coupon. While this isn’t an all-time low, the device typically retails closer to $30. We recommend the G203 in our gaming mouse buying guide to those who want to pay as little as possible for something competent. It might be too small for those with large hands, its sensor isn’t the most advanced thing around, and its scroll wheel feels somewhat mushy, but it’s hard to do better at this price. The sturdy, ambidextrous shape should play well with those who use a fingertip or claw grip, it tracks accurately enough and, at 85g, it’s not crazy heavy.
Amazon Fire Omni QLED TVs
Amazon
Many of Amazon’s Omni QLED series TVs are on sale ahead of October’s Prime sales event.
All sizes of Amazon’s Fire TV Omni QLED Series are on sale ahead of October’s sale. The 43-, 50-, 55- and 65-inch models are down to $380, $400, $440 and $600, respectively. Those match or beat the prices we saw for July’s Prime Day. The Fire TV Omni QLED sets are best for people who like Amazon’s Fire interface, which is easy enough to figure out, though the OS tends to push you towards Amazon’s own content. Beyond that Fire TVs do a good job of integrating Alexa’s helpfulness with a useful voice remote, and hands-free smart home support. And if you don’t feel like having Alexa listening in, you can turn off the mics with a built-in switch.
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2
Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget
This matches the best price we’ve seen for this premium pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones.
The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 is on sale for $249 in select colors, which is about $120 below its average street price and tied for the best deal we’ve seen. The Px7 S2s are the runner up in our wireless headphone buying guide, and we gave them a review score of 85 last year. Its design is both comfortable and stylish, and its punchy sound should particularly appeal to bass lovers. While its ANC isn’t as effective as the best offerings from Sony or Bose, it’s strong enough to be useful. Call quality is just OK though. This deal comes after Bowers & Wilkins announced a revised model, the Px7 S2e, though at this price the older pair is still worth considering.
Samsung Galaxy S23 phones
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Our top pick for an Android smartphone is back down to $1,000.
All models of Samsung’s flagship S23 smartphones are on sale right now, including our pick for the best Android smartphone you can buy, the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The 256GB base model is down to $999 after a 17 percent, or $200, discount. The phone has been hitting that low regularly over the past few months, so if you’ve been thinking about getting one, it’s probably best to make your move when its at this price. The other two phones in the S23 lineup are also on sale, with the base model of the standard Galaxy S23 going for $700 and the S23+ going for $800, both of which are $100 discounts.
OnePlus 11 5G
Photo by Mat Smith / Engadget
OnePlus’ flagship phone is back down to its lowest price so far.
The OnePlus 11 5G is currently $100 off at Amazon. The Android handset has dropped to this price a few times before, but this deal matches its all-time low. This is the latest flagship phone from OnePlus, which earned an 83 in our review. It packs a powerful processor, a vivid screen and has a long-lasting battery that also happens to charge blazingly fast.
Motorola razr+
Photo by Cherlynn Low / Engadget
The runner up flip phone in our guide has only been on the market for a few months, but it’s already $100 off.
Motorola just released its new razr+ foldable flip phone a few months ago, but it’s already seeing a $100 discount at Amazon. We gave it a score of 85 in our review, noting that it was giving Samsung a little competition in the flip foldable category. It’s also the runner up flip option in our guide to foldable smartphones in part because its exterior display is a little easier to use than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5. Just keep in mind that its water resistance isn’t as substantial.
Your Fall Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s car experts on must-shop auto-related Prime Day deals and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.
