Amazon Prime Day 2018: new tech deals and great discounts

What is Amazon Prime Day?

Amazon Prime Day 2018 marks the 23rd anniversary since Amazon's website went live selling books. To celebrate, Amazon offers a ton of deals only for Prime members.

The official sale period is July 16-17, 2018, but many deals start earlier.

The sales event started at 12 PM Pacific/3 PM Eastern and lasts for 36 hours, making it the longest it has ever been. Over this time there'll just be too many deals to keep track of them all, but we've taken the time to present the best of the best tech-focused discounts for you.

What is Amazon Prime? 

In order to get the Amazon Prime Day deals, you need to be an Amazon Prime member. Being a member has its benefits well beyond being able to join in the Amazon Prime Day sales festivities.

With an Amazon Prime membership you'll get free next day shipping on any purchase through Amazon Prime, and most common items on the site plus free same-day delivery on select items. You also get access to over one million songs with tons of playlists and stations. You can stream popular movies and TV shows for free, including original content from Amazon. And, for you avid readers out there, you can enjoy over 800,000 free e-books. Plus, as of June 27, Prime members get exclusive discounts at Whole Foods.

An Amazon Prime membership is only $119 per year or $12.99 per month. But you can sign up for a free 30 day trial of the program now risk-free and get access to this year's Amazon Prime Day event. Head over and give it a try, signing up is quick and easy.

Can I do Amazon Prime Day shopping without an Amazon Prime membership?

Sort of. If you don't have an Amazon Prime membership, then your best option is to grab a 30-day Amazon Prime free trial. If you've done this previously and your trial's expired, another option is to find a family member who's an Amazon Prime subscriber and ask to join their Amazon Household account.

A cheap, but not free, method of joining the Amazon Prime Day extravaganza is by being a student, in which case you're entitled to get an Amazon Prime membership for 50% off the usual price. For a limited time, students also get a 6-month free trial. You can sign up here.

What are the best Amazon Prime Day deals? 

Throughout the actual sale we will update this page with all of the best tech deals, so you won't have to search through the mountain of products to find the hidden gems.

ILIFE A4s Robot Vacuum Cleaner $55 off (sponsored)

It's time to delegate the tedious task of cleaning our floors to the robots, and you won't find a better deal than with the ILIFE A4s Robot Vacuum Cleaner. Thanks to a cutting edge suction system and sensor array, this machine will annihilate the dirt in your home, even in those trick-to reach spots. Not only does the A4s last for 140 mins on the battery, but it even knows how to return to the charging station and power itself up. Want to know more? Get to know all about the ILIFE robot range right here at http://www.iliferobot.com/

• Get the ILIFE A4s Robot Vacuum Cleaner for just $124.99 (original price: $179.99) from July 15 1:00AM PDT - July 17 23:59 PM PDT.

AZDOME 4K Dash Cam GS63H $25 off (sponsored)

A dash cam can be the ultimate guarantee of peace of mind while driving, and Amazon will be having two flash sales on one of the best in the market. The AZDOME 4k Dash Cam GS63H boasts ultra high quality video recording, even at night. Everything is controllable in fine detail via the LuckyCam companion app, and integrated GPS Geo-Tagging records precise GPS data into the video files so you can accurately check vehicle location/speed/route on Google Maps.

• Get the AZDOME 4K Dash Cam GS63H for just $63.99 (original price: $89.99) on July 22: 5:00-11:00 AM (PDT)

Kitchen appliances

• Instant Pot Ultra 3 Qt 10-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker for $85.95 down from $119.95​​​​​
• Anova Culinary A2.2-120V-US Sous Vide Precision Cooker for just $75 (down from $149)

Save $5 on book orders

Remember when Amazon was an online bookstore? For actual paper books you could hold in your hand. Amazon hasn't, and Amazon Prime Day is a good opportunity to give literature some love. With the promo code PRIMEBOOKS18, you can get $5 off any book order over $20 to start with. Given that many books on Amazon are already discounted, that's just some extra sweet icing on the cake.

Best Amazon Echo deals

• Amazon Echo Dot + TP-Link Bundle for $40 (down from $80)
• Amazon Echo (2nd Generation) for $70 (down from $100)
• $100 off the Amazon Echo Show, selling for $129
• $100 off the Amazon Echo look, selling for $99
• The Echo Dot 2nd Gen for $29.99 ($20 off)
• The Echo Spot is selling for $100 ($30 off)
• The Echo Dot Kids Edition for $60 ($20 off)
• The Echo Plus with Phillips Hue bulb is $100, ($50 off)

Smartphone deals (unlocked devices)

• Samsung Galaxy S8 Unlocked 64GB $499.99 (save $225)
• Samsung Galaxy S8+ Unlocked 64GB for $589 (save $235)
• Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge pre-owned for $280 down from $410
• Get the Razer phone for just $589 (save $235)
• The Huawei Mate 10 Pro for just $550 down from $800
• Galaxy Note 8 for $650 (originally $950)
• Honor View 10 for $400 down from $500

Best Kindle deals

• Grab a Kindle for just $50 ($30 discount)
• The Kindle Paperwhite is $80 ($40 discount)

TV deals

• The Fire TV Stick is $20 ($20 discount)
• The Fire TV Cube is $90 ($30 discount)
• The Fire TV with 4k Ultra HD and Alexa Voice remote is $35 ($35 discount)
• The Toshiba 50-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart TV is just $290 ($110 discount)
• TCL 32S305 32-Inch 720p Roku Smart LED TV (2017 Model) for $130 ($70 discount)

Fire Tablet deals

• The Fire 7 Tablet is $30 ($20 discount)
• The Fire HD 8 Tablet is $50 ($30 discount)
• The Fire HD 10 Tablet is $100 ($50 discount)
• The Fire 7 Kids Edition is $70 ($30 discount)
• The Fire HD 8 Kids Edition is $100 ($30 discount)

Smart home security device deals

• The Amazon Cloud Cam is $60, after a $60 discount.
• Blink Home Security Cam for 28% off
• Get the Ring Video Doorbell Pro for $174 ($75 discount)

DJI Drone deals

• DJI Mavic Pro Drone for $791.99 (down from $999.99).
• DJI Mavic Pro Drone - Fly More Combo for $999.99 (originally $1,299).
• DJI Spark Drone - Fly More Combo for $499.99 (down from $549).

EasyAcc high-tech accessories

• EasyAcc Mini Portable Bluetooth 4.1 Speaker for $17.49 (down from $24.99) with code: EASPEAKE
• EasyAcc Soft TPU Case for Samsung Galaxy S9 for $3.19 (down from $7.99) with code: 4CUS85UG
• EasyAcc Leather Wallet Case for iPhone X for $5.99 (down from $11.99) with code: OAYY8OGP

More fantastic deals

• GoPro Hero Session Camera for $99.99 down from $149
• SanDisk 128 GB micro SD Memory Card for just $23.88 (70% discount)
• Huge discounts on Phillips Hue light bulbs
• Nintendo Switch with Joy-Con + SanDisk 64GB microSDXC + $20 Nintendo GC for $299.99 ($60 off)
• Sony WH-CH700N Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones for just $98 ($100 off)
• iRobot Roomba 671 Robot Vacuum for $229.99 (save $120)
• The Fire HD 10 Tablet with Echo Dot bundle is just $149, saving you $50.
• The Fire TV Cube with Cloud Security Camera is $40 off, now selling for $199.
• Save up to 50% on select Prime movies and TV shows
• Get first 3 months of Audible for 65% off
• Get 4 months of on-demand Amazon Music for $0.99
• Chances to win free games from Twitch Prime through July 18
• Save 30% on vitamins from Amazon brands
• Save up to 25% on furniture and decor from Stone & Beam and Rivet
• Save up to 20% off on AmazonBasics' luggage, home products and more
• Save up to 25% on snacks and drinks

The Amazon Prime Day landing page will be updated many times during sale, but the link can already be found here with more details.

What are Amazon Prime lightning deals?

Amazon's lightning deals are offers which usually last for only several hours and can arrive from every product category. You'll have to act fast to cash in on them, but Amazon's dedicated shopping app can be set up with push notifications so you never miss a bargain. You can find out how to set these up here.

What are Amazon Prime Day spotlight deals? 

Amazon's spotlight deals are where you'll find the biggest saving on top brands. These offers run until they are out of stock, and they are best deals you'll find on Prime Day.

Are you on a shopping spree this Amazon Prime Day? Let us know what bargains you've picked up in the comments below.

Source: Tom's Guide