Though it’s only the beginning of October, the holiday shopping season will be here before you know it. Amazon’s October Prime Day sale (also known as Prime Big Deal Days) is the first major shopping event on the holiday calendar, and it kicks off on Oct. 7. And while that’s still a few days away, you don’t have to wait until then to save. The online retailer is already offering thousands of early bargains on top tech, home essentials and more.
To help you make the most of these early offers while we count down to the official sale, CNET’s shopping experts have rounded up some top picks below. We’re keeping our eyes on Amazon and its competitors around the clock, and will update this page as deals come and go, so be sure to check back.
You can also see great Prime Day picks from our sibling brands: Mashable, PCMag, ZDNET and Lifehacker.
Hottest early Prime Big Deal Days finds
Here are some eye-catching savings you won’t want to miss.
Apple Watch Series 10: $329
Apple’s latest wearable is the top smartwatch of 2025, and you can grab it at just $329 right now. This GPS model has a 42mm Always-On Retina display and all the top fitness and connection features you’d expect from our highest-recommended model. Colors are very limited.
Apple M3 iPad Air (11-inch): $537
Apple’s M3 iPad Air is its fastest yet, and it comes with a stunning 11-inch Liquid Retina display and superfast Wi-Fi 6E connectivity and it’s now even cheaper. Just note that prices vary by configuration.
The latest AirPods with active noise cancellation are dust-, sweat- and water-resistant, perfect for all your summer adventures. Even the spatial audio works with compatible content in supported apps. The non-ANC model is also at a discount, for $116.
Logitech Blue Yeti Mic: $105
If you’re hoping to up your audio game, whether that’s for recording a podcast, music, or videos, you’ll definitely need a good microphone. This deal reduces the Logitech Blue Yeti model by $36 on the black or midnight blue colors. Some other colors are also discounted, but not by as much. The Yeti works just as well for Zoom meetings.
Samsung Galaxy A9 Plus 11-inch tablet: $160
The Samsung Galaxy A9 Plus is down to just $159 right now. For this price you’ll get 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM, as well as an 11-inch display. Powered by Android and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor which works great for basic online tasks and video streaming.
This tablet’s regular price is $220. But right now, Amazon is slashing another $60 off that price.
Arlo Video Doorbell 2k: $60
The Arlo Video Doorbell 2k is slashed down from $130 to just $60 at Amazon right now. That’s a massive 54% discount on this handy little smart home security device that gives you the ability to watch, listen, and talk to anyone who graces your doorstep.
Best early Prime Day headphone and audio deals
There are sure to be tons of incredible deals on speakers, headphones and earbuds this Prime Day, making it a great time to upgrade. Here are a few we’ve spotted already.
Take your tunes anywhere with this rugged Bluetooth speaker. It’s got an IP67 dust- and water-resistance rating, and boasts 12 watts of peak power for robust sound. It also features an impressive 24-hour battery life and weighs in at just 12.6 ounces for serious portability. Just note that this deal is exclusive to Prime members.
Thanks to its sleek design, the Beats Pill has landed on our list of the best Bluetooth speakers of 2025. Our reviewer was impressed by its sound quality — particularly the bass definition thanks to its new updated woofer system — as well as the relative volume for its size. It also supports lossless audio with a wired USB-C connection, and delivers an IP67 weather-resistance rating so you can take it just about anywhere.
Soundcore P40i by Anker: $48
These super-budget-friendly earbuds are 40% off right now. Get big bass, up to 60 hours of playtime, adaptive noise cancellation and more — all for $48. These are also our top pick for the best cheap wireless earbuds.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen): $199
The AirPods Pro 2 are a fan favorite for good reason. They sport excellent sound quality, with active noise canceling, an adaptive transparency mode and spatial audio — all powered by Apple’s H2 chip.
Beats Studio Pro wireless headphones: $250
Noise-canceling, lossless audio, 40 hours of battery life and an array of stylish colors make the Beats Studio Pro very desirable headphones. And at $100 off, they’re even harder to resist.
More early Prime Day headphone and audio deals:
Best early Prime Day laptop, monitor and computer deals
I’ve found laptop and tablet bargains so you can get exactly what you need most at a great price.
Apple MacBook Air M4 (13-inch): $899
The M4 MacBook Air is the latest model in Apple’s lightweight lineup and our overall favorite laptop on the market right now. The basic model comes with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and there are plenty of more advanced configurations also on sale — including the 15-inch model for people who prefer a larger display.
ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 AMD (16″): $900
This laptop is built for everyday work and beyond. You get a roomy 16-inch screen, speedy 32GB memory and 1TB SSD storage to keep things running smoothly. With Ryzen 7, Windows 11 Pro, a fingerprint reader and long battery life, it’s a reliable laptop for your home or office. And right now, its $499 off on Amazon.
Apple’s smallest computer is also one of CNET’s picks for the best desktop computers of 2025. It comes in an ultra-compact design and offers a surprisingly strong performance for the size. And it is one of the easiest ways to get into the Mac ecosystems without spending a fortune.
More early Prime Day laptop, monitor and computer deals:
Best early TV and streaming Prime Day deals
Our shopping experts have found tons of TV deals this Prime Day. Here are some highlights.
Anker Nebula Capsule 3: $600
This compact Nebula projector allows you to enjoy shows and movies on a massive screen practically anywhere. It’s roughly the size of a 16-ounce can, so it can be easily carried in your backpack. However, it still boasts a maximum screen size of up to 120 inches. The device also has 1080p HD resolution and 200 lumens of brightness, and a built-in battery for up to 2.5 hours of playback on a single charge.
LG 65-inch OLED evo: $2,997
Our reviewer Ty Pendlebury rated this model the brightest OLED in 2025 in his roundup of the best TVs, calling it a massive improvement over the previous model. He writes, “The G5 has better color than the company’s own C5, and it’s a lot better for gaming, too.”
Roku Streaming Stick Plus: $29
One device to rule them all, the Roku Streaming Stick Plus brings 4K picture quality and access to all your favorite apps in a compact little device. You can even take it with you when you travel.
More early Prime Day TV deals:
Best early smart home Prime Day deals
We’ve gathered top smart home and networking deals, including some savings on Amazon devices.
Kasa Outdoor smart plug: $13
TP-Link Tapo A19 Wi-Fi smart LED bulbs (four-pack): $21
With 1100 lumens of brightness and a wide array of color options, these smart bulbs can brighten up any space in your home. You can control them with the Tapo app or via voice control with Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant to turn them on or off, change the colors and more.
More early smart home and networking Prime Day deals:
Best early Prime Day home and kitchen discounts
Score the top Prime Day deals on everything from kitchen appliances to home essentials.
Fullstar Original Pro Chopper: $27 with coupon
Make meal prep fast and easy with this 4-in-1 vegetable chopper and spiralizer. You get fine dice, medium dice, ribbon dicer and spiral blade. Clip the $3 off on-page coupon to save the full amount.
Alpha Grillers digital meat thermometer: $16
This digital thermometer makes it easy to check the temperature of your food while you’re cooking. It can be used for grilling, baking and more to make sure that each dish is being heated to the right temperature.
Cuisinart Espresso Bar espresso machine: $300
This machine has 20 bars of pressure. No more stopping by the coffee shop every morning. It even has a cold extraction feature for iced beverages.
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More early Prime Day home and kitchen deals:
When do Prime Deal Days deals begin?
Many Amazon Prime Day deals haven’t kicked off yet, but there are still some early discounts to be had. This year, October Prime Deal Days are scheduled to run Oct. 7 and 8. Although we’re still three weeks away, there are already deals you can start shopping, like those above.
Do I have to be an Amazon Prime member to shop Prime Day?
In short, no, you don’t have to be a Prime member to benefit from Prime Big Deal Days. However, in the past there were quite a few deals that were exclusive to Prime members. If you’ve always wanted the benefits of Prime but haven’t made the jump, consider this your excuse. Subscribing now could lead to significant savings as tariffs are expected to raise prices on a lot of goods. A CNET survey found that 64% of shoppers have bought or planned to buy tech products to avoid price increases or shortages. In fact, 16% of shoppers say they used the July Prime Day to start their holiday shopping ahead of the holiday season, according to a new RetailMeNot survey. (Disclosure: RetailMeNot is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
Read more: How to Sign Up for a Prime Membership
Previous Amazon Prime Day dates
Since Amazon launched its first Prime Day sale in 2015, the company has scheduled the event for around the same time of year. Outside of a couple of recent years, Amazon has traditionally kicked off its main sale event around the middle two weeks of July and its October sale in the second week of October.
Here are the previous Amazon Prime Day dates:
- Prime Day 2015: July 15
- Prime Day 2016: July 12
- Prime Day 2017: July 11 to 12
- Prime Day 2018: July 16 to 17
- Prime Day 2019: July 15 to 16
- Prime Day 2020: Oct. 13 to 14
- Prime Day 2021: June 21 to 22
- Prime Day 2022: July 12 to 13
- Prime Early Access Sale 2022: Oct. 11 to 12
- Prime Day 2023: July 11 to 12
- Prime Big Deal Days 2023: Oct. 10 to 11
- Prime Day 2024: July 16 to 17
- Prime Big Deal Days 2024: Oct. 8 to 9
- Big Spring Sale 2025: March 20 to 25
- Prime Day 2025: July 8 to 11
Will tariffs affect this year’s Prime Day deals?
Tariffs are top of mind for most Americans, and they could affect this year’s Prime Day event. Prices on items like electronics could very well increase, with companies like Apple trying to avoid tariffs by moving manufacturing operations elsewhere.
What is Prime Day?
Amazon began the annual Prime Day tradition in 2015. Ever since, bargain hunters have eagerly awaited its return every summer. The main Prime Day sale event has historically taken place in July. Amazon often has other sales throughout the year, including this second Prime Day-like sale in October and the Big Spring Sale in March.
This year’s October Prime Big Deals Day is almost here. We’ll be covering all the essentials, including everything from signing up for Amazon Prime and returning Prime Day purchases to getting Prime Day deals free and using extra Prime perks.
How we choose deals
CNET has a team of shopping experts and deal hunters who have operated across major sales events for many years, making sure you understand when a deal is worth taking advantage of or when it’s worth skipping. Whether it’s for Black Friday, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July or Prime Day, we have the expertise to make sure you get the best deal possible.
To do this, we look for real discounts, quality reviews and remaining sale time when choosing an offer to show you.
- Real discounts mean real discounts. We look at the price history for that product to make sure no manufacturers are inflating prices to make the discount seem more substantial than it is.
- Quality reviews are equally important for any product, but particularly for deeply discounted items. If it breaks the first time you use it, the discount isn’t really worthwhile.
- Remaining sale time is a huge part of our vetting process. If a deal seems like it will only be around for a short while or will only be available for the remaining stock, we’ll let you know in advance, so you don’t return later only to be disappointed.
We are also considering the rising costs associated with tariffs to help you find items worth buying now.
How to keep up with the best Prime Day sales
There are a lot of ways to ensure you’re getting the latest scoop on Prime Day offers. The CNET Deals team covers all the best price drops, discounts and deals every day from across the web, highlighting the best offers. We’ll be tracking all the major retailer sales around October Prime Day and sharing the promotions you need to hear about and there are plenty of ways to hear from us.
One option is to bookmark CNET.com/deals to check out our latest coverage. You can also subscribe to our CNET Cheapslate newsletter for a daily digest of deals delivered to your inbox. Another great option is to sign up for CNET Deals text alerts for curated deals during major shopping events. Remember to add CNET as a preferred Google source on Chrome so you won’t miss any of CNET’s expert tech coverage. Our deals team continually scopes out the best available offers to help ensure the purchases you make all year round will be at the lowest price.
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