Amazon Prime Day Starts July 16 — but You Can Shop These Deals Now

It’s official: Amazon Prime Day 2018 will start on July 16.

Amazon announced today that the event will last 36 hours — up from 30 hours last year — running from 3 p.m. ET July 16 through July 17.

Prime Day 2018

Prime Day is Amazon’s colossal annual sale. This year, it will involve more than 1 million deals worldwide, according to Amazon.

Here’s a taste of what the company says you can expect:

• “The biggest deals yet” on Alexa-enabled devices: Alexa is what’s known as an intelligent personal assistant — like Apple’s Siri, for example. Alexa comes with Amazon's compatible "smart" devices like Echo, and it allows you to operate those devices hands-free, using only your voice.
• 50 percent more Spotlight Deals: Amazon describes these as “featuring our deepest discounts on top brands and the most popular products.”
• Prime Day Launches: Described as “exclusive new items, content and special-edition products from hundreds of well-known and emerging brands,” these are new to Prime Day this year.
• Deals and offers from Whole Foods Market: The Amazon-owned grocery store chain will participate in Prime Day for the first time this year.
• Early deals: “All kinds of exclusive offers and deals” will be available every day leading up to Prime Day.

How to take advantage of Prime Day — for free

Prime Day is named after Prime, Amazon’s membership program that offers subscribers an ever-growing array of perks.

Those perks include access to Prime Day, meaning the event is only for Prime members. You don’t have to pay for a membership to be able to partake in Prime Day, though.

As Amazon states in its Prime Day announcement, “Anyone can join Prime or start a 30-day free trial at amazon.com/primeday to participate in Prime Day.”

Click the yellow “GET STARTED” button to sign up for the free trial.

Just note that when your trial ends, you will be charged for a Prime membership unless you cancel it. So, if you decide you don’t want to pay for a membership after taking advantage of Prime Day, remember to cancel in time.

Early deals

Amazon says it will reveal offers and deals every day leading up to Prime Day — starting today.

Here are the Prime Day deals that you can shop right now, as described by Amazon:

• Echo Show: Save $100 on Echo Show, which brings you everything you love about Alexa, and can show you things. Make video calls or watch video flash briefings, movies and TV shows, see music lyrics, smart home cameras, photos, weather forecasts, and more. All hands-free — just ask.
• Amazon Brands: Find our lowest prices on products from collections available exclusively on Amazon, including up to 25 percent off furniture and decor from Rivet and Stone & Beam, up to 20 percent off AmazonBasics items, and 30 percent off everyday essentials from Presto!, Mama Bear and Solimo, among others.
• Prime Video, DVDs and Blu-Ray: Save up to 50 percent on popular movies and TV shows on digital, DVD and Blu-Ray.
• Amazon Music: Prime members who haven’t yet tried Amazon Music Unlimited can get four months of the premium, on-demand service with access to tens of millions of songs and hands-free listening, for just $0.99.
• Twitch Prime: Members can enjoy hundreds of hours of free gameplay as Twitch Prime gives away a free PC game every day through July 18, including titles like Pillars of Eternity and Brutal Legend. Members will also receive exclusive in-game loot for Warframe and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.
• Kindle Unlimited and e-books: Prime members who haven’t yet tried Kindle Unlimited will have access to three months of unlimited reading for just $0.99. Buy your first Kindle book and get a $10 Prime Day credit valid towards e-books, print books and Audible.
• Audible: Eligible Prime members can get their first three months at more than 65 percent off for $4.95 a month.

So, what are your initial thoughts about Prime Day 2018? What are you most excited for? Let us know below or on Facebook.