Amazon Prime Day is coming. The biggest sale event of the year – bar Black Friday – will take place this summer. Details are yet to be confirmed, but we do know one thing for sure – there will be deals aplenty.
They'll be on all kinds of devices too, from headphones and soundbars to tablets, TVs and Bluetooth speakers. If it creates sound or a picture, chances are it'll have a hefty discount.
So when is Amazon Prime Day 2023? How long will it last? What kind of discounts can we expect? And how do you become eligible without paying a penny? We'll answer all of these and more below...
- Our pick of the best headphones deals
- Check out the best soundbar deals around
- And the best TV deals
What is Amazon Prime?
First things first: in order to be eligible for Prime Day discounts, you need Amazon Prime. This is effectively a membership fee that gives you 'free' unlimited one-day delivery (in select areas) on millions of items bought from Amazon, the Prime Video and Amazon Music streaming services (but not Amazon Music Unlimited – that costs extra), free ebooks, and the ability to share some of these benefits with others in your household.
Amazon Prime costs £8.99 a month, or £95 if you pay yearly (saving you £12.88 compared to paying monthly). Students pay £4.49 a month or £47.49 a year. Changed your mind? You can cancel your Prime membership on the Manage Prime Membership page. And if you haven't placed a Prime-eligible order or used any of your Prime benefits, you'll be refunded in full.
There's an Amazon Prime free trial, too. Sign up, select 'Start my free trial', and you'll have access to Prime for 30 days with nothing to pay. That means you can sign up, take advantage of the deals, and then cancel your trial before the 30-day period ends and not be charged your second month's fee for Prime. Not that we would condone such behaviour, of course.
In order to be eligible for the trial, you can't have subscribed to Prime in the last 12 months.
What is Amazon Prime Day?
Prime Day began in 2015 as a celebration of the Amazon's 20th anniversary. While other online retailers get involved in the Black Friday bargain bun fight, Prime Day is generally all about Amazon, though you might see other retailers lowering prices at the same time in order to stay competitive.
Prime Day is a big sale that encompasses most areas of the Amazon site – as well as audio-visual gear, you'll find discounts on toasters, books, clothes, and pretty much anything that Amazon sells. And that's a lot!
You'll need to be a Prime member to take advantage of the best Prime Day offers. Not yet a member? Amazon Prime's free trial gives you the option to sign up, bag a few bargains on Prime Day, and cancel your membership without paying a penny. You scallywag, you.
When does Amazon Prime Day 2023 start?
Amazon hasn't announced the dates for Prime Day 2023 yet. But it usually takes place over more than one day. Last year's event took place on 12-13th July, while 2021's happened on 21st-22nd June. So expect a late June/early July date this year.
When does Amazon Prime Day 2023 end?
Again, Amazon hasn't named the dates for Prime Day 2023 yet. But going by recent events, we would expect it to end 48 hours after it begins.
Prime Day 2023 secret hacks and tips
1. Sign up for the free Prime trial
If you're new to Amazon Prime, make sure you take advantage of the 30-day free Prime trial. And remember to cancel if you don't want a monthly bill for £8.99 when the trial ends.
2. Google a product before buying
Not every Prime Day 2023 deal is going to be a winner, so make sure you compare prices online before you buy.
3. Big brands can equal big savings
Amazon often slashes the cost of a few big brand items – think Playstation and Xbox accessories, Samsung TVs and tablets, etc – to get the attention of shoppers. Keep an eye out for these 'marquee' deals.
4. Check the Amazon Warehouse
Returned goods end up on sale at the Amazon Warehouse at a decent discount, so there's a chance you could spot an open-box bargain that beats the box-fresh Prime Day price.
5. Stay tuned to What Hi-Fi.com
Amazon unleashes thousands of deals around Prime Day, which can make it tricky to find genuine bargains on five-star tech and AV. That's why we'll be publishing an up-to-the minute list of the very best Prime Day 2023 deals.
Is Amazon Prime Day only once a year?
It is. It usually takes place in the summer to generate sales during the otherwise quieter months (we say 'usually' as in 2020 it was delayed until October because of the pandemic). Think of it as the summer equivalent of November's Black Friday although on a slightly smaller scale.
What discounts are offered on Prime Day?
All sorts. Amazon's own devices are always among the most heavily discounted – last year saw 60 per cent – but there are deals on headphones, TVs, Bluetooth speakers, cables, hi-fi, smartphones and more.
What benefits do Prime members get on Prime Day?
In a word, deals. Without Prime, you can't take advantage of the discounts offered on Prime Day. There are all sorts of other benefits to Prime year round, like early access to 'Lightning deals', Prime Video and Amazon Music streaming, and try before you buy on certain items. Here's a list of more Prime benefits.
Is Amazon Prime Day sale for everyone?
It is, as long as you have signed up for Amazon Prime. No Prime, no deals. You can pay for Prime monthly (£8.99) or yearly (£95).
Amazon Prime Day 2022 highlights
The best way to predict what will happen this year is to look back at what happened at Prime Day 2022. That took place from 12-13th July, and saw some big discounts on all manner of kit.
Amazon's own Echo devices were slashed by up to 60 per cent, for example, while the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 dropped in price by £90. But they weren't the only headphones going for a song – Sony's WF-1000XM3 dropped by £127, the Sony WF-C500 were down by over £30, and Panasonic's five-star RZ-S500W dropped by £89.
TVs also feature heavily in the Prime Day sale, and last year was no different. LG's excellent C1 was slashed by nearly £500 at its 48-inch size, bringing it down to just over £800. The follow-up C2 had a saving of over £300 at the 42-inch size, while Philips's OLED806 – our favourite TV of 2021 – dropped by £500. Big discounts on the biggest screen in the home.
We even saw a slew of discounts on products made by Apple and Sonos – two brands notorious for their deal aversion. The Sonos Arc soundbar dropped from £899 to £775, for example, a saving of £124, while the AirPods Pro dropped by £60 and the AirPods Max by £100. Proof that Prime Day brings out the deals in everyone.
Check out some of the best deals of yesteryear below.
Best Prime Day Deals 2022
Amazon quick links
Can't wait for Prime Day 2023? Check out the best Amazon deals right now below.
- Amazon daily deals – today's Amazon deals
- Amazon electronics store – the home of all Amazon electricals
- Amazon devices – Alexa, Echo, Fire TV; all of Amazon's smart devices
- Amazon TV and home cinema – TVs, projectors, set-top boxes and more
- Amazon audio and hi-fi – record players, radios, speakers
- Amazon headphones and earphones – wired, wireless, noise-cancelling
- Amazon phones and accessories – cables, SIM cards, phone adapters
