Prime Day marks Amazon’s biggest sales event of the year with thousands of discounts across laptops, tablets, phones, TVs, wearables and more. While the event originally lasted a day, recent years have seen it grow into a two-day event.
Last year, Prime Day kicked off at midnight, 13 October, and lasted until 14 October. The autumn date was an anomaly, given Amazon usually holds Prime Day in July. However, logistical delays caused by the pandemic forced the e-commerce giant to postpone the event to later in the year.
The change was welcome news for customers looking for discounts ahead of Black Friday and the holiday season. Amazon reports customers saved over US$1.4 billion over the two-day sale.
This however leaves the question open: When is Prime Day 2021? Will Amazon permanently move the date to October? Will it return to its original summer date? Will Prime Day be split across summer and autumn? We’re keeping up with all the latest Prime Day-related news right here.
When is Amazon Prime Day 2021?
This is, of course, the question on everyone’s mind. Amazon has not yet confirmed when the event will take place but it’s possible it may be as early as June. The rumour comes from Recode (Vox Media), which says it has spoken with “multiple internal and external sources” at Amazon, though Amazon itself has not commented on the speculation.
Amazon Prime Day usually takes place in July, so it’s unclear why Amazon would want to change the date to June.
It’s possible Amazon may want to counter potential losses as lockdowns begin to ease and more people spend time outdoors or shopping on the high street – options that weren’t available last year amid the pandemic. In the UK, high street shops will re-open on 12 April and some retailers are already announcing major sales (which we’re tracking here).
Amazon tripled its profits in the third quarter of 2020 following its October Prime Day, and saw a 37% increase in earnings. Prime Day 2020 also marked the biggest sales for small and medium businesses on Amazon, which form the bulk of the retailer’s third-party sellers – sales surpassed US$3.5 billion over Prime Day, a 60% increase from the previous year.
There is no official confirmation or additional evidence that the event will happen in June this year, so it’s impossible to tell at the moment when it will take place. We will update this article as soon as the announcement is made.
What is Amazon Prime Day?
Prime Day is a major sale event hosted by Amazon that offers exclusive discounts to its Prime members. Amazon launched its first Prime Day in the summer of 2015, to celebrate its 20th birthday. Prime Day 2021 will be the company’s seventh such event.
Some of the most popular tech categories on Amazon during Prime Day 2019 were video game consoles and headphones, while some of the top-selling products were Amazon’s own Echo Show and Echo Show 5, and the Fire 7 tablet. The PlayStation Classic and Oral B electric toothbrushes were also popular purchases.
Customers need to have a Prime membership to access Prime Day promotions or deals. Here’s our step-by-step guide on signing up, or go to Amazon now to get its 30-day free trial.
The Amazon Prime service started out as a way to get unlimited next-day delivery, but quickly evolved to include additional benefits such as access to Amazon’s Netflix rival service, Prime Video, Twitch gaming, Prime Now and more. Here’s everything you need to know about Amazon Prime benefits.
Best tech deals right now
Below are some of the best deals across the internet. We’ll keep you posted on the best Prime Day deals below when the day arrives.
1. Apple iPhone 12 mini (64GB)
From: Amazon
Was: £699
Now: £599 (£100 off)
View Deal
£659 was previously the lowest the 12 mini had ever been – but now there’s a whopping £100 off from Amazon. If it sells out, there’s also £75 off from AO, Very and John Lewis. It’s a solid discount on a top-end handset which is still less than six months old.
Read our guide to the best iPhone 12 deals for more buying advice.
2. Apple iPhone 12 (128GB)
From: Amazon
Was: £849
Now: £762.97 (£86.03 off)
View Deal
The iPhone 12 has £40 off from a few retailers, in the biggest discount since its launch – but Amazon now has up to £86 off.
3. Samsung Galaxy S21+ (8GB RAM, 128GB)
From: Amazon
Was: £949
Now: £745 (£204 off)
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The larger of Samsung‘s new S21 flagship phones is already available with a sizeable discount on Amazon. This deal is for the 6.7in display-toting Galaxy S21+, with 128GB of storage.
4. OnePlus 8T (8GB RAM, 128GB)
From: John Lewis
Was: £549
Now: £449 (£100 off)
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The OnePlus 8T with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage is now £100 cheaper from John Lewis. John Lewis also has £100 off the model with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. Also available from Amazon.
5. Samsung Galaxy A12 with Nintendo Switch
From: Virgin
Now: From £20 per month, no upfront cost
View Deal
The Galaxy A12 may not be the nippiest phone on the market, but Virgin’s sweetening the pot with a free Nintendo Switch worth £279.
6. Oppo Find X3 Pro
From: Carphone Warehouse
Was: £1,099
Now: Free Oppo Smart Watch, wireless charger, & protective case (worth £395)
View Deal
If you buy the new Oppo Find X3 Pro by April 13, you can claim a gift bundle that includes the Oppo Smartwatch (46mm, Wi-Fi) and other accessories. The Oppo Find X3 Neo and Lite also come with additional gear. Here’s everything you need to know.
7. Voxi Unlimited 5G data SIM for jobseekers
From: Voxi
Was: £35
Now: £10 per month (for six months)
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To make the pandemic easier for jobseekers, VOXI has brought back its offer that includes unlimited data for just £10 per month for six months, reduced from £35 per month. You can cancel anytime. Ends 30 September 2021.
8. Voxi 12GB data with Endless Social Media (SIM-Only)
From: Voxi
Now: £12 per month
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We’ve checked, and it’s a very good deal with unlimited social media use and no apparent catches.
9. Microsoft Surface Pro 7 (i5, 8GB, 128GB)
From: Amazon
Was: £899
Now: £678 (£221 off)
View Deal
The i5 Surface Pro 7 with 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD is now down to £678 on Amazon, saving an impressive £221 on the RRP. The same model is available from the Microsoft Store for £679.
10. HTC Vive Cosmos
From: Currys PC World
Was: £699
Now: £579 (£120 off)
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You can save an incredible £120 on the HTC Vive Cosmos from select retailers at the moment. The headset is still PC-powered, unlike the Oculus Quest, but offers an upgraded experience when compared to the original HTC Vive.
11. Nuraphone + Gaming Mic
From: Amazon
Was: £369.99
Now: £269.99 (£100 off)
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Nura’s Nuraphone + gaming mic combines the personalised audio experience of the high-end cans with a great quality boom mic, bringing an unparalleled audio experience to your gaming sessions. Find out more in our full Nuraphone review.
12. Google Nest Mini (2nd generation)
From: 365Games
Was: £49
Now: £22.89 (£26.11 off)
View Deal
Google’s Easter sale slashes prices across its devices, including the Nest Mini, now with £15 off from major retailers like Currys PC World; but 365 Games has the cheapest price around right now at £22.89.
13. Google Nest Hub
From: AO.com
Was: £79
Now: £59 (£20 off)
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14. Xiaomi Mi 11 with free Mi Electric Scooter Essential
From: Vodafone
Now: From £53 per month, £29 up front (£399 off e-Scooter)
View Deal
15. OnePlus 8 Pro (12GB RAM and 256GB storage)
From: Amazon
Was: £899
Now: £649 (£250 off)
View Deal
16. OnePlus 8T (8GB RAM, 128GB)
From: Amazon
Was: £549
Now: £449 (£100 off)
View Deal
17. Amazon Echo Dot 4
From: Amazon
Was: £49.99
Now: £39.99 (£10 off)
View Deal
18. Adobe Creative Cloud – 1 Year Subscription to All Apps
From: Adobe
Was: £596.33
Now: £419.99 (£176.34 off)
View Deal
19. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G with free Galaxy Buds+ earphones
From: Mobiles.co.uk
Now: £22 per month (30GB data) (£139 off Galaxy Buds+)
View Deal
When you buy the brand new Samsung Galaxy A52 5G on contract from Vodafone you also get a free pair of Samsung Galaxy Buds+. We’re looking at the best Galaxy A52 offers here.
20. Acer 715 Chromebook
From: Currys PC World
Was: £399
Now: £349 (£50 off + free Acer laptop bag and mouse)
View Deal
Curry’s mirrors Argos’s bundle on the budget Acer 314, but includes free next day delivery with code FREENEXTDAYDELIVERY, up to £175 off with trade-in and 3 extra months of Microsoft 365.
Last year, Amazon kicked off big discounts on its own Echo and Kindle devices. These are the discounts we saw last year:
While all of the Amazon Prime Day deals will be available to see here when the day comes, we’re constantly curating the very best deals from Amazon and beyond in our best deals section.
You might also find the following deals round-ups useful in the run-up to Prime Day and beyond:
Prime Day rivals from across the web
As Amazon Prime Day grows, the company’s competitors have begun joining in with the fun. Keep an eye on the following retailers for deals to rival Amazon’s when Prime Day arrives:
See more detail about each of the Prime Day alternatives in the UK in our Prime Day rivals round-up.
How to get Amazon Prime
As mentioned, the catch to Prime Day is you need to be an Amazon Prime customer to access the deals.
Remember Amazon also offers a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime, and even free trial Prime members can get Amazon Prime Day deals. You can sign up to the Amazon Prime free trial here.
Here’s how you can get Prime for free via Vodafone. You can find out more about Amazon Prime and the huge number of features it offers in our complete guide to Amazon Prime.
Be sure to cancel your subscription before your free trial ends to avoid being charged, unless of course you find yourself enjoying it! Find out more about how to cancel your subscription properly here.
If you’ve previously had a free trial of Amazon Prime, you might be surprised to hear that you can do so again if it has been more than a year since your last trial.
Amazon Prime Day quick tips
- Make sure your payment and shipping information is up to date now to be ready to make quick purchases on the day.
- Consider turning on Amazon’s 1-click purchase option.
- Use the Watch this Deal button on upcoming deals you see on Amazon’s website, to make sure you don’t miss them.
- Join the Waitlist for products that say 100% claimed, because people often change their minds and don’t buy. You’ll get a notification to alert you if more become available.
Why was Amazon Prime Day delayed in 2020?
Amazon’s Prime Day historically takes place in July, but 2020 brought with it some huge challenges, so Amazon decided to push back the deals event in order to keep its staff and customers safe.
“This year we’ll be holding Prime Day later than usual, while ensuring the safety of our employees and supporting our customers and selling partners,” an Amazon spokesperson told The Verge. “Members all around the world will experience Prime Day later this year.”