Amazon Prime Day: Get deals, avoid hype

Like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Amazon’s annual Prime Day features tons of products screaming “deal!” But sometimes it’s tough to separate the big discounts from the disappointments. Here’s how to make sense of the sale that starts Monday.

What to buy … and what not to

Lots of gadgets and tech accessories will be discounted for the sale, but products from Apple and Google – from iPhones and MacBooks to Pixel phones and Google Home – probably won’t see much love.

The three tech companies don’t always play nice with each other, so it’s typical for Apple and Google not to do anything special those days. What discounts you do see on iPads or Chromebooks mainly come from third-party sellers. Those deals are rarely as good as sale prices from retailers like Best Buy or Walmart, so it’s best to just avoid them. Amazon’s own gadgets, by contrast, are a great buy on Prime Day because the company is pulling out all the stops. Things like Fire tablets, Kindle readers and Echo speakers will be at rock-bottom prices.

Move fast on lightning deals

The Lighting Deals on Prime Day are notoriously frustrating to score. If you see an item you want for a price that seems too good to be true, nab it quick or you’ll be cursing your slow fingers later.

Ask Alexa

Amazon’s voice-controlled assistant Alexa usually has a secret tip or two as well. If you already own an Amazon Echo, try asking Alexa for Prime Day deals early; Alexa should reply with a cryptic message or poem to reveal deals several days early.

No Prime membership? No prob

If you’ve never subscribed before, you can get a free one-month Amazon Prime trial. Sign up now and you’ll be able to shop Prime Day during the trial period.

Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy Awardwinning consumer tech contributor and host of USA TODAY’s digital video show TECH NOW. E-mail her at jj@techish.com. Follow her on Twitter @JenniferJolly.