So many devices, so little time.... (Photo: Amazon)(Photo: Amazon)
Psst: Did you know Amazon has a hidden section devoted to secret sales on its own devices? It's true! On any given day, the retail giant adds and removes deals from this secret hub on a handful of Echo smart devices, Fire TV video streamers and Kindle e-readers — and the savings are great. If you’re looking to build out a smart home or just want to read mountains of books on one goes-anywhere screen, you need to know about this page. Here are our current fave finds.
The Ring Video Doorbell 3 is a smart solution with 24/7 HD video streaming. It offers a wide view that you can access from your smartphone, tablet or laptop via Wi-Fi and the Ring app, allowing you to keep tabs from anywhere on packages and people that arrive on your doorstep.
“I am really happy with this purchase and feel more secure,” said a five-star reviewer. “I love seeing what else is going on in the neighborhood — porch thieves, people rummaging through unlocked cars, even one car theft; bobcats and mountain lions wandering through people's yards at night.”
The Halo View Fitness Tracker straps onto your wrist and delivers real-time personal stats, including information about your heart rate, activity level and sleep quality. There's even expert guidance to help you maximize all areas of your health.
"The watch has a very simple and attractive design," said a satisfied shopper. "It's slim watch-face/activity display is complimented by the black matte silicone wristband. I have a larger than average frame and chose the large option, which very generous on size options, leaving me lots of room should I decide to wear the watch over long sleeves. Due to the lightweight and slim nature of the watch, it's easily forgotten — that is, until you'd like to find out the time or your activity levels."
Amazon's Fire HD 8 tablet features a 1,280-by-800-pixel display and impressive 64 GB of storage. You can also enjoy front- and rear-facing cameras to help you snap photos and videos in between watching movies, playing games and reading your favorite books.
"I love this tablet!" shared a five-star fan. "It is just the right size for me. I had a smaller one which was a different brand and I did not use it much, as it did not have a big enough screen for me. I love my Amazon Fire, and the 8" display makes things so much more clear and enjoyable to look at. It also fits in my bag without taking up too much space so I can take it with me when I visit my son who lives across the state."
Take your home lighting game to the next level with this Kasa Smart Light Bulb. The bulb features a mind-blowing 16 million colors to choose from, and you can even set them to automatically adjust to match the natural light patterns from morning to night. Control the action through Alexa or Google Assistant, or while you're away from home through an app on your phone.
"These bulbs are amazing and so easy to set up, just like the other Kasa items," said a happy customer. "We have replaced all of our LED white lights in the back with these LED smart bulbs and the colors are amazing. You can easily create a group and control them all at once if you like. They can be scheduled — we have ours to come on at sunset and off at sunrise using a specific white but, when hanging out in the back by the pool, we set colors and intensity to really create a great outdoor oasis. The price is great for what you get."
The Eero Pro 6E supports network speeds up to 2.3 Gbps, allowing you to blaze through the internet. The system — which supports up to 100 devices at once — reduces the risk of drop-offs and dead spots, and can be set up in minutes.
"This is the best system I've ever used," said a happy customer. "The speeds are incredible.... I do not ever see dropouts or dead spaces."
Get rid of cable with this handy device. It gives you access to a huge array of streaming services so you can enjoy all your favorite shows and movies. Simply plug the Fire TV Stick 4K into one of your 4K TV’s HDMI ports, and the streaming device will immediately search for your home’s Wi-Fi network and wait for you to log in. You’ll find fun interactive settings like pop-up results for actor and director names via IMDb. There's even Alexa voice assistant.
"If you get this new Fire Stick, forget cable," one savvy Amazon shopper shared. "I love this new Fire Stick. I need one for each room. It has more features and stations that are free and come with the Fire Stick."
The Insignia is a Fire TV, allowing you to stream 4K movies and TV shows from Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, YouTube, Disney+, Prime Video, Sling TV, Paramount+, Peacock and more. Alexa is built into the remote, so you can simply find your favorite show by using your voice.
"What an amazing TV," said five-star reviewer. "I absolutely love it... I got rid of the cable FOREVER. I am a total streamer now."
The Blink Outdoor 3 Cam Kit features three outdoor cameras and an Echo Show 5 to help you secure your home. With this security set, you can see, hear and speak to people in and outside your home through your security system on your phone or Echo Show — and see what's happening, thanks to an HD live view.
"If you're looking for easy and inexpensive, as I was, Blink is the way to go," said a five-star fan. "Adding a camera to the system is as easy as scanning a QR code. The video quality for the price is exceptional, even at night. I like the way you can schedule the system to arm and disarm automatically at night in a very granular way on a seven-day plan."
Want to catch up on your reading the modern way? The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition Bundle holds all your books but weighs just six ounces. It also grants you access to Amazon’s ginormous Kindle library — get thousands of titles delivered straight to your e-reader. Read for up to 10 weeks without needing a recharge (not a typo). The Paperwhite has a screen that looks like, well, actual paper, so you can get more of that real-book feel. This set comes with its own case and stand.
"When I read about the new Kindle Paperwhite I really couldn’t believe I needed another device, but I am an avid reader, and it just sounded great," said a satisfied shopper. "I ordered it. I love it. It reads so much like a book, has more memory and holds a charge for longer. It was a great buy."
We're smack-dab in the middle of the yearly sweet spot for the best movies and TV series, not to mention the NFL, NBA and NHL. Time to watch in style with this 65" Omni Series TV. It features a stellar screen, of course, but also our favorite integrated voice assistant. So, you can say, "Alexa, turn on the TV," without having to lift your tired limbs off the couch. And, at $110 off, this is a total steal.
"This TV is amazing!" said a happy customer. "I'm blown away by this TV's picture. The setup was easy."
The Echo Show 8 has a compact 8-inch display, making it perfect to perch just about anywhere. It also acts as a mini entertainment hub, giving you access to videos, TV shows, movies or the news with Prime Video, Hulu, NBC and more. You can even make video calls and shop online!
“Every day I learn something new that Echo can do," said a five-star reviewer. "The screen quality is good...So far have used it to check on the weather each day, play a couple of short games. Listen to national news from CBS....”
If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $25 or more.)
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
