What to know before shopping for tech on Amazon Prime Day in Canada

For more Prime Day sales, deals and must-haves, check out all of our coverage here.

Canadians, if you're looking to shop for a TV or laptop on Amazon Prime Day? Read this first.
Canadians, if you're looking to shop for a TV or laptop on Amazon Prime Day? Read this first.

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The last quarter of the year is typically a great time to shop for new consumer electronics. The major smartphone and electronics manufacturers have announced their updates and upgrades, and previous-generation items go on discount ahead for the holiday shopping season.

ALSO SEE: This weekend only, save up to $100 on Apple products at The Source

This year, like everything else, will be different because of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the world’s largest online retailers, Amazon, moved their annual shopping event, Prime Day, to Oct. 13 and 14—closer in line with Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the larger holiday shopping season. So, should you make the purchase on Prime Day or wait for Cyber Monday? Here’s a guide on what to look for, what to avoid, and what to wait out for.

Before we begin, to take advantage of Prime Day, you’ll need a subscription to Amazon Prime—you can sign up for a 30-day trial.

Tech deals we can expect to see

We’re starting to get a peek into the deals we can expect to see on Oct. 13 and 14. Like previous years, Prime Day will offer excellent savings on their in-house devices. As the smart home wars heat up and more of us working from home, this is a great way to save on connected tech:

* Save 64% on Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen), just $24.99

* Save up to $110 on Echo Show devices. Get the Echo Show 5 for $59.99, Echo Show 8 for $89.99, and Echo Show (2nd Gen) for $189.99

* $45 off Echo Auto, now with Auto Mode in the Alexa App and Start My Commute features, just $24.99

* Save $120 on the Echo Plus (2nd Gen, just $79.99), $70 on Echo Studio (just $199.99), and $20 on Echo Flex (just $14.99)

ALSO SEE: Amazon Prime 2020 is just days away — here's what you need to know to shop like pro

* Fire TV Edition Smart TVs start at just $169.99

* Save $50 on Fire TV Cube and use your voice to control your entertainment experience, just $99.99

* Save up to 40% on Ring Video Doorbell devices and get Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Gen) for $94.99

* Get Blink Mini Indoor Cam, just $29.99

* Save $35 on Kindle Paperwhite, just $104.99

Save on 4K TVs

While their in-house devices will see significant savings, the trend on 4K TV savings continues. Prime Day has a wide-range of 4K televisions across manufactures big and small, like Samsung, LG, Vizio, and TCL. Previous years have seen significant discounts on that front, especially previous-generation models, and with Amazon Prime, setup is easy with delivery straight to your door.

* Save up to 24% on select TCL Smart TVs

ALSO SEE: Amazon Prime Day 2020: These are the early Prime Day deals you can shop in Canada right now

Work from home

Still need to amp up your work-from-home tech setup? Amazon will be posting deals on home office accessories, electronics and computers.

* Save up to 30% on select Philips Hue products

* Save up to 25% on select laptops and desktops

* Save up to 30% on select Chromebooks and Tablets

* Save up to 30% on select Samsung phones and wearables

* Save up to 30% on select AmazonBasics products

* Save up to 30% on select office electronics

* Save up to 30% on select TP-Link products

Deals on previous-gen tech

You can always expect to save on previous-generation electronics as stores and manufacturers try to sell their inventory to make room for newer tech. Cycles for each product varies, so doing your homework in that area is smart so you’re aware whether you’re about to buy something that’s about to get refreshed.

Apple and Samsung just released new mobile devices and computers, so this could be a great chance to cash in on some savings if you’re looking for a previous-generation unit.

ALSO SEE: What to buy (and what not to buy) on Amazon Prime Day 2020 in Canada

Should you wait for Black Friday and Cyber Monday?

Given Prime Day is Amazon’s big shopping event, expect to see some of the largest deals reserved for Oct. 13-14. But if you miss out, don’t worry — this doesn’t mean there won’t be deals on Black Friday or Cyber Monday as many retailers specifically reserve inventory for the November weekend.

If you’re looking to save on Amazon-exclusive items, Prime Day could be the perfect opportunity to jump on the purchase.

As well, Black Friday and Cyber Monday will mean extensive savings on products across all retailers, so traditional door crashers, like older-model computers, TVs and home appliances could see blowout deals later on. Finally, Black Friday is also typically when extended holiday return policies kick in, so if you aren’t sure about a holiday purchase, you have the flexibility to return up into the new year.

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