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Overview

Amazon Raised Its Prices. Don’t Let the Next Sale Fool You

If you've been shopping for an Amazon Kindle or smart speaker in the past week, you might've noticed some brand-new prices. That’s right: Amazon has hiked prices by

20 to

100 on its popular devices like the Echo, Eero, and Fire Stick.

Details

It's not alone in this move. We've seen similar increases from other tech companies like Apple and Kobo, both of which raised prices this summer. Amazon declined to comment to WIRED as to why it made these price hikes, but one Amazon spokesperson commented to CNET that it was due to rising prices in memory and storage components.

It's still hard not to feel like companies are raising prices simply because they can—and as a way to make upcoming Prime Day and Black Friday sales look better than they really are. The new prices spread across all of Amazon's hardware categories, hitting its Kindle e-readers, Echo smart speakers, Eero routers, and Fire TV devices—especially the more affordable and popular products in those categories.

In fact, many devices are already “on sale,” but the sale prices are around what used to be the base price. That means discounts will look good this holiday season, but you'll just be paying what the item used to cost a couple of months ago.

Here are all of the price changes on Amazon's devices, and my run-down on which devices remain a good buy.

The third-gen Kindle Scribe (left) and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft (right).

If you're looking for a Kindle, all of these models have faced a price increase of at least $30, if not more.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024, 12th Gen):

200 (up

40)

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature (2024, 12th Gen):

250 (up

50)

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature (2024, 12th Gen)

The only category untouched is, interestingly enough, the more powerful of Amazon's e-reader and digital notebook devices: the Kindle Scribe line. All of the Kindle Scribe models currently available (both the second and third gen, and the color version) have remained the same price-wise. You'd think those would have risen too since the price hikes are supposedly due to storage and memory costs, but it's Amazon's e-reader-only devices that all increased in price instead.

Many Amazon Echo speakers also raised in price, going up by anywhere from

10 to

100. The larger price increases are for the Echo Show devices, which come with a screen.

Interestingly enough, Amazon already has many of these speakers “on sale” for around their old sticker price; the Echo Dot is a “deal” for

55 right now when it was

50 as recently as August 20, and the Echo Dot Max is “on sale” for

95 after costing

100 on August 20 as well. These current prices are likely Labor Day sales, and might be the same pricing we see come fall sale events, too.

But not all Echo devices went up in price. The fairly new second-gen Echo Studio still has the same

220 price tag it did when it launched, and is also on sale already for Labor Day (catch it for

195 right now). You'll also find the older Echo Show 8 that I like stuck to its

150 price point. And even if some did go up in price, some are having better deals than others—the Echo Show 11 is currently on sale for

190, a fine discount on its old price and a good one on its new $250 price tag.

Amazon owns the Eero mesh router system, and there was a price increase in that category as well. It only hit the Eero 7 and Eero Pro 7, but unfortunately, we think those are the best models.

You can still get the Eero 6 on a budget, since that one has stayed the same in price, but there are plenty of other mesh Wi-Fi routers we prefer over Eero if you don't want to deal with the price hike.

I wouldn't call Fire TV my favorite streaming setup (and neither would our reviewers), but if you're an Amazon Prime lover, maybe you feel differently. Amazon's Fire TV sticks had a couple of increases. While only a couple of products were affected, it did hit our favored models.

Fire TV is still one of the cheapest systems around, but it wasn't the one we'd recommend before the increases, and I doubt you'll see it rank any higher with these new prices in mind. Still, the deals might be worth shopping; the Fire TV Stick HD is already on sale for Labor Day for just

18, while the 4K Max is on sale for less than its old sticker price (but only by

10).

Not everything is still worth buying with these prices in mind. Here are the devices I'd still shop. For the rest, I'd wait for a sale event or look to another brand to get a similar product.

My favorite older Kindle Scribe is still available and still well-priced for its features. Don't miss it while it's still around; one day it won't be

I'd much rather pay

50-ish for a small speaker on sale than

95+ for the newer version.

This older Echo Show 8 (3rd gen) might not be as new, but it has better sound quality than the new Echo Show 8. It works with Alexa+ and fits nicely on desks and kitchen countertops, and best of all, it didn't get a price hike.

The Echo Studio isn't cheap, but it's maintained the same price for several years, even though it's a new generation. It's got fantastic, room-filling sound without taking up a ton of space.

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Key Takeaways

Amazon Raised Its Prices
If you've been shopping for an Amazon Kindle or smart speaker in the past week, you might've noticed some brand-new prices
It's not alone in this move
It's still hard not to feel like companies are raising prices simply because they can—and as a way to make upcoming Prime Day and Black Friday sales look better than they really are
In fact, many devices are already “on sale,” but the sale prices are around what used to be the base price