Buy Echo Studio on Amazon – $170 Buy Echo Studio on Best Buy – $170

There are other deals beyond these two, although they’re not the lowest we’ve seen. The Echo Dot with Clock is available for $40 at Amazon ($20 off) if you need help waking on time for morning classes. The Fire TV Stick 4K is selling for $35 ($15 off) for after-hours TV marathons. And if you want to studying using digital books, the basic ad-supported Kindle is available for $70 ($20 off).

The Echo Plus hasn’t been updated since 2018, but that’s not a bad thing. It produces a richer sound than the standard Echo without consuming much more space, and it can get your smart home started quickly thanks to its built-in smart hub and temperature sensor. The Echo Studio, however, is what you want if you’re more of a stickler for sound. We found it quite capable for the money, and it even benefits from high-quality audio services like Amazon Music HD. It’s just a question of whether you’re willing to pay nearly $100 more for the privilege.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Buy the Fire 7 tablet on Amazon – $35

If you need something a notch above that, Amazon is also selling its Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 8 Plus tablets at $20 and $30 off, respectively. Both now offer USB-C charging, decent performance, long performance and hands-free Alexa, with the HD 8 Plus adding a 9W adapter for faster charging and wireless charging capability. The main drawback is a lack of Google apps, but they’re fine if you’re heavily invested in Amazon’s ecosystem.

Buy the Fire HD 8 tablet on Amazon – $60

Buy the Fire HD 8 Plus tablet on Amazon – $80

The last tablet up for sale is the Fire HD 10. It finally supports USB-C fast charging, and performs well thanks to an octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 10.1-inch 1080p display and 10 hours of battery life. You also get hands-free Alexa and picture-in-picture viewing, but no Google apps. It was a decent deal at $150, but a steep $50 discount should make it a strong contender if you’re looking for a new tablet.

Buy the Fire HD 10 tablet on Amazon – $100

Amazon’s entry level Fire TV Stick offers 4K is priced reasonably at $50, considering it offers Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and an Alexa Voice Remote. However, it’s now on sale for just $35, making it a touch cheaper than Roku’s $40 tiny Premiere box. At the same time, Google has again discounted its Fire TV Cube from $120 to $100. It’s not only Amazon’s most powerful Fire TV device, it can also work as a full-fledged Alexa device thanks to the built-in speaker.

Buy the Fire TV Stick on Amazon – $35

Buy the Fire TV Cube on Amazon – $100

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Buy AirPods Pro at Amazon – $228

Fire TV devices

Nicole Lee / Engadget

A number of Amazon’s Fire TV devices are still on sale. The Fire TV Cube for $100 is notable because it hasn’t been on sale since February and this sale price is only $10 more than its lowest price ever. We gave the newest Fire TV Cube a score of 84 for its improved performance, solid handling of voice commands and support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+. If you don’t want to spend that much on a streaming device, you could opt for the Fire TV Stick that’s on sale for $30 or the 4K version that’s on sale for $40.

Buy Fire TV Cube at Amazon – $100

Buy Fire TV Stick at Amazon – $30

Buy Fire TV Stick 4K at Amazon – $40

Nest WiFi

Daniel Cooper

Google’s Nest WiFi 2-pack with one router and one access point is still on sale for $199. You can find it at this price at Best Buy, Bed Bath and Beyond and Home Depot. It’s a great deal if you want to upgrade your home WiFi, which you’re probably using now more than ever before. We gave the system a score of 84 for its smart design, simple installation process and its built-in smart speaker.

Buy Google Nest WiFi at Best Buy – $199

Buy Google Nest WiFi at Bed Bath and Beyond – $199

Nest Learning Thermostat

Google

BuyDig still has Nest’s Learning Thermostat for $199, which is $50 off its normal price. This deal also includes a couple freebies — one Deco wall plate cover for the thermostat and two Deco WiFi smart plugs. We recommend checking that your heating and cooling system works with Nest thermostats before buying.

Buy Nest Learning Thermostat at BuyDig – $199

Pixel 3a

Engadget

B&H Photo still has a sale on Google’s Pixel 3a smartphone that knocks the starting price down to $280. Some models are backordered right now, so you won’t get a specific shipping date, but the sale price is still available. While we’ve seen the Pixel 3a at $300 before, this is the lowest price we’ve seen yet on the handset. We gave the Pixel 3a a score of 87 (and the XL a score of 88) — they’re both solid midrange smartphones with excellent cameras, improved battery lives and included headphone hacks. The Pixel 4a may be just around the corner, but the Pixel 3a is one of the best options available now for those who need an affordable smartphone.

Buy Pixel 3a at B&H Photo – $280

New deal additions

Theragun G3Pro

Best Buy has Theragun’s G3Pro massage gun on sale for $400 today, down from $600. This is one of the company’s higher-end percussion therapy guns with two speed settings, six interchangeable head attachments and an adjustable arm. While not one of the newest models with Bluetooth connection, it’s still a solid therapy gun at a price that’s more accessible than normal.

Buy Theragun G3Pro at Best Buy – $400

Vantrue N2 Pro

You can get Vantrue’s N2 Pro dash cam for $125 using the code VN6BQOO2 at checkout. Normally $200, this is a great deal on one of Vantrue’s higher-end dash cams that’s just as useful for regular drivers as it is for those who work for ride share companies. The N2 Pro records 1080p video and has a camera that faces inside the car as well, so you’ll get footage of the road ahead of you as well as you driving (and your passengers). It also has infrared night vision, loop recording and a G-sensor that will prompt the dash cam to automatically save footage of the impact event.

Buy Vantrue N2 Pro at Amazon – $125

Amazon Echo Show (2-pack)

A deal on Amazon will save you $100 on two Echo Show smart displays, dropping the price from $460 to $360. Just add two to your cart and use the code SHOW2PACK at checkout. We gave the Echo Show a score of 86 for its improved design and solid audio quality.

Buy Echo Show (2-pack) at Amazon – $360

Amazon

Remote

One of the standout features of the Fire TV Stick is the Alexa-enabled remote control. Many users mentioned it specifically in their reviews as why they chose the Amazon device over other streaming options. Marc enjoyed the control’s simplicity and intuitive nature, as did Mike who approved of its minimalist design “with few buttons.” Rh24 felt that “having that one tiny remote serve 90% of my remote controlling needs is a game changer” and that the convenience made up for any drawbacks. MJay said they “even use voice for searches from time to time, which is something I’ve never done with any other remote.” Jim felt differently, with the one thing he wished “Amazon would improve on is the build quality of the remote.” 

Apps

Multiple users cited the available apps as a reason they chose the Fire TV Stick. Timmyp123 was pleased that the device ran “full Android and runs Kodi natively. Also with apps like YouTube and DailyMotion you don’t even need TV.” Manny liked that the stick “plays everything from Netflix, Prime, YouTube, fiber cable and my 3rd party software (eg. Kodi).” Waclark57 said their “main reason for choosing Fire Stick was, being a Prime subscriber it gives me access to Prime video … and supports the apps I use (Netflix, Hulu) and I can get HBO/Showtime as ‘channels’ on my Prime sub.”

Amazon

User Interface

One area readers felt Amazon could improve on was the Fire TV’s user interface. Mike called the landing screen messy, saying he saw “lots of ads promoting shows” but wished he “could make it land only on favorite apps.” Rh24 agreed, chiming in to say that they “can’t stand the Amazon slanted content and terrible horizontal app list access. Honestly, the UI is terrible.” Manny also said the main page was also on his list of nitpicks because “it’s kind of busy but is customizable.” 

Additionally, Mike was aggravated by the screen saver mode, as it “can only max out at 20 minutes” and also felt “Airplay/Chromecast isn’t very easy. These are all functions I think Amazon could fix easily or someone else will hack.” Kaapow had issues with the “horrible” navigation: “When you open Pandora, for example, and go back to the home page the music is still playing — which might be a default but… there should be a ‘close app’ option and it’s not there. It’s common sense for most apps to have that option. Instead I have to go back to the Pandora page, log out or completely close the Fire stick to escape Pandora.” 

However, others were less critical. Marc called the remote and OS intuitive, and pointed out that “there are numerous video tutorials on how to customize and enhance the Fire Stick experience. It’s simple for neophytes.” Manny said that he’s “set up many family and friends on this and it is the only one they don’t call me back to get help, even when it comes to installing third party software.” And MJay, who has also owned or used both Roku and Chromecast, said they prefer the Fire Stick for its ease of use. 

Amazon

Bugs

Kaapow wasn’t the only user to have issues operating and using the Fire Stick; Gldoorii “can’t get through one movie without it dropping connection several times. This is the only device in my home that constantly drops … and I’m not alone. Googling this issue shows it’s widespread.” Gldoorii wound up selling their Fire TV Sticks because of this problem. And Donna found that “every 10-14 days or so I have to empty the cache on a particular channel or it just won’t load up.” She also had problems installing a cable channel and kept getting an error message (despite being a subscriber), and often got no results when using Alexa to search a film or actor’s name. Dotnetgator was frustrated when using the Stick as an Alexa device control, saying that “using it to control home automation devices is inconsistent and features like ‘turn off lights in this room’ won’t work like they do with ‘proper’ Alexa devices.”

Price

The inexpensive price point featured heavily in the ‘pro’ column for the Fire TV Stick: At $50, its competition is the lower-end Roku devices and the Chromecast. Marc felt the Fire TV Stick offered the best value, while Manny said it couldn’t be beat for price/feature content, “especially when half price on Amazon days.” Kaapow was the only user who wasn’t pleased about the price point: “I bought my Fire Stick for $15 when it was on sale last year. Seemed like a great price! In short you get what you pay for.” 

Amazon

Comparison

When it came time to make a side-by-side comparison between the Fire TV Stick and its competitors, users largely came down on the side of the Amazon device. Jim said he likes his Fire Stick better than his Roku because “Fire TV has more apps than the Roku and, unlike Roku which rarely gets its apps updated, Fire TV updates periodically. We can also use VPN on Fire TV, which we can’t do on Roku.” Though Marc owns a Roku TV, he prefers his 4K Fire Stick instead, due to the Fire Stick’s ability to side-load apps. Nomad07 uses their Roku “way more than my Fire TV, Apple TV, Nvidia Shield TV or Google Chromecast.” Manny said that of the many different services he’s used over the years, including Android TV, Chromecastand Apple TV, the Fire TV stick is “by far the easiest.” Timmyp123 asserted “if you bought an Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, etc over this then you made the wrong choice, plain and simple.” 

Overall

Despite the stated snags and bugs, most users seemed satisfied with their purchase. Twenty users have reviewed or scored the Fire TV so far and it has an average rating of 75. Most had positive things to say about it, pointing to the price and simplicity of the device as its major advantages. Gldoorii gave a backhanded compliment, stating the Fire TV Stick was “an amazing product, when it works.” Waclark57 was more straightforward, saying they haven’t had any issues with it (though they don’t use the voice control feature). And Manny professed the stick to be an upgrade over the regular version, saying “nothing touches this even when compared at full price.”

Buy Fire TV Stick 4K at Amazon

The Cube is decidedly more expensive than the other Fire TV players on sale, but it might be the wisest purchase depending on what you’re looking for. It’s not just the speediest Fire TV, it doubles as an Alexa device. You might not need to pick up a separate speaker if you just want to check the weather or control your smart lights. It supports virtually every major streaming service (including Apple TV+, Disney+ and YouTube TV), and it’ll deliver them in Dolby Vision and HDR10+ when available. With that said, the Fire TV Stick 4K will still deliver a solid experience if you’re willing to forego hands-free Alexa and deal with shortages (it’s out of stock until March 2nd as we write this).

Through the app, users will have access to their iTunes libraries and all of the TV shows and movies they’ve already purchased or rented through Apple. Of course, the app will allow users to sign up for Apple TV+ even if they don’t own an Apple device.

For now, the app is only available on those two Fire TV Sticks, but Amazon says it will arrive on a few Fire TVs and the Fire TV Cube “soon.”

Best smart light bulbs for Alexa

Photo: Michael Hession

The Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 smart bulb was the first smart product to join Alexa’s friends list, and it’s our pick as the best smart light bulb. All current Hue models work with Alexa, allowing you to power multiple lights on and off, dim them, change a bulb’s color, and even create light groups to enable color schemes throughout the house on command. Just know that in addition to your Alexa device, you’ll also need the Hue Bridge (unless you get the Echo Plus, which includes a Zigbee radio like the Hue Bridge), a hub that can handle up to 50 Hue-ified lights.

Similar to the Philips Hue, the LIFX A19 bulb works with Alexa, so you can verbally power, dim, and change the colors of the lights. LIFX doesn’t have quite as many partners or the same versatility as the Hue lineup. However, LIFX bulbs work with Wi-Fi (versus Zigbee for the Hue series), so you don’t need a separate hub or gateway.

Best smart plugs for Alexa

Photo: Rachel Cericola

The Wemo Mini smart plug (our preferred plug-in smart outlet) is one of the many Wemo devices that you can control with Alexa. It plugs into any outlet and connects to your Wi-Fi network, so you can turn fans, lights, coffee makers, and pretty much anything else on and off from your smartphone or using Alexa voice commands. The app also allows you to group outlets with lights and other appliances, so you can control everything with a single voice command.

Although not quite as versatile as the Wemo, the iClever IC-BS06 is one of the few smart plugs that can be used outdoors. It’s also the only Alexa-compatible unit that features two outlets that you can control independently using the sound of your voice.

Best smart light switches for Alexa

Photo: Rachel Cericola

Lutron’s Caséta is a strong wireless lighting-control system on its own, and one that we recommend to people who want a good lighting system but don’t necessarily need all of the other features that a system like SmartThings offers. Alexa works with Caséta in-wall dimmer switches and plug-in dimmer switches, and you can group them so you can turn off lights in an entire room or section of the house with the sound of your voice. For instance, you can put the Caséta system in your entertainment space and make a room movie-ready by saying something like, “Alexa, turn off all theater lights.” You can even use your voice to set dimming levels. It’s also convenient that Caséta switches are often paired with a separate remote, which you can mount or leave in that room; that way, you can bring up the lights while the action is still on-screen without having to call out.

If you don’t want or need another device (or at least the expense of one), the Wemo Dimmer can turn lights on, off, and to specific dimming levels using any existing Wi-Fi network and Alexa.

Best smart thermostats for Alexa

Photo: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

What’s the current temperature setting on your Nest Thermostat E? Ask Alexa. The voice assistant can also raise and lower temperatures or set our top smart-thermostat pick to Away mode. If you don’t use the Nest’s geofencing features (and many people don’t), the ability to verbally adjust temperature settings can be a favorite feature. Multiple-thermostat owners can also call for specific devices by naming each Nest.

The Ecobee4 works with Alexa in the same way as the Nest, and actually has the voice assistant built in, so you have no need for a separate device. You can just say, “Alexa, tell Ecobee I’m hot,” and the assistant will adjust the temperature a few degrees for you. Another big difference between the two smart thermostats is that the Ecobee model includes sensors that you can place in any room, so you can ask Alexa about the temperature all around your home. Alexa can also use the Ecobee model to control your system’s fan, tell you what equipment is running, and switch between heat, cool, and auto modes.

Best robot vacuums for Alexa

Photo: Liam McCabe

Few people love vacuuming. Of course, robot vacuums make the chore as easy as pushing a button. However, the iRobot Roomba 690 and iRobot Roomba 960 ensure that you never even have to lift that one finger, thanks to Alexa integration.

Alexa allows you to bark out orders to command that Wi-Fi–connected robot army to start, stop, or resume cleaning. You can even ask Alexa to locate the little buggers, if they’ve gone rogue and wandered off into another part of the house. We go into more detail about each model in our guide to the best robot vacuums, but the main difference is that the Roomba 960 is designed for larger spaces—and currently costs about twice as much as the 690.

Best home security cameras for Alexa

Photo: Michael Hession

Adding Alexa control to Wi-Fi security cameras allows you to arm and disarm cameras as you enter and exit your home, as well as to call up specific cameras located around the house to view live feeds through the Echo Show, Echo Spot, or Amazon Fire TV.

Logitech’s Circle 2 works with the Echo Show, Echo Spot, and Fire TV, so you can call up live feeds from different devices around the house. Designed to work indoors and outdoors, our favorite indoor security camera can also accept prompts through Alexa to turn the camera on, disable the privacy mode, and even initiate recordings on command.

If you’re looking for a peek at the outdoors, Netgear’s Arlo Pro 2 offers views almost anywhere, with a rechargeable battery that provides the option to go completely wireless. The Nest Cam Outdoor, our top pick among outdoor security cameras, does have a cord—the only weatherproof one we found included with the purchase—as well as the ability to distinguish between people and pets (with a paid Nest Aware subscription). You can bring up both on the Echo Show or the Fire TV for a peek at outside action from the couch or under a blanket.

Best smart door locks for Alexa

Photo: Jon Chase

For easy keyless entry to your home via smartphone or keypad, the Yale Assure SL Connected by August can’t be beat. With Alexa you can use your voice to check door lock status or lock the door at bedtime. Our favorite Alexa-compatible smart lock includes a handy keypad, making it easy for guests to use. It comes with the August Connect gateway, which connects the lock to the Internet for remote access.

Best doorbell cameras for Alexa

Photo: Michael Hession

As we describe in our guide to smart doorbell cameras, the Ring Video Doorbell 2 offers a quick peek at who’s on the other side of the door, using the Echo Show, Echo Spot, or Fire TV. At this time, however, you can’t use Alexa to talk to the person on the other side of the camera.

Like the Ring, the Nest Hello will show you who is at the door, but won’t allow you to talk to welcome and unwelcome guests. However, it offers 24/7 video recording, AI-powered motion detection, and facial recognition—but only with an active Nest Aware subscription.

Best smart garage-door controllers for Alexa

Photo: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

The Gogogate 2 is our favorite smart garage-door controller with Alexa support—when you’re carrying groceries, luggage, or children, you can ask Alexa to open and close the door and have it respond accordingly. As our upgrade pick, it can even integrate cameras, so you can view the status of your door from the app.

Best smart sprinkler controllers for Alexa

Photo: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

The Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller can smarten up yard work with an easy-to-use interface and Alexa support. That means you can ask Alexa to have the system turn on and off, water specific zones, and delay run times. As we mention in our guide, the one drawback is that this system lacks any type of local control, so if your Internet service is down, you won’t be able to make any schedule adjustments.

Best media streaming devices for Alexa

Photo: Chris Heinonen

You can find a lot of devices that allow you to get your Netflix, Amazon Video, Hulu, or other streaming fix—and not just in our guide to the best media streaming devices. However, the Amazon Fire TV Stick is currently the most compact model that also packs the power of Alexa. Having voice control can save you a lot of time and help you avoid the hassle that comes with navigating tens of thousands of streaming options. You can also use one voice command to fire up Netflix, find episodes of Game of Thrones, or even compile a collection of rom-coms. In this situation, it may also be helpful that Alexa can also order a pizza, with the right skill enabled.

If you’re having trouble navigating all of the TV networks, Dish Network includes Alexa support on the Hopper DVR and Wally mobile TV receiver. Instead of channel flipping, TV watchers can surf through the lineup by calling out a network name, channel number, show title, or actor. Voice commands also work on the DVR features to pause, rewind, and fast-forward live and recorded content, as well as to call up stored programs on demand.

Best kitchen appliances for Alexa

Photo: Sarah Kobos

For the most part, Alexa’s kitchen utility is limited to its timer-setting abilities and basic recipe-reading skills. But some appliances are beginning to integrate voice controls to varying degrees of success. Web-enabled sous vide circulators are among the earliest adopters thus far.

Cooking sous vide (French for “under vacuum”) allows you to experience restaurant-quality dishes at home by submerging vacuum-sealed food in a water bath. These cookers have been available for home use for a while and recently have become very affordable—and also very high-tech.

Putting an Echo speaker in your kitchen lets you rock out while preparing a meal. Now it can also help you cook. Although our top sous vide pick doesn’t have Alexa capability, our runner-up, the ChefSteps Joule, does, making it the perfect sous chef. You can call out to check the status of a steak, adjust temperatures, and even get a little extra direction.

This guide may have been updated by Wirecutter. To see the current recommendation, please go here.

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Amazon also worked with its content partners to make navigating the Fire TV Edition more convenient. Gupta pressed down a button on the remote and asked told Alexa, “Watch ‘Our Planet'” and the television pulled up a list of results, then launched Netflix and played Our Planet in 4K. On the demo unit, the scenes of starry night skies looked captivatingly clear and vivid.

Gupta also showed how he was able to pull up a feed from a connected camera by pressing the Alexa button on the remote control and saying “Show me Bobby’s office.” The TV then displayed a stream from an adjacent meeting room that had been decked out to look like Bobby Axelrod’s office from the show Billions.

Amazon isn’t the first to bring Dolby Vision to its smart TVs — rival Roku has been doing it for awhile. For example, there are TCL Roku TVs with Dolby Vision across a variety of prices already.

Besides the support for the display spec, there doesn’t appear to be much difference between the Fire TV Edition with Dolby Vision and its predecessor. Amazon will continue selling both versions, with the new model launched today intended as a next-gen option rather than a replacement in its lineup. If you’ve been looking for an Amazon smart TV with a greater dynamic range, these might be worth considering.

For a few years, Roku’s easy-to-use interface, wide selection of apps and integration with popular smart TVs like Phillips, Sharp and TCL made it the favored candidate for most households. But Amazon strived to catch up, expanding its content offerings and partnering with Best Buy to sell house-brand Insignia and Toshiba Fire TVs that work with Alexa. Roku’s 29.1 million active users is nothing to sneeze at, though. Earlier this month, Roku announced it was the top-selling smart TV OS in the United States.

What’s next for Fire TV? The streaming platform plans to support Disney+ and AppleTV+ later this year, while YouTube is coming back to Fire TV after being pulled in 2017. Amazon is also working on a free, ad-supported news app for Fire TV.

Amazon Fire TV users already have a bevy of music options on their devices, including Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and more. But for Apple Music fans — who already enjoy streaming their playlists on their Echo devices — the addition of Fire TV is a nice perk.

Apple Music still falls behind Spotify and Pandora in terms of paid and unpaid users, but this partnership with Amazon could expand its reach. Apple Music, which launched in 2015, has 56 million subscribers worldwide. This is still just a fraction of Spotify’s vast user base, which tallies in at 87 million paid subscribers and 109 million on the free tier.

While Apple Music might be moving in on Spotify’s territory, the Swedish company isn’t taking it lying down. Spotify complained to the European Commission’s antitrust regulators about Apple’s 30 percent tax on purchases made through the App Store, which the company feels gives Apple an unfair advantage over other services. The tax essentially forces Spotify to choose between charging extra for its Premium service or losing some of its profit to Apple.

If you already own an Amazon Fire TV, you can activate the Apple Music app directly on your device. If the Apple Music skill is already activated on your Alexa app, you can play your tunes on Fire TV immediately.