Amazon dropped the price of its entry-level 16GB Kindle a day before Prime Day officially begins.
The Kindle 16GB (2024) is now $103.99 at Amazon, down $46 from its $149.99 list price - a 31% discount. The deal appeared Oct. 5, ahead of the official October Prime Day event, as Amazon starts stacking discounts on its own devices early. This version of the Kindle is 25% brighter than earlier models, and signing up for a Kindle Unlimited subscription unlocks its book catalog on top of the device discount.
The timing says more than the price does. Kindle costs have been climbing because of a memory chip shortage people are calling 'RAMageddon,' so a sub-$110 price on a 16GB model now is a real markdown, not just a price that was already low. That Amazon is willing to cut its own hardware price before Prime Day even starts suggests it has margin to spare, shortage or not.
Early 'Prime Day' deals are often just the same discount with an earlier start date - so there is little reason to wait for the official event to buy this one.