Smartwatches and fitness trackers are ubiquitous in 2023, and they can provide utility or even save your life. But they are expensive, with the best smartwatches costing hundreds of dollars or more. That's in addition to what you've already paid for a smartphone, so wearables can be a hard sell if you're not sure how useful they will be. For that reason, the best time to buy a smartwatch or fitness tracker is when there are great deals you can take advantage of. Amazon is holding a sales event next month called Big Deal Days, and it's a preview of what's to come during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. While we don't know a lot about it just yet, we do know it'll be a great time to buy a new wearable.

What we know about Amazon's upcoming sales event

Amazon announced last month that it will be holding a new sales event named Prime Big Deal Days, which will span from October 10 through October 11. This isn't the first time that Amazon has offered a sales event in October. Last year, it gave Amazon Prime members "early access" to discounts coming for Black Friday and Cyber Monday with the Prime Early Access Sale. While the Prime Early Access Sale isn't returning this year, we expect the Prime Big Deal Days sale to follow a similar format to last year's event. That means thousands of products in many categories should experience significant discounts during Prime Big Deal Days.

When and where will Prime Big Deal Days be held?

Prime Big Deal Days will take place sometime in October, but we don't have exact dates yet. Amazon said that buyers in 19 different countries can participate in the sale: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the U.S., and the UK.

Do you need to be a Prime member to save on Prime Big Deal Days?

Prime Big Deal Days will be exclusive to Prime members, like Amazon's other sales events, including Amazon Prime Day. You can participate without paying for a membership by starting a 30-day free trial before Prime Big Deal Days begin. This offer is only available to new subscribers, so if you've already subscribed to Amazon Prime before, you'll need to pay an annual fee of $139 or a monthly fee of $15.

Prime Big Deal Days vs. Prime Day: What’s the difference?

Prime Big Deal Days is a preview of sales to come during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so it's a secondary sales event for Amazon. The company typically offers more discounts and deals during its main Amazon Prime Day sale in July, which lasts 48 hours. However, even though there won't be as many deals this time around, the discounts are just as massive. You won't want to miss it, because wearables often see their lowest prices ever during Amazon sales events.

Will there be a second Prime Day in 2023?

Although the retailer has confirmed that Prime Big Deal Days will take place in October, it isn't officially a second Prime Day. Instead, Amazon's fall sales events are typically previews of what's to come during Black Friday and Cyber Monday festivities. The company's Prime Day was held from July 12 to July 13, 2023. However, if you're looking for a second Prime Day, your best bet will be to take advantage of Prime Big Deal Days.

FAQ

Q: How much should you spend on a wearable?

This largely depends on what you plan to use your smartwatch or fitness tracker for. If you're just trying to track your steps and receive notifications on your wrist, you probably don't need to spend more than a few hundred dollars for that functionality. However, if you need a wearable to step up your training or get in shape, you might want to spend more for these advanced features. Unless you are an athlete who knows exactly how a wearable will improve your workouts, you shouldn't spend more than $400-$600 on your new device.

Q: Do you need to buy the same wearable brand as your smartphone?

If you're an iPhone user, the best experience will be had when purchasing an Apple Watch. Garmin wearables will work with iOS, but the integration isn't as good as using an Apple Watch. However, Android users have a lot more options. The Google Pixel Watch will work great with any Android phone, and the Samsung Galaxy Watch has integration with Samsung smartphones.