Everything you need to know about Amazon Prime Day 2019

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• The fifth annual Amazon Prime Day, Amazon's biggest sale event of the year, will take place sometime in mid-July.
• We answered some frequently asked questions about Prime Day below, including what it is, how to shop deals, what products will be discounted, and how else you can prepare.
• Check back here as the day approaches and we learn more information, or email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com if you have any questions about Amazon Prime Day 2019.

What exactly is Amazon Prime Day and why does it exist?

Prime Day is Amazon's annual retail holiday. It was introduced in 2015 as a one-day only sales event that boasted more deals than Black Friday and also celebrated Amazon's 20th anniversary as a company.

Though the first Prime Day was met with some disappointment, subsequent Prime Days have improved in both the quality and quantity of deals, and the event has been made available to more countries outside the US every year.

Today, it is a global shopping event where Prime members can shop hundreds of thousands of deals sitewide, with new deals starting as often as every five minutes.

When is Amazon Prime Day this year?

We don't know yet. Amazon typically announces the official date in late June or early July.

In 2018, Prime Day ran from 3 p.m. ET on Monday, July 16 through Tuesday, July 17, so our prediction is that it will be in mid-July again this year and last 36 hours, if not longer.

How do I shop Amazon Prime Day deals?

Deals will be hosted on this Amazon page on Prime Day.

You need to be an Amazon Prime member in order to shop the deals, so if you aren't already, you should sign up for a free 30-day trial sometime before Prime Day.

What products will be discounted?

Amazon is offering more than 1 million deals for Prime members around the world.

Amazon devices such as Echo devices, Fire tablets, and Kindle e-readers are very likely to be on sale. Prime Day 2018 featured double the deals on Amazon devices and the biggest deals yet on Alexa-enabled products like the Echo, Fire TV, and Fire tablets. We wouldn't be surprised if they improved on these deals in 2019.

Amazon's 12 newest devices, introduced in late 2018, may also be on sale. Outside of physical device deals, expect deals on Amazon services and memberships like entertainment (Kindle Unlimited, Amazon Music Unlimited, Prime Video, Audible, etc.) and grocery shopping (Amazon Fresh, Amazon Pantry, Whole Foods, etc.).

Other things we expect to have good deals are smart home accessories, phones, computers, cameras, TVs, fitness accessories, kitchen appliances, and beauty tools.

These were the best deals across all categories on Amazon Prime Day 2018, and we think similar deals are in the works for Prime Day 2019.

What did people buy on Prime Day last year?

The most popular purchase of the event was the Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote. The Amazon Cloud Cam was the best-selling security camera deal in Amazon history, while the Amazon-owned security company Ring also had a great day, selling out its Video Doorbell Pro.

Outside of Amazon devices, Prime members around the world loved everything from video game consoles to DNA tests. In the US and Canada, top sellers included the Instant Pot.

Among Insider Picks readers specifically, the $1 Kindle Unlimited membership was the clear winner. Noise-cancelling headphones from Sony, Bose, and Sennheiser, and LifeStraw personal water filters were also popular buys on Amazon Prime Day 2018.

Is Amazon the only place I should shop during Prime Day?

No. A growing number of competing online retailers are advertising their summer sales in direct relation to Amazon's Prime Day. Internet-wide, you can expect a lot of great deals during the month of July as retailers all compete to offer the lowest prices. That makes shopping online more overwhelming, but ultimately more rewarding if you're able to hone in on the most valuable deals.

Where can I find the best deals on Prime Day?

Insider Picks will be covering the best overall deals, as well as the best tech deals, home and kitchen appliance deals, fitness deals, and more, right here, so you can avoid the perils of overwhelming choice mentioned above.

Let us do the work for you, and check back to the Insider Picks page on Amazon Prime Day to find full coverage of the deals you should be focusing on.

What are other ways I can get ready for Prime Day?

Download the free Amazon app (iOS, Android), and you can:

• Get phone notifications when a deal is starting. Go to "Today's Deals" in the app and click "Upcoming" to view all deals 24 hours before they are live. Then tap "Watch this Deal."
• Get a sneak peek of select products that will have deals by tapping the Prime Day banner within the app in the week before Prime Day.

If you have any additional questions about Prime Day 2019, email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com and we'll do our best to find the answer for you.

Check out all of our Amazon Prime Day 2019 coverage:

• What is Amazon Prime Day? Everything you need to know and what to expect this July
• When is Amazon Prime Day? Our prediction and preparation guide
• Here's how to successfully get a Lightning Deal during Amazon Prime Day 2019