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Get this insane Prime Day trade-in deal: Echo Show 5 for as low as $2.49

Wait, what? It's true: If you're a Prime subscriber with a first-generation Echo to trade in, this is the most amazing deal ever. (Dot and Tap owners can get in on the action, too.)

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read
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This could be yours for just $2.49. For real!

Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Take a look at your trusty old first-generation Echo smart speaker. Would you trade it, plus a mere $2.49, for a brand new Echo Show 5 ? Mull that over while I explain how this limited-time promotion works.

The Echo Show 5 debuted last month at $90 (to glowing reviews), but a surprise Prime Day sale now has it at $50.

Meanwhile, Amazon's Echo Upgrade Program is offering an instant Amazon gift card and an extra 25% off any new Echo device. The first-gen Echo smart speaker is good for an instant $25 gift card, one you can apply to this purchase. The catch: This works only if you're trading in for the first time.

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Echo Show 5 madness: I break down the math to your left.

Screenshot by David Katzmaier/CNET

So, here's the math:

  • Echo Show 5 = $49.99 ($89.99 - $40 for Prime subscribers).
  • Minus 25% off from trade-in = $27.49. (Why? Because Amazon is giving you 25% off the full retail price, not the sale price. That equals $22.50 off.)
  • Minus $25 instant gift card = $2.49 total (plus tax, but on the pre-gift card amount).

Once you go through the trade-in procedure (making sure to read all the options carefully), you should should net both the 25% discount and $25 gift card. Then add the Echo Show 5 to your cart and checkout.

A few variables: If you have a first-gen Echo Dot , you get a $5 trade-in credit. An Echo Tap nets you $15. And Amazon will accept a handful of other trade-ins as well (with varying values). You're not limited to buying the Echo Show 5, either; the gift card and discount can be applied to just about any Echo device.

Two CNET editors, myself included, got as far as checkout and did indeed end up with a $2.49 final price (before tax). But because of the variables involved, I feel the need to add, "your mileage may vary."

Watch this: The Amazon Echo Show 5 helps Alexa fit nicely on your nightstand

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