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The best Amazon Warehouse deals available right now: July 2022

Amazon Warehouse shoppers can pick up the latest electronics for hundreds of dollars off.
Written by Taylor Clemons, Staff Writer
MSI Stealth 15M Gaming Laptop | Save $240
MSI Stealth 15M laptop
MSI Stealth 15M Gaming Laptop
Save $240
View now View at Amazon
Apple iPhone 11 (128GB, Unlocked) | Save $26
Apple iPhone 11
Apple iPhone 11 (128GB, Unlocked)
Save $26
View now View at Amazon
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE (128GB, Unlocked) | Save $69
samsung-galaxy-s20-fe-review-best-camera-phone.png
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE (128GB, Unlocked)
Save $69
View now View at Amazon
HP Pavilion x360 laptop | Save $86
HP Pavilion X360 laptop
HP Pavilion x360 laptop
Save $86
View now View at Amazon

If you're shopping for tech gadgets to help your day-to-day life, you can take advantage of some great markdown deals from Amazon Warehouse. This special storefront from Amazon specializes in re-selling open-box, pre-owned, and customer-returned items.

And don't let the word "used" scare you off; each item goes through an inspection process to determine if it's able to be resold, and each item's listing clearly states what kind of working condition it's in. These range from "like new" to "acceptable," with like-new meaning "you'd never know it was used" and acceptable meaning "it works, but shows wear."

One thing to keep in mind while browsing the deals below: since Amazon Warehouse mostly sells customer-returned items and open-box units, supplies are extremely limited. Some items may only have one or two units available at a particular list price at any given time. So make sure you act fast if you see something you like.

  • Current Price: $1,159
  • Original Price: $1,399

The MSI Stealth 15M comes with a 15.6" 144hz display and a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card so your gaming experience will be taken to the next level.  MSI's exclusive Cooler Boost Technology will help keep the laptop cool during the heaviest of gaming sessions, and 512 GB of SSD storage means plenty of space your favorite games.

  • Current Price: $399
  • Original Price: $425

When we reviewed the iPhone 11 back in 2019, the device proved to be one of the most efficient and value-for-the-money phones at the time. That statement still holds true today. Amazon Warehouse is currently selling the iPhone in all colors and storage options, but we recommend picking up either the 128GB or 256GB models.

Also: ZDNet's full review of the iPhone 11

  • Current Price: $283
  • Original Price: $352

Itching for an Android phone instead? Besides the bounty of deals on new and unlocked handhelds, you can save more through Amazon's Warehouse aisle. For something with little to no wear, you're getting a carrier-ready smartphone that sports a vivid 6.5-inch 120Hz display, a long-lasting 4,500mAh battery, 128GB of storage, and some quirks that have become rarities in this day and age: MicroSD card support and a 3.5mm headphone jack. In many ways, the S20 FE stands tall in today's market, and now, it can be yours for less.

Also: How the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE fares in the 5G mid-range market

  • Current Price: $693
  • Original Price: $779

The HP Pavilion x360 is a 2-in-1 version of the brand's well-known workhorse laptop. And at Amazon Warehouse, you can get a decent discount on a like-new, used unit. It features an 11th gen Intel Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 1080p touchscreen for better control over apps and programs as well as hand-writing notes and digital drawing or painting. It also features Wi-Fi 6 compatibility for ultra-fast wireless internet speeds, Bluetooth connectivity for wireless peripherals, and USB-C fast-charging to give you up to 50% battery in just 45 minutes. And on a full charge, you'll get up to 8 hours of use out of your laptop, which is perfect for a typical office shift or day in class.

What is Amazon Warehouse?

Amazon Warehouse is a special storefront for Amazon where they sell open box, used items in like-new condition, and customer returned items at a discounted price. You can find just about anything, from clothing and books to laptops and TVs, on the Amazon Warehouse store page. It differs from Amazon Outlet in that it does not sell overstocked items or new items on clearance.

How does Amazon Warehouse work?

When a customer returns something to Amazon, it goes through an inspection process to determine what kind of condition the item is in. Most of the time, a customer returns something right away, either because they received the wrong item, it doesn't fit correctly, or it just doesn't suit their needs as they thought. Sometimes, customers return things for arbitrary reasons, like color preferences. Items with zero wear and tear (like a laptop someone didn't like because it was silver rather than dark gray) may get labeled "open box" if it includes all original packaging and paperwork. If there is zero to minimal wear and tear and/or the item is missing some original packaging or paperwork, it may be listed as "like new." 

And the ratings only go downhill from there as damage and cosmetic wear is assessed; the lowest condition rating is "used-acceptable," which means that the item works; it just has tons of cosmetic wear and maybe missing things like original power cables, manuals, or packaging. Items rated "acceptable" can be bought at steep discounts if you don't mind your new-to-you product looking like it went through all nine circles of retail hell. You just have to be very aware that cosmetic wear can also lead to hardware failure in tech items like laptops, tablets, and phones, so you can celebrate finding an iPhone 11 for $200, but just remember that the spiderwebbed case may be hiding some broken hardware as well.

What does "open-box" mean?

An item listed as "open box" can apply to a variety of situations, but usually, they are items that either arrived at the store with heavily damaged original packaging or were a customer returned with near-zero wear and all original packaging. Open box is also sometimes referred to as "scratch and dent" since customers typically shy away from buying new items in beat-up boxes, even if the laptop (or whatever it is) is in pretty much perfect condition. An intrepid shopper can snag some pretty awesome deals if they're willing to consider open box and scratch-and-dent sales.

Do Prime members get special Amazon Warehouse discounts?

There may be flash deals from time to time that Prime members get early access to, but overall? Amazon Warehouse doesn't really offer extra discounts on items, since it's a way for the company to recoup retail and shipping losses.

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