Amazon Prime Day: Cheapest ever deal for Echo voice-controlled Alexa speaker

A selection of the company's other major products are also being reduced in price

The Echo is widely considered the best voice-controlled speaker on the market

Amazon Prime Day 2017 kicks off at 6pm tonight, but the company has announced a number of upcoming deals ahead of time.

The standout offer is undoubtedly £70 off the Amazon Echo.

From this evening through to the end of Tuesday, you’ll be able to buy the Alexa-powered speaker for £79.99, rather than the usual £149.99 price.

The company says it's the lowest ever price for the Echo, which is widely considered the best voice-controlled speaker on the market.

Amazon is also taking £15 off the Echo Dot, which is being reduced to £34.99, and the excellent Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote is going down to £29.99 from £39.99.

The Fire 7, a basic tablet that’s ideal for families with small children, is dropping from an already very cheap £49.99 to just £29.99.

Amazon will be reducing the prices of thousands of products today and tomorrow for what it's calling “one of the world’s best days to shop”.

However, you need to be an Amazon Prime member in order to access the deals.

The subscription service also gets you one-day delivery on orders, but costs £79 per year or £7.99 per month.

Fortunately, you can sign up for a free 30-day Amazon Prime trial ahead of Prime Day, and cancel it later if you don’t think it’s worth paying for.