Many smaller workstation vendors are rushing to fill a very lucrative niche; the likes of Coreto, Scan, Velocity Micro and Boston have a tiny window of opportunity before the computer giants (Lenovo, HP and Dell) jump on AMD’s EPYC bandwagon.
The EPYC 7702 is currently the best option out there if you're looking for the pinnacle of desktop performance - put it this way, you won’t find anything from Intel that will even come close to what AMD's Rome series CPU has to offer.
Rome offers 64 cores and 128 threads, and you can pair two together to get the sort of processing power that was found in supercomputers only a couple of decades ago.
At $51,399, the Apple’s Mac Pro has “only” 28 cores (Intel Xeon W-3275M) and accommodates up to 1.5TB memory, two Radeon Pro Vega II Duo (that’s four GPU and 128GB HBM2 memory) and an 8TB SSD.
For a start, the a-X2 is a little more expensive at just over $53,000 (roughly £41,500 / AU$81,800). However, you get two 64-core processors, 2TB of memory, a pair of Nvidia Quadro RTX 8000 GPU with 48GB GDDR6 memory, and 8.68TB worth of high speed storage. For peace of mind, a three-year warranty with next business day onsite service is also thrown in.
It's true, the casing (adorned by two 200mm front intake fans) is not as alluring as the Mac Pro's aluminium housing, but you get so much more for your money.
Note, while Mediaworkstations ships internationally, you may have to pay additional tax depending on your location.
Corsair has introduced a new version of its One Pro i-series compact high-end desktop (HEDT) that further improves performance for prosumers and gamers. The new Corsair One Pro i200 machine packs a 14-core Intel Core X-series processor as well as NVIDIA’s top-of-the-range GeForce RTX 2080 Ti graphics card. Interestingly, Corsair’s new flagship desktop PC costs $500 less than the company’s previous HEDT machine at launch.
The Corsair One Pro i200 high-end desktop comes in the same 12-liter grey chassis with two RGB stripes as the Corsair One Pro i180. The new system continues to use ASRock’s X299E-ITX/ac motherboard, which now houses the 14-core Core i9-10940X processor (Cascade Lake) as well as the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. The CPU and the GPU are cooled down using individual closed-loop liquid cooling systems, dissipating a total of ~400 W of thermal power.
Being based on standard PC parts, the system is fully upgradeable, including the CPU, GPU, and other parts. That said, the i200 lives up to the 'compact' name, so maneuvering room as well as overall TDPs need to be taken into consideration before any significant alterations.
Designed for the performance-hungry users, the Corsair One Pro i200 comes with 64 GB of DDR4-2666 memory, and a 2 TB M.2/NVMe SSD (the manufacturer no longer uses a 2.5-inch SATA HDD). Connectivity wise, the system is equipped Intel’s Wireless-AC 8265 802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.2 controller, two GbE ports (driven by Intel’s I219-V and I211-AT), six USB 3.0 Type-A connectors, one USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port, a TRRS audio jack, and four display outputs (three DisplayPort 1.4 and one HDMI 2.0b).
Specifications of the Corsair One Pro i200 HEDT PC
Model
Corsair One
Pro i200
Product ID
CS-9040004
CPU
Core i9-10940X
14C/28T
3.30 GHz Base
4.60 GHz Turbo
165 W
GPU
GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
1350-1545 MHz
11 GB GDDR6
14 Gbps
250 W
Cooling
Custom closed-loop air+liquid cooling systems
DRAM
64 GB DDR4-2667
Motherboard
mini-ITX, X299 chipset
Storage
SSD
2 TB NVMe
HDD
-
I/O
Intel’s Wireless-AC 8265 802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.2 adapter
2 × GbE ports (driven by Intel’s I219-V and I211-AT)
6 × USB 3.0 Type-A connectors
1 × USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port
1 × TRRS audio jack
1 × DisplayPort 1.4
3 × HDMI 2.0b
PSU
750W SFX
Warranty
2 years
MSRP
$4,499
The Corsair One Pro i200 with Intel’s 14-core Core i9-10940X CPU and NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 2080 Ti GPU is available immediately for $4,499. The system is covered by a two-year warranty.
AMD is making big strides with its hardware, as CPU sales have dominated and even its GPUs marketshare has grown, with AMD even beating Nvidia for market share in Q4 2019. But, that increased prevalance put some of AMD's Radeon graphics cards' bugs in front of more users. Now, AMD has released updated drivers to address the biggest problems.
A number of stuttering and black screen bugs are covered by the Radeon Software Adrenalin 20202 Edition 20.2.2 update. These black screen bugs would be an especially big issue on computers running an AMD CPU, as it would more than likely not have an iGPU to help users troubleshoot.
Task switching with certain features on or applications running hardware acceleration could cause black screens. Launching games and programs could also cause a black screen if Instant Replay was enabled, as could toggling on HDR in Battlefield V, specifically. Playing Battlefield V for too long could also cause graphics cards to hang.
Problems extended to other games as well, such as Grand Theft Auto V, Monster Hunter World, and Metro Exodus. And the cause of the issues could come down to having an app with an on-screen overlay or even just choosing a particular dialogue option. Outside of gaming, even Chrome could suffer from the black screens, or partial black outs, when using hardware acceleration.
Even users who performed a factory reset on their computer to address the problems may have run into another issue where Instant Replay could not be enabled if it had been enabled prior to the reset.
Not quite done yet
All the bugs we've mentioned are fairly common and thankfully are addressed by the 20.2.2 update to AMD's drivers. The update also addresses graphics card fan speeds lagging behind changes in CPU temperature.
But all of the problems users have experienced aren't guaranteed to be fixed, as AMD notes, “Although Radeon Software Adrenalin 2020 Edition 20.2.2 resolves many black screen issues, AMD is aware that some users may still experience black screen or system hang issues during extended periods of gameplay,”
In certain situations Enhanced Sync may still lead to black screens. Some games and video capture software may also run into stuttering still. Even Doom, the perfect test case for Radeon to show its chops running the Vulkan API, is still susceptible to random hangs and crashes during gameplay.
Hopefully, AMD can get a handle on all of these issues, especially the overarching issue related to simply playing for too long. If AMD tackles all that in time of the anticipated “Nvidia killer” Radeon RX 5950 XT, it could be a smash hit.
As TechPowerUp highlights, by limiting the components made on 7nm to those that would tangibly benefit from the cutting-edge fabrication process (the CPU cores) while leaving other elements like the I/O on a larger and less expensive process, significant cost savings can be achieved.
Opting for a dedicated server means that you get an entire server to yourself. There's no sharing of CPU time, RAM or bandwidth, which means your website stays responsive at all times.
Shared web hosting can appear to be amazing value, with feature-packed products available for just a few pounds every month. But the reality is often very different, and they're not always the bargains they seem.
Very low prices probably mean the host is cramming more customers onto each server, for instance. Performance will be poor as there aren't enough resources to go around, and the extra load could mean more server problems and downtime.
Dedicated hosting implies that you also get far more control over how the server is configured. You can add and remove software, install updates or tweak all settings, allowing you to optimize the server for your specific needs.
Best of all, dedicated hosting contracts often come with fast and knowledgeable support. The best providers will even monitor your server for issues, like failed services, and can often fix them before you've realized there was a problem.
This kind of power doesn't come cheap, and although there are some good signup deals around, you can easily spend $50-$140 a month and more on just a basic package.
With that kind of investment, it's important to make the right choice. In this article, we're going to highlight five top dedicated hosting providers who you might want to check out first.
Bluehost is a popular web hosting service with powerful and flexible plans, and their dedicated hosting plans follow the same principle.
The pricing starts with the Standard plan which is priced at $73.99 (£61.85 for UK) per month for the first term, $119.99 (£98.64 for UK) per month afterward. The plans might be a bit more expensive compared to rivals but they sure don’t lack the features. For the Standard plan you get 4 cores at 2.3 GHz, 500GB of storage, 4GB RAM, 5TB bandwidth and 3 IP addresses. Free domain and SSL certificate are also included.
In addition, there are plenty of advanced features too, like multi-server management, secure shell (SSH) access, custom-designed database manager and more. For users that want more, they have the option to upgrade to a faster CPU, more storage, more bandwidth and pretty much more of everything.
Some optional features are also available, so if you want domain privacy and protection, SiteLock or spam protection you can get those as well.
Bluehost is a capable hosting provider with 24/7 support so you can call for help any time you need it. If by any chance you’re not satisfied with the service, Bluehost offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Hostwinds is a capable hosting provider which crams a huge range of features into all its products, from the most basic shared hosting plans to its enterprise-level cloud-based range.
Its dedicated server range may start at just $79.50 (£60.6) a month, for instance – $106 (£76) on renewal – but even these baseline products include features that are premium extras elsewhere.
All systems have 1Gbps ports, for instance (some providers start at 100Mbps). Every server is fully managed, ensuring you're not wasting time running operating system updates or other basic maintenance tasks. Hostwinds monitors your server to detect problems as soon as they crop up, and automatic nightly backups ensure you can quickly recover from even the worst of disasters.
Storage is extremely configurable, too. Some servers have four drive bays available, and they can be equipped with any mix of 1TB to 3TB SATA drives, or 120GB to 1TB SSDs. That's considerably more flexible than providers like 1&1, where you can only use SSD drives on some products, and even then they're often available in fixed configurations only (1TB SATA or 800GB SSD, for instance).
There's more good news with the choice of operating system. Not only do Linux fans get a choice of CentOS, Debian, Fedora or Ubuntu, but Windows users can choose Windows 2008, 2012 or 2016 Server for a low $25 (£18.8) – we've seen charges of up to $50 (£35.70) elsewhere.
Put it all together and the Hostwinds dedicated range is refreshingly honest. Servers aren't crippled by low specifications to hit a price point, and yet final costs remain low, with most updates very fairly priced. Well worth a look for anyone who needs a reliable, highly-specified server for a low price.
German-based 1&1 (as October 2018 called 1&1 IONOS) is well known as a budget hosting provider, but the company doesn't just offer value for website newbies: its dedicated server range starts at a very low $45 a month for the first six months, then $65.
As you might imagine, 1&1 has had to cut a few corners to hit that price point. The cheapest plans are relatively basic, with limited hardware, although network bandwidth got an upgrade with 1Gbit/s. Features like SSD drives and server management (1&1 updates, monitors and manages the server for you) cost extra. Oh, and there's also a setup fee of at least $50 (entry level plan doesn't have setup fee).
But there are plus points, too, including unlimited bandwidth, bundled Symantec SSL certificates, and the Plesk Onyx server control panel thrown in for free. Overall, even the most limited 1&1 dedicated server plan has enough power to handle many tasks. Additionally, you get a personal consultant free of charge.
Demanding users have plenty of paid upgrades to explore, including a faster CPU, more RAM and storage, a bundled backup service and more. Some of these add-ons include more than you might expect, too. Paying $14 a month for management doesn't just mean 1&1 will look after server admin: you also get a website builder, simple analytics, a photo slideshow service, automatic backup and restore for WordPress sites, and more. Sounds like a good deal to us.
Opting for dedicated rather than shared hosting will speed up your website in itself, but there's still plenty of room for improvement. A2 Hosting's managed server plans blend multiple tricks and technologies to try and ensure you see the best possible performance.
This starts with a powerful set of server components: OPcache and APC may speed up PHP processing by 50%. Memcached holds key MySQL data in RAM for faster retrieval, while mod_pagespeed uses multiple tricks to optimize site content. SPDY and HTTP/2 accelerate page loads even further, and support for technologies like edge side includes and websockets allow more fine-tuned optimizations of your site.
A2 Hosting plans also include Cloudflare's free CDN and its Railgun Optimizer, which "compresses previously uncacheable web objects up to 99.6%" and may result in an average 200% performance increase. In reality you might not see anything like that – the boost will vary greatly, depending on your site – but it's still a technology worth having.
Elsewhere, performance-boosting add-ons include RAID 1 SSD storage of up to 2 x 1TB. An optional Turbo Boost feature costing from $35 a month replaces Apache with the LiteSpeed server, apparently bringing up to 20x faster page loads, and another add-on can cache the HTML contents of a page, then speedily reload it later without needing to run PHP. We were happy to see cPanel is thrown in, too (it's often a chargeable extra with other hosts).
These kind of professional features come at a cost, with even the most basic Sprint plan priced from around $99 a month. But if speed is your top priority then this company could be worth a try, especially as A2's ‘Anytime Money Back Guarantee’ will refund your fees if you cancel within 30 days of your order.
Liquid Web is a popular provider of high-end business hosting products ranging from managed WordPress and WooComerce plans, to cloud VPS, dedicated servers and private clouds.
The company's dedicated offerings may look expensive, with a starting price of $199 a month (can be reduced to $149 a month if annual billing is chosen), but they're also far better specified than most of the budget competition.
Even the cheapest dedicated server includes two speedy 240GB SSD drives, for instance. There's also a 1TB SATA backup drive provided, making it easy and convenient to run regular backups.
The plan includes a dedicated IP. Support for Cloudflare CDN should boost your website speeds, and your server can be hosted in one of three data centers (Arizona, Michigan, or the Netherlands). Although, the special entry plans are only hosted in Michigan.
Most importantly, all dedicated servers are managed by Liquid Web's professional support team. They monitor system health, proactively respond to notifications (for example, they’ll restart a failed service), alongside taking care of installing and updating the operating system. If you have any difficulties, support is available 24/7/365, and the company guarantees a 59 second response time via phone or chat, 30 minutes via ticket and email.
Factor in the wide range of optional add-ons – load balancers, firewalls, VPN – and the range has more than enough power for almost any purpose. If you're managing a heavy-duty website, Liquid Web needs to be on your shortlist.
You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:
So you're here for the best and cheapest Oculus Rift prices, but did you know there's a new Oculus in town in the form of the portable and almost-equally as powerful Oculus Quest? The 2019 device has solved the problem facing many VR hopefuls since Rift's release in 2016; the expense of a gaming PC rig to support it. While the Oculus Rift is still the most highly powered device on the market, you can get a portable, wireless model for the same price in the form of the Quest.
The flagship Oculus Rift headset has since been refreshed for 2019 and renamed the Oculus Rift S. It's backed by world-class technology, has a growing library of games and apps, and now you can get it at its cheapest price ever. That's because the Oculus Rift price was permanently reduced a while back making it much more affordable. You're saving a few hundred notes now, which we always love.
If you're looking for an even cheaper solution, the Oculus Go offers some of the best prices on a VR headset around. While you won't have access to the more flagship gaming titles, and the specs on offer here are far more modest than those of the beefier machines, the Go is perfect if you want to dip your toe in virtual waters for a low price.
Oculus Rift prices
When searching for an Oculus Rift sale price, you should always make sure that you're looking at the latest Rift S version. The new Oculus Rift S was released in March 2019 and replaces the original 2016 Rift on store shelves. It offers a lighter, more comfortable overall experience with better audio solutions and an improved display to reduce screen-door effect. Make sure you're purchasing the latest model by looking out for that S at the end of the name, you may even see a price increase when trying to buy the original Rift device, though few still remain out in the wild.
The Oculus Rift S is the standard PC-powered virtual reality headset we've all come to recognize. It remains a wired device, which may impede your free movement if it weren't for the extra cable length offered straight out the box. With improved tracking courtesy of new external cameras on the headset itself, you won't find yourself stumbling over the lamp of stubbing your toe as much either.
The Rift S is now easy to set up and use, with the removal of tricky tracking procedures and finnicky sensor positioning entirely. Plus, with a whole roster of flagship VR titles available through the Oculus Store you'll never run out of virtual worlds to explore.
To run the Oculus Rift S on full spec you might need a dedicated gaming PC, so make sure yours matches up by checking out the minimum and required specs as suggested by Oculus.
Looking to upgrade your PC gaming setup further? Check out our latest SSD deals to give your PC a speed boost before you hook it up to a Rift. Or, if you're looking to switch to a flashier CPU, be sure to keep an eye on the best processor sales we've come across this month.
Oculus Quest prices
The Oculus Quest price often matches that of the Rift S and yet the latest Oculus headset offers an almost parallel experience to the flagship device with added portability and boundary tracking features. If you want a high-quality VR experience without spending big on a PC to support it, the Quest is for you.
There's a lot of back and forth surrounding which headset comes across better on paper. While the Quest's 2560x1440 resolution outperforms that of the Rift S, its lower refresh rate may let more attentive eyes down. The Rift may well outshine the Quest if it's hooked up to a top of the range gaming PC, but if you don't have one of those at your disposal Oculus Quest does a pretty good job of making you think you do.
Oculus Quest opens up a world of virtual reality wherever you find yourself. The all-in-one unit takes the portability benefits of the Go and the game library and tracking capabilities of the Rift S and serves it up in one OLED display and Snapdragon 835 processor. Make sure you bring a charger with you, however - the two-hour battery life of the Quest reflects the power it's capable of during play sessions.
If you're looking to use your Oculus Quest with SteamVR compatible games, there are streaming workarounds but they aren't officially supported. As it stands, Oculus Quest will not work natively with your Steam library in the same way Oculus Rift S will.
Oculus Go prices
If the Oculus Quest looks a little pricey and you're not ready to invest in an upgraded rig for the Rift, there is a cheaper way to enjoy Oculus VR and that's by taking a look at our Oculus Go sale prices.
The Oculus Go is a standalone VR experience that does not require any extra equipment like a powerful PC, gaming laptop or modern smartphone. It has everything it needs built into the headset. You also get a hand-controller which makes interacting with menus and playing games much easier than trying to select things with your face.
The visual quality isn't quite up there with the full-sized versions and you can't lean in to make things appear closer, but the other degrees of head movement are covered in a huge range of apps and games available from the Oculus store.
It should be noted that the Oculus Go device runs from a different store to the Oculus Rift and Quest headsets. Many of VR's favourite titles aren't available for the Go, due to its technical limitations. That said, there's still a wealth of intriguing titles available for the Oculus Go - just be sure you're looking at the right storefront.
So if you're after a fun VR experience beyond those dodgy headsets you slot your phone into, then we'd seriously advise you check out the latest Oculus go prices below.
Oculus Touch controller deals
Oculus Touch is a pair of motion controllers with buttons that provide a more intuitive way of interacting with select Oculus Rift S games. The controllers come bundled in with most Oculus Rift deals, and certainly those sold by official retailers.
The controllers, which let you interact with VR games and apps by moving your arms around and pressing buttons, originally cost a rather steep £190/$199 for the pair, essentially bringing the overall cost much closer to the HTC Vive VR setup.
On the plus side, the controllers have been reduced to a much more attractive £99/$99, making them an essential purchase if you bought the headset before it was bundled with the controllers.
How much does the Oculus Rift cost?
In the UK, the original recommended price was £549 and $599 in the US. Thankfully, it's recently been reduced and you can now pick one up for £399/$399. Feel free to bookmark this page though to keep an eye on the best Oculus Rift prices as they are updated daily to reflect the best online Oculus Rift deals out there.
Will my PC run Oculus Rift S?
That's a good question, and certainly one to ask before splurging out on the Rift S virtual reality lid for your rig. Handily, Oculus provides minimum and recommended specs so you can check if your setup can handle it. If not, it might be time to upgrade or simply invest in an Oculus Quest headset.
If you're starting out from scratch and want to build your own Oculus Rift S ready rig, check out TechRadar's article below.
Can I use the Oculus Rift S on the PS4 or Xbox One?
Not on either so far. Sony has its own headset with PlayStation VR for the PS4, so we're not expecting Oculus Rift S compatibility any time soon. As for Oculus Rift S on the Xbox One, it's also a no, but with a potential 'maybe' further down the line. Oculus teamed up with Microsoft to include a PC/Oculus-compatible Xbox One controller with the retail release of the headset, so there's already a relationship to potentially build on. Microsoft's HoloLens VR/augmented reality headset has been very quiet of late and hasn't really been pushed as an Xbox One headset, leaving plenty of room for speculation that the Oculus Rift S will make it's way to the Xbox One.
Can I use Oculus Rift S on my phone?
Get out. Oh, you must be confusing the Oculus with the Samsung Gear VR. Samsung's headset is far cheaper and is made for mobile apps, rather than full-fat PC experiences. Well worth a look though if you have a compatible Android mobile phone. As things stand, your phone would probably melt faster than the sets-on-fire-for-fun Galaxy Note 7 if you tried convincing it to even look at an Oculus Rift.
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The cheapest MacBook Pro deals can be tough to track down on Apple's most premium line of laptops, with MacBook Pro prices rarely seeing significant discounts from Apple themselves.
That said, with MacBook Pro prices starting so high, retailers are left with plenty of scope for discounting in sales throughout the year. So check out our guide below where we've listed the cheapest MacBook Pro deals for all the latest models, along with our picks of older Apple laptops still worth checking out.
The MacBook Pro has become the go to laptop range for professionals and enthusiasts alike, absolutely powering through tasks regular laptops fear. Apple's staggering lineup of Retina screens lead the way for crisp visuals and an increasingly excellent physical design of the laptops themselves.
The latest 2019 Macbook Pro price is in keeping with its sheer power. This really is a beast of a laptop and if you want to pump it full of extra high specs you can easily start running up a hefty tab. The base model will still plough through anything you can challenge it with, however, with impressive specs to play with at the price point.
You want the best there is, but there's no reason to pay more than you should for it. If you want to save some money you could check out the other non-Pro MacBook deals or maybe even a standard cheap laptop deal.
If you've got an older MacBook Pro and want to sell it on, first visit our tutorial on how to reset a MacBook Pro.
Is the Macbook Pro price worth it?
The Macbook Pro is made for its power users. With a price point that can make everyday laptop users wary, Apple's range of lightweight super computers can seem inaccessible. If you're looking for a laptop that can handle anything, though, and will be able to handle anything for a long time into the future, then this is the laptop for you. While the Macbook Pro might have a heady overhead cost, it's an investment that will last you longer than other only slightly cheaper laptops will. So, if you're a creative or looking to power through high performance apps and complex workflows the Macbook Pro price is absolutely worth it. If you want to check your emails and watch Netflix, you might be better off elsewhere.
The 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro is here to replace the 15-inch model released earlier in the year, and it does far more than just add some centimeters to the display. Running an 8-core 9th generation i9 processor with 64GB of RAM and an 8TB SSD must feel nice, and while it's exciting that it's possible, that's a spec on its way to setting you back around $5,800. Nevertheless, this brand new MacBook is capable of blisteringly fast speeds even down to its most humble configuration (the little 6-core 9th gen i9 processor that could).
There are massive specs on offer here, but keeping all that power in place is a larger 16-inch chassis with an improved keyboard and a brighter, more intelligent Retina display. There's a lot going on here, so it's a good thing the 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro also boasts the largest battery capacity of any MacBook ever released, offering up to 11 hours of wireless use. While the battery does support an on-the-go workflow, the MacBook Pro weighs in at a hefty 2kg - and with that extra screen size you might think twice about lugging it around in a backpack all day.
Nevertheless, this is an impressive feat of laptop development. While the most powerful configurations are outside the scope of most peoples' wallets, you may be able to find enough loose change to invest in one of the more realistic models.
If you were somehow left wanting power with the older MacBook Pro, then the 2019 edition should answer your prayers for technical domination of anything you can throw at it.
If you've got the cash, the new 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2019 can be configured with up to 32GB of RAM with a 8-core 9th-gen i9 processor. Even the entry model on the Apple store comes packing a 6-core i7, 256GB SSD and 16GB of RAM.
As you'd expect with such great power comes great responsibility for Apple to charge you huge amounts. But this is the most powerful MacBook Pro ever made and if you're involved in the creative arts, digital design or engineering, then you might find Apple's latest is more than up to the task of the increasingly demanding apps and programs. Still not sure? Well all the rumors point towards a bigger 16-inch MacBook Pro coming later this year, which may feature additional new features.
The 2018 version of the 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro is the best yet, comes with the Touch Bar as standard and features a range of improvements over the older models. The screen resolution may be the same with the excellent Retina display, but now there's True Tone technology inside that senses ambient lighting in the room or outdoors to adjust the brightness of the screen for the best possible picture.
The keyboard is quieter and less 'clicky' too. You're getting the brand new 8th-gen Coffee Lake core processor and the quad-core CPUs have doubled the performance of the 2017 models. With more options for larger RAM too, options really open up for creatives and professionals with the MacBook Pro 2018. If you're looking for lower MacBook Pro price but a higher performance than most 2018 laptops, this model may be for you.
The larger 2018 15-inch MacBook Pro price reflects the boost you get in performance by choosing the bigger model. This model offers a larger screen but packs a lot more under the hood too, with Apple providing multiple options with increased RAM, extra processing power with a six core Coffee Lake processor and larger SSD storage options.
Naturally, you're getting the same improvements over the 2017 version too like the True Tone screen technology and quieter keyboard. This really is a powerhouse laptop for designers and industry creatives. If you don't need all that power though, we'd consider the cheaper 13-inch 2018 model, or maybe even the older but nicely cheap Macbook Pro 13-inch version found below if the prices are right for you.
Stock of the 2017 versions with a Touch Bar seemed to dry up pretty fast and most remaining stock actually costs more than the new 2018 upgrades, so we can't really recommend them.
This version doesn't come with the Touch Bar though, which helps keeps the cost down as it turned out to be an expensive extra feature. And unlike versions that featured the illuminated touch-keyboard element, 2017 MacBook Pro prices have dropped nicely, meaning you can save some serious cash and still get a powerful laptop.
The screen and overall shape of this cheap MacBook Pro didn't change on the previous year's iteration, but this MacBook Pro was bolstered by the Kaby Lake 7th-gen processor's speed boost. Throw in a gorgeous Retina display and a minimum of 8GB of RAM and you're looking a multitasking device suitable for everything from day-to-day activities, intensive media editing and creative design work.
Finding cheap MacBook prices can be a tough task, but we've searched through the sales to dig out the best deals on every model.
That's right, we've tracked down the latest offers for every type of Apple laptop out there. We've got you covered for the standard 12-inch MacBooks, the 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pros and if you want something that sits between the two, then you'll want to take a look at our MacBook Air section.
We've pulled the best cheap Macbook prices from the latest sales on a wide range of Apple's lineup via our price comparison technology which searches through the best retailers every day. All the newest MacBook models are covered of course, but we've also compared prices on some of the older MacBooks still readily available as you can save a lot of money by skipping back to an older model while still getting an excellent piece of tech.
All you need to do now is work out whether it’s a MacBook, a MacBook Pro or a MacBook Air that you want. We'll help though by telling you about each one of them.
If you're not quite set on a MacBook (they are rather pricey), then we have some alternative guides for you. Take a look at our selection of best laptops for other top performing machines or our cheap laptop deals for solid buys that won't break the bank as we search for great offers all year round. If the freshest MacBook prices are what you're after though, you'll find them all below.
Really dive into the world of MacBooks with a discounted magazine subscription toMacLifeorMacFormat.
The MacBook Air 2019 is only marginally different from the 2018 version which it looks set to replace. And, sales aside, the 2019 MacBook prices are already a little cheaper at some stores, so it's generally worth trying to pick up this version instead.
The 2019 MacBook Air's main selling points over the 2018 model is the addition of the MacBook Pro's True Tone screen that automatically adjusts color temperatures on the screen depending on the ambient light of the room you're working in. A new third-generation Butterfly keyboard is less likely to see keys sticking or becoming unresponsive too, which has been an issue dogging multiple MacBooks in recent years.
The MacBook Air 2018 includes the excellent Retina screen display from the far more expensive MacBook Pro models, and the bezels are 50% thinner than the previous generation of MacBook Air. The keyboard is four times as stable as before and the Force Touch trackpad is 20% bigger too, which is great for multi-touch interactions. Audio hasn't been overlooked, as the speakers are now 25% louder and a new mic array means asking Siri for assistance is easier. Touch ID has finally come to the Air series too meaning you can log in or verify purchases via a simple touch.
You also get two Thunderbolt ports, but legacy options have been removed, so you may want to consider our guides for the best USB-C adapters or the best USB-C hubs. Inside the gorgeous chassis, you get an upgraded 8th-gen dual-core processor, Intel UHD graphics and the SSDs now run 60% faster and support larger sizes than the 2017 line. We didn't expect the new MacBook Air's form factor to improve given it was already pleasingly discrete but it's now 10% smaller and a quarter of a pound lighter. The 2018 MacBook Air prices start higher than ones for the 2017 edition did, but we'll compare the latest deals for you below thanks to our engaged price comparison technology. Prices for the new MacBook Air 2018 start at $1199 / £1199 / AU$1849 for the entry level versions. So anything under that is a bonus for the newest member of the cheap MacBook Air family.
We have to admit, we thought Apple was done with the MacBook Air line after the Pro lineup became just as compact and almost as light. In 2017, Apple gave the 13-inch MacBook Air its first update since 2015. This meant you could get a much healthier 8GB of RAM instead of 4GB along with a processor upgrade to 1.8GHz (over 1.6GHz) making it much better at multi-tasking. Stock of this older MacBook Air will gradually run out at retailers as the newer model above phases it out, and MacBook prices could fluctuate due to its age. But while new stock is still available, this is your best bet for a cheap MacBook Air.
Apple didn't release a standard MacBook in 2018 or 2019, instead focusing on the Air and Pro lines, so this is the newest regular MacBook you can buy. The screen and compact dimensions on the 2017 MacBook are the same as the 2016 edition. The main improvement with the latest version is the inclusion of the 7th-gen Kaby Lake processors in either m3, i5 or i7 configurations. 2015 MacBook owners are the most likely to notice and appreciate the improvements, but if you're still looking for a cheap MacBook and the Air model doesn't provide the power you need, these MacBook prices could be for you.
The internal specifications on the 2016 12-inch MacBook might be lagging behind the most recent version nowadays, but if you're not planning on pushing the device too hard with demanding tasks then it could be a great money-saving option for you.
While some of the cheapest prices might be reserved for refurbs, the 2016 MacBook is still a fantastic device and it's one of the most portable options in Apple's laptop lineup.
The newest 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2019 is strictly-speaking just the 2018 model stuffed with even more powerful spec. Depending on how much cash you're willing to splash, you can get up to 32GB of RAM with 9th-gen i7 6-core or i9 8-core processor options available too.
So yes, this is easily the most powerful MacBook Pro Apple has ever released, but unless you've got some seriously demanding professional-level kit that requires that much grunt, you're probably better off checking out some of the older, cheaper MacBook Pros models below instead and saving yourself some serious cash. There are also rumours of a 16-inch MacBook Pro coming soon, so you might want to hedge your bets until then.
The 2018 version of the 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro is the best yet, comes with the Touch Bar as standard on most models and features a range of improvements. The screen resolution may be the same with the excellent Retina display, but now there's True Tone technology inside that senses ambient lighting in the room or outdoors to adjust the brightness of the screen for the best possible picture. The keyboard is quieter and less 'clicky' too. You're getting the brand new 8th-gen Coffee Lake core processor and the quad-core CPUs have doubled the performance of the 2017 models. With more options for larger RAM too, options really open up for creatives and professionals with the MacBook Pro 2018. If you're looking for the best MacBook Pro prices for the highest performance, the 13-inch 2018 model may be for you.
The larger 15-inch version of the 2018 MacBook Pro with the Touch Bar is generally going to cost a fair bit more than the 13-inch model, but that's not just because of the larger screen. Apple have also pumped an impressive range of specs inside this bigger model. Increased RAM supports the extra processing power (a six core Coffee Lake processor), and larger SSD storage opens your MacBook Pro to even greater multitasking and more complex workflows.
The True Tone screen technology and quieter keyboard are also added improvements over the 2017 model. This really is a powerhouse laptop for designers and industry creatives. If you don't need all that gear though, we'd consider the cheap MacBook Pro 13-inch model. Or, you could always opt for an older MacBook Pro - prices are likely to be much better.
The older 13-inch MacBook Pros are amongst the cheaper options if you want to go Pro. These versions don't come with a Touch Bar which is something to factor in when comparing how much you'll save versus the added functionality the new tech could add to your work and computing life in general.
These are incredibly light for MacBook Pros, but they still pack an incredible punch with 2.3GHz and dual core processors ranging from i5 to i7. The trackpads are larger than older MacBook Pros too and you're getting fantastic Retina displays which still look stunning today. This is a cheap MacBook Pro price that reflects the age of the laptop but also maintains that Apple power to keep your older model running well.
Signing up for a simple web hosting package will usually buy you a defined block of resources on a single server: this much web space, that much bandwidth, maybe a set amount of RAM or CPU cores.
While this works well for many websites, having fixed resources can be a problem for larger projects. There's generally no way to temporarily allocate extra RAM or bandwidth if you experience an increase in traffic, and even a simple plan upgrade might require your website to go offline for a while.
Cloud hosting plans look much like virtual private server (VPS) products, where you'll initially pay for a set amount of web space, RAM, CPU time and bandwidth. But these resources are spread across multiple devices instead of just one, and changing your plan later – adding another gig of RAM, for instance – is generally as easy as dragging a slider, with the extra power coming online within moments.
This flexibility is great for delivering extra power when you need it most, and starting prices can be similar to regular VPS hosting (from £10 or $14 a month). Costs will rise as you add resources, but typically you'll only pay for the time in which you use these resources.
DigitalOcean's monster 192GB RAM, 32 vCPU and 3,840GB SSD product costs $960 (£685) a month, for instance, but this pay-as-you-go approach allows you to try it out for $1.429 or £1.02 an hour.
Cloud hosting still won't be for everyone, and small, simple websites are likely to be better off with regular packages. But the technology has a lot to offer anyone with larger or more ambitious projects, and many hosts run free trials which make it easy to explore their abilities for yourself.
Best cloud hosting - at a glance
Micrososft Azure
Hostgator
Cloudways
Clook
DigitalOcean
If you're looking to move your business hosting into the cloud, one of the first places to consider is one of the big cloud computing platforms, such as Microsoft Azure.
This isn't a solution for small businesses looking to simply host a website, but it's a great place to go if you have additional computing needs as well and you want to bundle everything together into a single place. The advantage then is that you can move all your business data and apps into the cloud and run them from a single unified platform.
Additionally, by keeping to a single provider you can avoid all the complications of having to deal with cloud management for hybrid clouds and on-premises data. On top of this, Azure boasts more compliance and security certifications than any other cloud provider.
However, moving to a major cloud platform isn't for the faint-hearted, but if you have the IT skills in house, or if you can utilize third-party cloud support services, the move could make a lot of sense even for smaller businesses with a lot of data.
And for the larger small business up through medium to enterprise businesses, the move the a cloud platform like Azure may be a case of 'when' rather than 'if'.
If you only need to host a website rather than additional business data, then HostGator's cloud platform could be a more ideal choice. Unlike normal web hosting, Hostgator's cloud hosting platform spreads your website load across multiple virtual server instances for more reliable and scalable hosting, but it's as easy to use as standard shared hosting, and only costs a little more.
For example, the baseline Hatchling Cloud plan gets you support for one domain, unmetered bandwidth and storage, a share of up to two cores and 2GB RAM, and distributed Varnish caching to speed up the loading of static content. You can get started for as little as $3.13 (£2.50) a month if you buy three years upfront, although the price leaps to $8.95 (£6.40) on renewal.
If you need something more powerful, the top-of-the-range Business Cloud plan supports unlimited domains, gives you up to six cores and 6GB RAM, and includes private SSL and a dedicated IP. Another chunky introductory discount means you can pay as little as $6.28 (£5.10) a month over three years, but after that you'll pay $17.95 (£12.80) per month.
Benefits of the cloud plans include (up to) twice as fast load times, along with more site statistics, and because your site is mirrored across multiple devices, the ability to switch your site to another server in the event of a hardware failure.
But the key advantage of all cloud hosting schemes is scalability. If your site can't cope with demand, you can scale up to eight cores and 8GB RAM with a click. There's no waiting around for someone to process your order and no downtime while your web space is reallocated – you get the extra resources right away.
Also, while prices go up after the initial discount promotion, they still remain extremely competitive.
At first glance, cloud hosting products seem to be divided into two clear groups: enterprise-level technology from Amazon, Microsoft, IBM and more, or simpler and more user-friendly products from hosts like Hostgator.
Cloudways represents an interesting middle path. The company offers managed cloud hosting which is powered by your choice of the top providers – Amazon, Google, DigitalOcean, Kyup, Linode or Vultr are supported – and comes packed with features, yet is configured from a simple web console which is just as easy to use as the more basic competition.
It's an impressive platform. Cloudways' ThunderStack covers all your core performance needs: Nginx, Apache, Memcached, MySQL/MariaDB, Varnish Cache, PHP 7, PHP-FM and Redis. There's one-click cloning, backup and restore, integrated Git and team collaboration tools for developers, and no less than 60 data centers strategically placed around the world (over 25 locations).
Despite all this high-end functionality, Cloudways products are generally simple to operate, and prices start at a beginner-friendly $10 (£7.15) a month for one core, 1GB RAM, 25GB storage and 1TB of bandwidth. It's all supremely configurable, and a free trial allows you to check out the product, with no credit card details required. Furthermore, a referral system is available, where both you and your friends can receive free hosting credits.
Clook is one of the UK's leading independent webhosting providers, who offer Managed Cloud Servers among their various hosting services.
Again, it's targeted at more basic web hosting needs, but if you're looking for this in the UK market then Clook is up there with the best.
Unlike many other web hosting providers who chase the lowest prices while cutting corners on service, Clook instead invest in some of the best support in the business. This does mean you pay more, but it also means you can enjoy piece of mind because if something goes wrong then you can be assured that Clook are already working hard to address it.
Additionally if you have additional support queries Clook are fast to respond, and rather than script-reading frontline support you're actually talking directly with people who have direct system administration experience of their server network. This avoids the frustration of running round in circles and instead means the job simply gets done.
Because this is a company run by sys admins, it also means that the hardware and network is very solid, and their managed cloud servers are no different. This is a managed service as well, which means you don't have to worry about a thing. While other providers might aim for high uptime, Clook ensures their customer actually enjoy it, resulting in a headache-free service.
Overall, there are cheap hosting providers and complicated cloud platforms out there, but if you simply want rock-solid webhosting and are looking at the UK market then Clook is one of the best options you can go for.
DigitalOcean puts the cloud hosting focus on data as much as websites, providing a background of cloud computing services that make it the ideal place to host and run your own applications in the cloud.
While cloud hosting schemes always involve pooling resources from multiple devices, most do their best to keep you away from the low-level details. You may be able to scale your plan by adding CPU cores, RAM or storage, for instance, but the console will present this to you as a single system.
DigitalOcean's Droplets are based around similar resizable and customizable virtual machines, but that's just the start – the technology has much more to offer.
For starters, the system supports Droplets of different types. If the standard plans aren't enough – priced from $5 (£3.55) a month for one core, 1GB RAM and 25GB storage – Optimized Droplets aim to ramp up your performance by using the best Broadwell and Skylake CPUs, and providing more RAM and storage space.
Individual Droplets have more features than you might expect, including performance monitoring and alerts, snapshots and automatic system-level backups.
There are various interesting ways to work with your Droplets as a group, including setting up a cloud firewall, and using a load balancer to distribute incoming traffic across your infrastructure.
DigitalOcean's transparent pricing is a highlight. You're billed hourly, with monthly caps, ensuring you only pay for the resources you use. Many of the features come for free – monitoring, cloud firewall – while others follow very simple pricing rules. Snapshots cost $0.05 per gigabyte per month, for instance, while backups are priced at 20% of the cost of the virtual machine – easy.
If all you want to do is host a scalable WordPress site, this will probably be overkill, but developers, sysadmins and other more demanding users will appreciate the power and flexibility DigitalOcean offers. Browse the lengthy list of tutorials (which numbers 2,400+ at the time of writing) on the DigitalOcean site to find out more.
Intel only released its 8-core i9-9900KS CPU in October 2019, and despite claiming it is the “world’s best gaming processor”, it seems like its days could be numbered, as Intel prepares to launch its 10th generation desktop processors.
The Intel Core i9-9900KS was aimed at directly tackling AMD’s Ryzen processors, coming with 8 cores and 16 threads, but with higher clock speeds, and was released in a bid to stop the company losing market share to the resurgent AMD, which is finding mainstream success with its 8-core processors.
Boasting 5GHz on all cores, the Intel Core i9-9900KS is a powerful (and power-hungry) chip, that is also pricey, but allows Intel to advertise it as the fastest gaming processor you could buy.
However, the Intel Core i9-9900KS’ lifespan was always going to short, many suspected, due to the ‘S’ in its name, which stood for ‘special edition’. We have reached out to Intel, however, to see if the lifespan is indeed over, or if there's just a supply issue. We'll update this article as soon as we hear more.
End of the line?
Intel has released several special editions of its processors in the past, and it looks like the Core i9-9900KS’ days are numbered, with Computerbase reporting that several retailers no longer have the chip in stock, while even the biggest retailers, like Amazon, only have limited stock left.
This suggests that Intel has stopped producing the Core i9-9900KS. If you were after the CPU you may be out of luck, then, especially as what little stock is left has gone up in price. Wccftech points out at Amazon, the price of the chip rocketed up to $963.83.
So, why has Intel stopped production of the Core i9-9900KS? For a start, as a special edition, it was always likely to have a shorter shelf life than other processors.
The other factor is that Intel is gearing up to launch its highly-anticipated 10th-generation Comet Lake-S processors, such as the rumored Intel Core i7-10700KF, which will likely replace the Intel Core i9-9900KS.
So, while Intel may indeed be killing off the ‘world’s best gaming processor’, it looks set to replace it with something just as good – and hopefully not as expensive.
We're still waiting to see Intel's 10th-generation Comet Lake-S processors for desktop, and while Team Blue doesn't seem to have an issue with keeping us on our toes, we're starting to see some juicy leaks.
The latest leak comes via famed hardware leaker @TUM_APISAK and shows a supposed Intel Core i7-10700KF scoring 294.33GOPS on the SISoftware CPU Arithmetic benchmark. For comparison's sake, an AMD Ryzen 7 3800X can score around 308GOPs according to SiSMark's results browser.
This would mean that Intel's next generation processors won't quite catch up to AMD's mainstream platform, but because Comet Lake-S is, by all indications, going to still be on the 14nm manufacturing process, that shouldn't be too much of a surprise. In fact, its promising that Intel is able to come so close on its aging manufacturing process at all.
This is likely largely due to the processor boosting all the way up to 5.3GHz, which is an amazing boost clock for any processor, especially when it comes with 8-cores and 16-threads. Only time will tell if this is an actual boost clock and not an overclock – if this benchmark result is even real. However, it's still promising.
We are fully expecting Intel to unveil its Comet Lake-S processors any time now, and these chips will show us whether or not there really is any life left in the Skylake architecture. We'll just have to wait and see.
Wait, there's a catch
According to some juicy speculation by our friends over at Tom's Hardware, Intel may end up launching its 10th-generation Comet Lake-S chips with three different levels of TDP (thermal design power): 125W, 65W and 35W.
It's extremely likely that the Intel Core i7-10700KF shown off in this benchmark is going to come with the 125W TDP rather than a 65W, which would be significantly higher than the 105W TDP of the AMD Ryzen 7 3800X.
You also have to take into consideration the fact that TDP is measured differently by Intel and AMD. Here at TechRadar, we didn't review the 3800X, but we reviewed a large portion of the AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation lineup, and the Ryzen 9 3900X stays closer to its 105W TDP with a peak power draw of 145.75W than something like the Intel Core i9-9900KS which is rated for 127W but draws up to 202.75W.
It's likely then, that if the Intel Core i7-10700KF ships with a 125W TDP, it could see power consumption spike much higher than the Ryzen 7 3800X, which would make it both slightly slower and much less efficient.
Still, this loss in power efficiency may not be a dealbreaker for some users, especially if Intel manages to keep its lead in single core – and thus gaming – performance with its next-generation CPUs. The benchmark leaked here is definitely geared more towards multi-core performance, so its possible that Intel could still maintain its lead elsewhere.
We'll have to wait until we manage to get our hands on these processors ourselves, of course, but until then we'll report on any other major benchmark leaks leading up to the release of Comet Lake-S. We can't wait.
We were very curious as to how the two headline Intel CPUs matched up, and it gave us a good excuse to test the performance of an "all-white" build. Let's see how they compare.
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If you're looking to get started building your own computer systems, then good news - one of the most popular versions of the Raspberry Pi 4 is now cheaper than ever.
The hugely popular computing device is getting a permanent price cut for its 8th birthday, with the 2GB Raspberry Pi now available for just $35 (around £27/$AU53).
That means you can kickstart your own home computing system for the same as half a tank of fuel.
Along with it coinciding with the 8th birthday of the company, Raspberry Pi says that falling RAM prices have allowed it to cut the price of its hardware. The price cut means that the Raspberry Pi 4 is now on sale for the same amount as the original device was back in 2012.
The Raspberry Pi 4 was launched in June 2019, boasting run times around forty times faster than the original, as well as 8x the memory, and described by founder Eben Upton as "the Raspberry Pi I’d buy for my parents”.
The Raspberry Pi 4 also features Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth, USB-C connectivity (along with two USB 2 and 2 USB 3 ports), and two micro HDMI ports capable of supporting dual 4K displays.
The company added that over 30 million Raspberry Pi computers have been sold since the first device went on sale on February 29 2012.
"In the years since...we’ve seen our products used in an incredible range of applications all over the world (and occasionally off it); and we’ve found our own place in a community of makers, hobbyists, engineers and educators who are changing the world, one project, or one student, at a time," Upton wrote in a blog post.
The 1GB and 4GB versions of the Raspberry Pi 4 will remain on sale, but their prices will be unchanged at $25 (around £19/$AU38) and $55 (around £42/ $AU84) respectively.
As one of the four main networks, O2 has been a go-to choice for many over the years. And recently, O2 phone deals have been offering some of the best prices around, making it a logical option for anyone looking to save on their contract.
However, these great prices aren't coming from O2 itself. In fact, the O2 website seems to often struggle to match the value that can be gained from going to 3rd party retailers (like Carphone Warehouse or Affordable Mobiles). Those are the places the really strong O2 phone deals can be found.
And despite stiff competition from the likes of Vodafone, EE and a host of MVNOs, O2 has stood its ground as one of the best networks available. It's the network renowned for its extra Priority reward giveaways and customise-able plans.
But of course, the main question is what are the best O2 phone deals? For anyone who's mind is set on flagships, you'll find great offers on the likes of the iPhone 11, Huawei P30 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus and Google Pixel 4. And O2 even holds its own in the budget department with everything from Samsung to Moto and back again.
And if the O2 phone deals you've found are being offered by retailer Mobiles.co.uk and costs at least £10 upfront, then make sure you enter our exclusive 10OFF discount code at the checkout to knock a tenner off.
It's the best phone Samsung has ever made and possibly the best smartphone currently on the market. It comes packed with a massive 5000mAh battery, a 6.9-inch display and 12GB RAM.
Camera-wise, you're getting a quad lens set-up with a pretty over-the-top 100x zoom function.
The latest in Samsung's long line of devices, the Samsung Galaxy S20 is packed full of high-end specs, offering a massive 4000mAh battery, a triple camera set-up and even a hefty 8GB RAM.
The latest and greatest from Huawei, the P30 Pro is now easily our choice for best smartphone camera on the market. Combine top of the line camera quality with an impressive battery life and beautiful screen and you get easily one of the best phones on the market.
Samsung's newest release, this phone is rocking a completely flat, notch-less screen with a pin hole camera, giving it a unique style. Whether it's the triple cameras on the back, fast processor or reverse charging, there is a lot to love here.
Samsung's brand new budget flagship, the S10e features high-end specs for an affordable price. If you want the best Samsung has but don't want to have to pay through the roof to get it, this is the way to go. With all of the same features as the S10 with a few cutbacks, this is a high-end phone with mid-range pricing.
The iPhone 11 has come along to offer fans of Apple a 2019 device without going all out on cost. It arrived with a SIM-free price less than the iPhone XR on release while boosting specs in almost every department - better screen, the fastest CPU on the market and a much needed battery development.
Every single year, Samsung's Note design keeps getting better and better. The latest iteration - the Note 10 - is clearly a combination of everything Samsung does well. Yes, the display is only Full HD but through the use of Samsung's 'S' pen, an impressive battery size, a beautiful design and a top-tier video camera, the Note 10 is one of the best phones you can buy right now.
The iPhone 8 is possibly now the best cheap iPhone around right now. Yes, its not the cheapest but it sits perfectly in the middle of the market, blending affordability and specs. Want an iPhone but the iPhone 11 above was just far too costly? This will be the way to go.
In 2019 Google came back with a vengeance, doing what they do best - cameras. The Google Pixel 4 promises features ranging from 'astrophotorgrahy, next level night mode and some improved internal processing power. The battery life isn't outstanding but the camera and processor sure are.
When it comes to benefits of a O2 phone deal, the best known part comes in the form of O2 Priority. This is a scheme which offers the likes of competition entries, free tickets, coffees and other benefits.
Those that sign up with O2 also get access to events that O2 is sponsoring and most importantly, O2 covers 98% of the UK when it comes to coverage meaning you should never be worrying about signal.
Can I keep my number when I switch to O2?
You sure can, if you switch over to an O2 mobile deal and want to keep your old number, then simply call your old network, get a PAC code and transition it over.
If you were previously on O2, you can still keep your number but it is slightly more complicated. They won't let you keep your number, so you have to use this workaround. Buy a free pay-as-you-go SIM from any other network and tell your network that you're moving.
They'll release the PAC code, which you then give to the substitute network. Then, you immediately get another PAC code from them. Take that to your old network, and they'll move your number to your new contract. Long winded, but easier than learning a new number!
Can I use my O2 phone abroad?
Like all of the other networks, O2 covers your roaming charges when you're in Europe. Stray out of that area and you will have to start paying additional costs for the data, minutes and texts you use.
Travelling outside of Europe? O2 has a number of different schemes and packages to help you deal with that - you can find them all on the O2 website.
Can I get an unlimited data O2 phone deal?
O2 is the final of the big four - O2, EE, Vodafone and Three - to offer unlimited data plans. Unfortunately for anyone considering going all out on their data, O2 is probably going to be one of the more expensive ways of doing it. So far, it seems that Vodafone deals and Three Mobile deals will land you the best price on unlimited data.
Can I get an O2 phone deal with no upfront costs?
Luckily, there is a huge amount of O2 phone deals that require no spending at the start. In fact, phone contracts with no upfront costs are a frequent sight in the phone market. Obviously as soon as you cut upfront costs, the monthly cost does tend to receive a bump. But if you're lucky it could end up being a complete bargain.
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We've all heard of Vodafone, it's one of the four main networks of the UK, bringing competition to the likes of O2 and EE. But are Vodafone deals any good? Read on to find out and see what kind of prices you can expect to pay.
Coming up as a close second behind EE, Vodafone offers some strong benefits to rope you in. Vodafone's VeryMe scheme rewards you with everything from free coffees, to exclusive competitions and cash prices.
On top of the tempting freebies, Vodafone's high-level coverage and fast speeds are there to entice you in. But in terms of costs, Vodafone deals can be somewhat temperamental - one minute they're the cheapest around, the next its just not that affordable.
Like most other networks, you'll find that the best prices don't come directly from Vodafone, but instead can be found with 3rd party retailers. That's where you'll find the bargains on unlimited data and the cheap monthly pricing.
And for anyone looking to invest in a high-end device - iPhone 11, Samsung Galaxy S20, Google Pixel 4 etc - Vodafone deals are often the best place to look. You can compare a wide range of handsets on Vodafone below.
It's the best phone Samsung has ever made and possibly the best smartphone currently on the market. It comes packed with a massive 5000mAh battery, a 6.9-inch display and 12GB RAM.
Camera-wise, you're getting a quad lens set-up with a pretty over-the-top 100x zoom function.
The latest in Samsung's long line of devices, the Samsung Galaxy S20 is packed full of high-end specs, offering a massive 4000mAh battery, a triple camera set-up and even a hefty 8GB RAM.
The latest and greatest from Huawei, the P30 Pro is now easily our choice for best smartphone camera on the market. Combine top of the line camera quality with an impressive battery life and beautiful screen and you get easily one of the best phones on the market.
Samsung's newest release, this phone is rocking a completely flat, notch-less screen with a pin hole camera, giving it a unique style. Whether it's the triple cameras on the back, fast processor or reverse charging, there is a lot to love here.
Samsung's brand new budget flagship, the S10e features high-end specs for an affordable price. If you want the best Samsung has but don't want to have to pay through the roof to get it, this is the way to go. With all of the same features as the S10 with a few cutbacks, this is a high-end phone with mid-range pricing.
The iPhone 11 has come along to offer fans of Apple a 2019 device without going all out on cost. It arrived with a SIM-free price less than the iPhone XR on release while boosting specs in almost every department - better screen, the fastest CPU on the market and a much needed battery development.
Every single year, Samsung's Note design keeps getting better and better. The latest iteration - the Note 10 - is clearly a combination of everything Samsung does well. Yes, the display is only Full HD but through the use of Samsung's 'S' pen, an impressive battery size, a beautiful design and a top-tier video camera, the Note 10 is one of the best phones you can buy right now.
Thanks to the spectacle that was the iPhone X launch, the reception for the iPhone 8 was a little bit flat. Perhaps unfairly as it does improve on the iPhone 7 with wireless charging and an improved camera. Plus, it's quite a bit cheaper. So if you're looking for the best iPhone but are avidly avoiding the prices of the likes of the iPhone X and XS try the 8 on for size instead.
In 2019 Google came back with a vengeance, doing what they do best - cameras. The Google Pixel 4 promises features ranging from 'astrophotorgrahy, next level night mode and some improved internal processing power. The battery life isn't outstanding but the camera and processor sure are.
With 4G coverage of roughly 95% of the UK population, Vodafone won't let you down when it comes to connection. Sign up for a Vodafone red entertainment plan and you can get access to the likes of Now TV, MTV and Sky Atlantic.
No matter the plan you're on, you will be able to use Vodafone's Veryme rewards scheme. This will occasionally give you access to free coffees and snacks, giveaways and discounts.
Can I keep my number when I switch to Vodafone?
If you switch over to a Vodafone deal but want to keep your old number, then simply give your old network a ring, get a PAC code and transition it over.
If you were previously with Vodafone, you can still keep your number but it is a slightly trickier affair. They won't let you keep your number, so you have to use this workaround. Buy a free pay-as-you-go SIM from any other network and tell your network that you're moving.
They'll release the PAC code, which you then give to the substitute network. Then, you immediately get another PAC code from them. Take that to your old network, and they'll move your number to your new contract. Long winded, but easier than learning a new number!
Can I use my Vodafone device abroad?
With any Vodafone deal you can use your data allowances without any additional costs while travelling within Europe. That includes locations such as French Guiana, St Martin and Martinique.
When travelling outside of Europe your costs with a Vodafone deal will jump up. Anywhere outside of Europe is a 'roam-further destination', this means you will be charged £6 a day to use your data.
However, get a Vodafone red entertainment plan and you will get to use roaming for free anywhere in the world.
Can I get a Vodafone deal with no upfront costs?
Don't like big payments at the start? Vodafone has plenty of deals like this. In fact, phone contracts with no upfront costs are a frequent sight in the phone market. Obviously as soon as you cut upfront costs, the monthly cost does tend to receive a bump. But if you're lucky it could end up being a complete bargain.
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