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It might not seem like it at the time, but buying an iPhone for full price upfront is probably the cheapest option. Swallowing the $1,000 purchase price of an unlocked iPhone X isn’t easy. However, you won’t wind up tied to carrier contracts that trap you for a year or two. Plus, you can pick a cheap, $10-per-month prepaid data plan instead.

In the European Union, Apple sells unlocked phones from the get-go. If you buy a new iPhone from Apple on launch day, it will not come tied to a carrier. In the United States, SIM-free iPhones usually go on sale a few weeks after launch.

Today we’ll look at how and where you can buy a SIM-free, unlocked iPhone.

Writing at the computer and on a mobile device can feel like totally different processes. Usually, the tools on one aren’t available – or just work differently – on the other. Not to mention the awkwardness of writing with only two thumbs.

Apple has invested a substantial sum of cash in TrueDepth sensor maker Finisar.

The $390 million fund will allow for increased research and development spending, and high-volume production of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). It will also allow Finisar to open a new production facility in Texas, creating more than 500 jobs.

Apple has increased its trade-in values for a bunch of old Mac models. Machines released in 2009 and later could now earn you up to $2,500. That’s a generous $1,000 more than the previous limit.

Apple’s eagerly anticipated iMac Pro finally has a release date — and it’s this week.

Landing this Thursday, the new all-in-one desktop Mac will come in 8-, 10- and 18-core variants. It’s by far the most powerful Macintosh ever sold by Apple.

Spotlight is Apple’s search technology for Mac and iOS, and it can help you find almost anything. Not just stuff on your iPhone, either. Spotlight can also help you find nearby places, look up words in a dictionary, and even do currency and unit conversions, all from one search box. Let’s take a look at everything Spotlight can do on your iPhone or iPad.

Apple surprised us this morning by finally revealing the launch date of the iMac Pro, but a few lucky tech reviewers have already gotten their hands on the slick new machine.

The first hands-on reviews of the iMac Pro confirm a lot of what we already knew about Apple’s machine: it’s gorgeous and insanely fast. But according to those that have tested it, the iMac Pro actually blows past the hype of being the perfect iMac for professionals.

It’s been about a month since the release of the iPhone X and I’ve been using it every day as my daily driver. We’ve already reviewed it, and even pointed out its flaws, but I wanted to do a follow-up video to cover everything that’s changed for me personally and all the discoveries I’ve made using Apple’s latest flagship.

Check out the video below.

iMessage is finally available on Android, thanks to 16-year-old developer Roman Scott.

The free-to-download weMessage app supports group conversations, sending attachments, and lots more. But there’s one big catch.

Black Friday has come and gone, but some killer deals linger on. That includes this brimming bundle of eight Mac apps, headlined by PDF Expert and Roxio Toast Titanium. And now is your last chance to get it for a full 92 percent off.

Apple is now allowing all App Store developers to accept pre-orders for upcoming releases on iOS, macOS, and tvOS.

Customers will be able to view product pages and place their order ahead of an app’s official release date. They will then receive a notification once it is available and the app will be downloaded automatically to their device.

The post-Thanksgiving shopping frenzy has finally subsided. To celebrate, here’s another shopping frenzy. In observance of Green Monday, we’ve rounded up some of the best deals on gear and gadgets. That includes a feature-packed drone, a smart touch screen lock, and a high resolution color sensor for iPhone. Additionally, we’ve got a massive capacity backup battery, and a simply designed dash mount for phones and tablets. Everything is discounted by a third or more, read on for more details:

iPhone X is the best smartphone Apple ever made. It could be the best smartphone released in 2017. Like its rivals and every iPhone that came before it, however, it’s imperfect.

As much as I love using mine, certain things drive me crazy almost every day — and no, the “notch” isn’t one of them. Here are 10 things I hate about iPhone X.

Do you have a bunch of photos that you took with your iPhone that all need to be tweaked the same way? Maybe you edited one shot from a session into the perfect B&W portrait, and you want to apply the exact same combination of lighting effects, color tweaks and filters to the rest of the pictures you took in the same photo shoot. Or perhaps you just want to standardize the white balance for a batch of images so their colors all match.

That’s easy to do in Photos for macOS High Sierra, using the Copy Adjustments tool. Here’s how to use it.

In this day and age, getting online without using a VPN is an unnecessary risk. But there are a lot of options out there. If you just aren’t sure where to start, we’ve got a deal for you.

An incredibly useful app that cleans your text of formatting issues is just one of our picks for this week’s “Awesome Apps of the Week” roundup.

In addition, we’ve got a brilliant music making app, an app for editing your 360 camera videos, and a superb post-apocalyptic survival adventure game. In the same week that Apple highlighted its top apps of 2017, these are our choices for the greatest apps of the past seven days. Check them out below.

Picking up an iPhone means putting an amazing device in your pocket. But there are plenty of ways to make it even better. We’ve rounded up five deals on peripherals and lessons that can enhance anyone’s iPhone experience. That includes wireless charging batteries, a robust car mount, truly wireless earbuds, lessons in iOS coding, and more. Each is discounted massively, some by more than 90 percent. Read on for more details:

Apple built its trillion-dollar reputation delivering beautiful hardware that turned tedious tasks into magical experiences. But, a recent string of ridiculous bugs put Cupertino in a precarious position: If Apple doesn’t stop the screw-ups, it could permanently sully its good name.

In this week’s issue, you’ll find that story and more. Learn how to track package deliveries on iPhone, Mac and Apple Watch. Check out our Gift Giving Guides and get your holiday shopping out of the way now! Get your free subscription to Cult of Mac Magazine from iTunes. Or read on for this week’s top stories.

Getting a Mac is just the first step. To get the most out of your new machine, you’ll want the right apps and peripherals. So we’ve gathered five of the best extras for any Mac. That includes a port expander, portable powerstrip, Apple Mail and iTunes replacements, and a WiFi ‘heat mapper’. Everything is discounted by 25 percent or more, read on for more details:

Lightning cables are the most boring part of your iPhone or iPad kit, but one of the most essential. After all, without one your iPhone won’t last much longer than a day. Apple’s cables prove adequate, but we wouldn’t recommend buying one as a replacement or a spare. You can find several better (and cheaper) options for charging your iDevices. Here are our picks for the best Lightning cables.

The New York Times best-selling author Tim Ferriss is widely regarded as one of today’s leading productivity gurus. His latest book, Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice From the Best in the World, just dropped, and it’s full of great pointers for people looking to make the most out of their time and energy. To mark the book’s release, we’re sharing this giveaway of top-shelf Apple tech.

There are three chances to win, and entry is free. Read on for details on the three awesome bundles of Apple gear you could win.

Immersive 360-degree photos and videos are a spectacular way to showcase your best adventures… until you need to edit them. But now that’s easier than ever, thanks to VeeR Editor, the world’s first 360-degree photo and video editor for iOS.

One of the most exciting features in new iPhones is its specialized support for augmented reality. So for developers, that means a whole new era of interactive and immersive content. But it also means learning the ins and outs of ARKit in iOS 11 and Swift 4.

Apple’s TV app is finally expanding its reach to new markets. Starting today, it is available in the U.K., France, and Germany, bringing all your favorite content providers together in one place.

This week on The CultCast, we reveal not five, not 10, but 18 of the best gadgets of the year! Plus: The Amazon Prime Video is finally available for your Apple TV, and we’ll tell you everything you need to know about iOS 11’s new Apple Pay Cash feature.

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