The best cheap laptop deals and sales in August 2019: prices from just £116

Checking through the cheap laptop deal scene here in the UK can be a bit overwhelming as there are so many options to choose from. Luckily for you, we're used to sifting through the net's laptop sales all year round.

So if you need to buy a new laptop sharpish, we should be able to find you something that fits with your budget nicely. We've split this guide into sections based on price to help you keep that budget in check.

We'll give you a bit of info about each laptop we highlight too, so you can see some specs at a glance before you click through to the store and have to browse their lengthy descriptions for those vital stats you're after. 

Not everyone needs a super powerful laptop, especially if you just want something for the basics like casual browsing, email and document editing, so don't feel like you have to spend £500 on a laptop for that - you can get something for far less if you want. Naturally, if you're a bit of a multitasker, love to have loads of tabs open and want a little extra grunt for media editing, we've found laptop deals with higher spec. Chromebooks get a mention most weeks too as they're increasingly popular nowadays as users look to ditch Windows for the stripped down speedy Chrome OS instead. For you Apple fans, you might be interested in our MacBook prices and deals page too.

If you're from the States or Down Under, be sure to check out our selection of the top laptop deals in the US or Australia.

Cheap laptop sales and deal highlights

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We'll continue adding the best cheap laptop deals in the latest sales as we find them. Up next, you'll find the latest prices on some of the most popular laptops around along with a list of retailers who often have a great selection of laptop sales if nothing else takes your fancy here.

• Amazon: retail giant is often the cheapest in the UK.
• AO: lots of cheap laptops at this growing electronics specialist.
• Argos: home delivery or pick up a cheap laptop locally today.
• John Lewis: models come with at least two-year guarantee.
• ebuyer: the UK computing specialists have some great promotions.
• Very: Often surprises with cheap prices on electronics.
• Currys: the retailer that's seemingly always having a laptop sale.
• Laptops Direct: specialist UK store has a huge selection of laptop deals.
• Dell: get a great laptop deal direct from Dell.
• Apple: MacBooks aren't exactly cheap, but they're excellent workstations

The cheapest laptop deals on these popular picks

On release, the Chromebook Flip reached new heights for the Windows-free laptops as it came rocking a proper Intel Core processor along with a HD screen. Most models nowadays come with 64GB of storage instead of the 32GB which is plenty for running apps and storing regular documents and a fair few media files - you can always use a USB drive for more space. For most users, the newer PixelBook is what we'd call 'overkill', not to mention considerably more expensive, so we'd recommend this model if you just need something for work, browsing the net and so on. The Chrome OS works beautifully in this 2-in-1 laptop's tablet mode too.

A sturdy choice for a study laptop for school/college/uni. The HP Pavilion 15 has plenty of power for the average student's needs while keeping the costs sensible. There are plenty of configurations available too. Some favour speedy SSDs, while other go for larger regular hard drives, so it all depends on what you're going to need more really. Faster loading or more space for storing media files and downloads.

The Asus Transformer Mini series is one of the most reliable brands of 2-in-1 tablet/laptop hybrids on the market. This upgrade includes a fingerprint sensor and double the RAM at 4GB for speedier performance compared to the older models. For your money, this is one of the most impressive two-in-one transformer models out there. Available in orange/white as seen above, or in a traditional grey steel colour.

Ready to stretch that budget a bit (ok, maybe a lot) further? Then be sure to check out our selection of the very best laptops money can buy as we've used our dedicated price comparison technology to find the cheapest prices for them too. You can always come back to this page if they seem a bit overpowered (and over-expensive) for what you need.

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The best BT Sport deals, offers and packages in August 2019

Looking for a clear answer on the best way to bag a cheap BT Sport deal? If you're here, chances are you been asking yourself how much is BT Sport going to cost? Can I get BT Sport on Sky or Virgin Media instead? Can I watch the Champions League on BT Sport? You've asked and we're here to answer.

On this page we'll tell you about the best offers direct from BT (for new and existing customers) and also how to get a BT Sport package if you already have Sky TV or Virgin Media. With so many options available from each provider, we've simplified the listings as much as possible so you can weigh up the best option for you without the pushy up-selling you'd get in stores, shopping centre booths or on the phone. Alternatively, if you'd prefer a bit of Sky Sports, we've also extensively covered the latest Sky TV deals available.

What's on BT Sport?

The BT Sport Pack includes BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2, BT Sport 3 and BT Sport ESPN. Across these channels you'll find every Champions League match live, so no more asking the pub landlord to swap over to the match you actually want to watch and upsetting those Man United supporting Southerners. There's also a selection of Premier League matches every week.

BT Sport is also the only place to enjoy Ashes cricket next year as BT nabbed the exclusive rights to broadcast it next summer. Elsewhere on BT Sport you can enjoy the Rugby Aviva Premiership, Moto GP and much more. Sound good? Then let's check out the latest BT Sport offers.

How to get BT Sport deals direct from BT

BT Sport deals are available as an add-on to a BT TV package and also as an extra to BT broadband. Let's have have a look at all the options and how much they'll cost you each month. Prices direct from BT rather than going through third parties like Sky and Virgin Media are the cheapest options available.

BT Sport offers if you're not a BT customer yet

If you already get your TV or broadband from Sky or Virgin and your contract isn't up for a while, you can skip this section and scroll down to the heading 'How much is BT Sport on Sky?' or 'How to get BT Sport on Virgin Media.' 

I'm already an existing BT customer

If you already have BT broadband or a BT TV deal, good news. You can get BT Sport for less than anyone else on Sky or Virgin, maybe even for free. Take a look at the latest options for current BT customers below.

How much is BT Sport on Sky?

Rather than put up a wall between their customers, BT and Sky have reached an agreement allowing existing Sky customers access to BT Sport too. That means they'll have the most comprehensive sports coverage in the UK. Sky customers will have to set this up through BT though rather than Sky. 

The options are simple though and BT's website will walk you through the steps, We've included links below and we'll talk you through the various options and how much they cost too.

How to get BT Sport on Virgin Media

You don't have to go with BT broadband to get BT Sport. BT is keen to let its rivals pay them to let you in on the action too. New Virgin broadband customers can take advantage of Virgin's superfast fibre broadband and enjoy BT Sport.

There are a few Virgin broadband with BT Sport packages to choose from, sadly they don't include the cheapest Virgin deals. On the plus side you're getting the shiny HD versions of the BT Sports channels in all of them. There are three main deals to choose from, although as you're going through the transaction you might be offered extras or modest upgrades along the way.

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Ferrari Portofino: the daily Italian grand tourer

The Ferrari Portofino was released last year on the success of the California, bringing some stiff competition to the grand tourer segment. While its predecessor received some controversy from a styling perspective, Ferrari certainly has knocked one out of the park this time around.

While most of us won’t be sitting behind the wheel of a Ferrari anytime soon, there certainly are those out there that are lucky enough to do so. But even for the average person, you can really appreciate what the Portofino has to offer. It’s a Ferrari at the end of the day, and even if some might brand it as ‘entry level’, it comes with a certain sense of occasion. 

The style

Stepping into the cabin, you have every button related to driving located right on the steering wheel itself. From the red tactile engine start button, drive mode select, indicators - everything is literally at your fingertips. We personally love the column-mounted paddle shifters, which help convey Ferrari’s racing heritage. 

All the controls on the center console are driver focused, and the infotainment system - which features Apple CarPlay - has been drastically improved over the California. For comfort, you can adjust the 18-way seats to get into that optimal driving position. There’s even a smaller display for passengers to view performance data, and you can even find points of interest from the navigation so you don’t have to take your eyes off the road.

The drive

The level of comfort, performance and even proportions makes covering hundreds of miles easy without batting an eyelid. Out on the open road, acceleration is just seamless, with a perfect balance between creating an atmosphere of excitement with a subtle hint at class. The engine notes as you go through the gears and up the rev range sound magnificent, making you quickly realize that driving at triple digit-speeds is truly effortless. 

In cooler weather it’s easy to bring the roof down - in just fourteen seconds you could be driving with the wind whipping through your hair, which is an experience every driver should enjoy at least once in their life. There’s great visibility while parking in tight spots as well, with the light steering wheel and width make things a breeze. We’re hoping that Ferrari introduces keyless entry on the next model, as that’s something that will really make things a bit more convenient when starting up this beast. 

The Portofino is a fine car to consider for - believe it or not - everyday use. It’s a stunning grand tourer with that unique Italian combination of racing history and attention to detail that is hard not to fall in love with. 

Pricing from AED 800,000

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Chromebooks could soon get face unlocking, starting with the Pixelbook 2

We’ve officially heard from Google that its upcoming Pixel 4 flagship smartphone will feature Apple-esque face unlocking thanks to a complicated array of sensors and camera systems on the front of the phone, but that might not be the only Google device gaining this biometric security measure.

A recent discovery by specialist website Chrome Unboxed has found mention of Face Detection in an update for the Chromium open-source project, which itself is responsible for the ChromeOS software that powers Chromebooks. (Eeesh, that’s a lot of Chrome…)

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While this in itself isn’t solid proof that the feature is definitely happening, when coupled with the aforementioned Pixel 4 announcement, it's a fairly strong hint that Google will start implementing its Face Unlock in future Chromebooks.

Chrome Unboxed convincingly makes the case that the source code updates suggest the new feature is being “aggressively worked on” for ChromeOS and we could well see its debut in the anticipated Pixelbook 2 (believed to be codenamed 'Atlas') alongside the Pixel 4 launch this October.

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What isn't known is how many older Google laptops the new tech will come to. While we know that the Pixel 4 will include an array of infra-red, dot-projector and other dedicated face sensors, the same isn’t true of most existing Chromebooks.

As such, if the feature is rolled out to older Chromebooks, it’s likely that facial recognition will be used as an optional layer of security to add more convenience – the suggestion being that, on Google laptops that only have simple webcams, users will need to enter their passcode once after booting the device, but could then quickly unlock the device using a face scan for the rest of that session.

Although any speculation surrounding the successor to the excellent Pixelbook must of course be taken with a grain of salt for the time being, the addition of Face Detection to Chromium does indeed look like it's almost official... we just don’t yet have any solid information on when it will become publicly available.

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Netflix offers first look at de-aged De Niro in trailer for Scorsese's The Irishman

It's been a long time coming, but Netflix has finally dropped the first trailer for Martin Scorsese's biggest crime epic to date, The Irishman, which is said to have cost upwards of $140 million (USD).

Based on the book 'I Heard You Paint Houses' by Charles Brandt, the film follows WWII veteran Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), a real-life hitman who was allegedly involved in the infamous disappearance of union boss Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), which is a mystery that remains unsolved to this day. 

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So why the huge budget? As the story takes place over the course of multiple decades, director Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas, Casino, Gangs of New York) and his team have employed expensive and cutting-edge de-aging technology to make some of its cast appear up to 30 years younger in certain sections of the film.

The extensive de-aging work can also be blamed for the long wait leading to the film's release, with Scorsese's longtime editor Thelma Schoonmaker telling Yahoo in February that the production is "youthifying the actors in the first half of the movie," and that "the second half of the movie they play their own age. So that’s a big risk."

Based on the trailer below, it certainly looks like Scorsese and Co. have pulled off the de-aging effect – we'll know for sure when the film lands on Netflix and in theaters this US fall.

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