Save $200 on an iPhone X from T-Mobile

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Before I delve into today's deal, a quick aside.

Late yesterday I spotted this headline: "These $40 knockoffs look just like Apple's $159 AirPods , and they sound almost as good." Of course I was intrigued, so I checked it out.

Guess what? That story, which appeared on what I consider a pretty well-respected site, was straight-up linkbait. Not only did the author not test the product, she didn't mention the 1-star review average from Amazon buyers. So those knockoffs "sound almost as good" according to whom?

All this is simply to say, I will never do that. Whenever possible, I'll test a product first so I can report on the pros and cons. When that's not possible, I'll try to point you to other reviews. And I'll always draw on 30 years of tech-industry experience to provide context, caveats and so on. My goal is, and has always been, to steer you to great deals while helping you make an informed purchase decision.

Today, for example, there's a deal to be had on an iPhone X -- but with lots of catches. Take a look.

X marks the drop?

Starting tomorrow, Feb. 23, T-Mobile is offering a $200 rebate (in the form of a prepaid debit card) when you buy an iPhone X, trade in an eligible phone, finance the X for 24 months and get service while you're at it.

Never mind how weird it is that T-Mo announced this deal a day ahead (who in their right mind will buy an iPhone X from them today?). It's a reflection of reportedly poor iPhone X sales and, I think, a sign that Apple will drop the iPhone X's price in the coming months.

The deal itself is pretty standard fare for anyone who doesn't mind getting into bed with a carrier for two years. Me, I continue to prefer buying a phone outright and then shopping for the cheapest service I can find -- but T-Mo does have its perks.

There's also a BOGO deal: Buy any iPhone (including a 7 or 7 Plus , weirdly!) and you'll get an iPhone 8 for free. Again, there are trade-in and service requirements. But for anyone in the market for one or two iPhones, these are deals worth considering.

My $0.02: The iPhone X is not worth $1,000. (No phone is, and that includes whatever Samsung bakes into the S9 that's coming this weekend.) Is it worth $800? More in the ballpark, at least. I like the screen size, the bezel-free design and the cameras; I don't like Face ID or the notch. Frankly, I want Apple to quit monkeying with hardware and fix the many, many terrible things about iOS .

Anyway, now you have the iPhone-deal news. Let's hear what you think of it.

Bonus deal: Need a big hunk of portable storage? Most 256GB flash drives will run you at least $50. How about four times the storage for $10 less?

For a limited time, and while supplies last, Amazon is selling the Toshiba Canvio Connect II 1TB portable hard drive for $40.59, shipped free with Prime.

It's a compact, USB 3.0 drive that's both Windows- and Mac-compatible. It comes with backup software and a two-year warranty. Assuming you don't need something that's actually flash drive-size, this offers incredible value for your mobile-storage dollar.

Oh, and it has a 4.3-star review average from over 2,500 buyers. (A brand like Toshiba , you probably don't have to worry about fake reviews.)