4G connectivity is a standout feature in this surprisingly
good tablet from Vodafone
T
he Vodafone Smart Tab 4G is the firm’s second
ever tablet.Its first, the Smart Tab 4, suffered
from poor performance due to its MediaTek
processor. While the Tab 4G isn’t officially a follow-up
to that device, Vodafone has certainly looked to
improve its offering this time around. Most
noticeably, there’s now LTE connectivity, as well as a
snappy Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor.
There’s nothing notable about the design of the
Smart Tab 4G. It’s a familiar black slab affair, but it’s
fairly robust and there’s little flex in the plastic shell.
It’s under 8mm thick and is considerably smaller than
the 8.3”-screened Hudl 2. While not as clear as the
Hudl2orNexus7,the1280x800displayontheSmart
Tab 4G is still usable in all situations.The Smart Tab 4G runs Android 4.4.4 and there’s a
good chance it’ll be upgraded to Lollipop. The 1GB of
RAM is a little low, but everything runs smoothly. It
feels like a tablet built with media usage in mind, but
users will need to reach for the microSD slot, as that
8GB of internal storage will quickly be used up.
It’sthe4GLTEconnectivitythatreallysetsthis
otherwise fairly standard tablet apart from the rest of
the group. Users can take it anywhere and still enjoy a
data connection. It is of course locked to Vodafone,
but 4G SIM-only deals are cheap enough.
TheSmartTab4Gisagreatall-roundtablet
withoutbeingspectacularinanyarea.Westill
prefertheHudl2overthis,butthe4Gconnectivity
may well be the deciding factor for some.Vodafone
Smart Tab 4G
Reviews
Video calls
Users will find a single
microphone at the bottom
ofthedevicetohelpmake
Skype calls. Clarity is fairly
good when using itUnlocked
bootloader
Custom ROMs are a
definite possibility for the
deviceanduserscanget
the SIM unlocked by
Vodafone itselfRemote control
The 3.5mm headphone
socket sits atop the
device next to the IR
blaster. Yes, the Smart
Tab4Gcanalsobeused
as a giant remote control
and television guide,
poweredbythevery
capable‘Peel’softwareQuick charge
Unlike many low priced
devices, the Smart Tab 4G
still includes a charger in
the box – and it’s a
powerful 2A rated model.
It charges quickly for a
device of its type via the
micro-USB port located on
the bottom»^ Operating system........Android 4.4.4
»^ Processor ...........................Snapdragon 410
1.2 GHz quad-core
»^ Memory ...............................1GB RAM, 8GB storage
»^ Dimensions .......................209 x 123 x 7.99mm
»^ Weight ...................................327g
»^ Display size .......................8.0-inch
»^ Display resolution ........1280 x 800 pixels
»^ Connectivity .....................4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
»^ Camera ................................5MP rear, 2MP fronttechnical specs
Price £124.99
»^ More information http://www.vodafone.com
»^ Supplied by http://www.vodafone.cominformation
No groundbreaking features,
but suitable for anyone who
wants a solid, well-built and
fast device that gets the job
done correctly»Verdict
Vodafone Smart
Tab 4G
»head-to-head
Design
Everything is a bit bland when it comes to
the design of the Smart Tab 4G. The uniform
black look is very familiar, but what it lacks in
looks it makes up in durability. There’s more
focus on the innards than the exterior herePerformance
We were a little hesitant that the 1GB of RAM
would show some slowdown on the Smart
Tab 4G, but we were soon proved wrong.
The device is quick and nimble, with the
Snapdragon 410 coping well with most tasksCamera and video
There’s nothing amazing about the camera
on the Tab 4G, but we do like the images it
generates in daylight conditions. Shooting
in low light conditions is possible, but the
results aren’t nearly as goodBattery life
You’ll get close to a full day of use with
the 4060mAh battery here, but this does
lower with more media-heavy tasks. It’s
noticeably better than the Hudl 2 and
Gigaset QV830 in this area, however