Android Magazine UK - Issue No. 49

disappointing 220 pixels per inch. The end result

is a slightly blurry images, which is far from ideal.

This is actually the same resolution as the Kestrel,

butduetothescreen’ssmallersize,EE’sphone

has a crisper image. The Smart 4 Power’s viewing

angles are also narrow, so despite the extra screen

size, you’ll struggle to watch videos on it with other

people, unless they’re prepared to snuggle up close.

IntermsofLTEconnectivity,theSmart4Power

fairs better. It offers CAT4 4G, which works out at

150mps downloads and 50mps uploads, while the

CAT3 Moto G 4G only offers 100mps uploads.

However, as the Smart 4 Power is exclusive to

Vodafone, you’re limited to the company’s own 4G

coverage. Looking at OpenSignal data, this is

stronger than EE or any other UK carrier’s coverage

in the south-east of England, but unfortunately is

quite patchy across the rest of the country.

It also runs stock Android KitKat, one up on the

Kestrel’s Jellybean, with a few Vodafone apps

thrown in. Disappointingly, these apps add very

little, but use up a lot of the tiny 4GB memory.

All in all, the Vodafone Smart 4 Power offers a

better budget phone than most – better than the

Kestrel – but still leaves a lot to be desired. If you’re

already on Vodafone and are looking for an affordable

phone then it’s worth considering, but the Smart 4

Powerisnotworthswitchingcarriersfor.

Reviews

Limited m

It’s a good thing that you c

those box sets and playlists,

struggle to store them h

advertised as having 4GB,

requirements, there’s just 1

to play with. However, it

a 3

Quad-core pro

The Smart 4 Power lives u

with a 1.3GHz quad-core pro

it’s no Snapdragon 810, it ke

our day-to-day phone usa

playing games with he

Lightning-fast

Imagequalityforthe5MPre

as expected for this price p

crisp, but vivid. The fro

camera is worse. However, b

arequick,withbarely

tapping the screen to takin

A competent phablet that

struggles to distinguish itself,

with disappointing screen

clarity but good 4G speeds

»Verdict

better tha worse than

Vodafone Smart 4 Power

Value for money

It couldn’t be much cheaper, while Vodafone

offer some competitive contract deals

Features

Includes next to no stand-out features,

except Vodafone’s own range of apps

Design

Availableaseitherablackorwhiteoblong,

the overall design is rather boring

Performance

Aquadprocessorand1GBRAM,ensure

thatthehandsetcankeepupwithdailyuse

Price £100

»^ More information Vodafon

»^ Supplied by Vodafone

information

Vodafone

Smart 4 Power

Battery life

The 3000mAh cel

provided over a da

and a half charge o

average use,

including music

streaming

Can Vodafone persuade you to switch

networks with this 4G phablet?

M

ore and more carriers are offering

own-brand budget phones. EE launched

the Kestrel phone last year, while

Vodafone has been pushing its Smart range, from

the 4-inch 3G Smart 4 mini through to the Smart

Tab 4G tablet. The Smart 4 Power sits in the

middle, marketed as Vodafone’s own mobile

entertainment system. Coupling 4G connectivity

with a 5-inch quad HD touchscreen, on paper this

phablet offers the speed and display size needed

to enjoy music and video streaming on the go.

However, the reality is not quite as impressive.

Firstly, it’s a bit dull to look at. Available in black

or white, the Smart 4 Power is completely

anonymous – it just looks any other handset. With

a thick bezel and hefty 162g weight, the phone

feels a bit awkward being used one-handed and

sat in your pocket. However, it also boasts a large

3,500mAh battery that gave us a day and half use,

so we’ll forgive its added chunkiness.

That all-important display is bright and

colourful with high contrast and we didn’t

experience any problems using it in direct

sunlight. The 5-inch screen is a good size for

viewing videos and is notably bigger than its rival

the EE Kestrel or budget 4G market leader, the

Moto G 4G. However, the display has a resolution

of 540 x 960 pixels, which works out as a

Vodaf

Power

»^ Operating system ...............Android 4.4 KitKat

»^ Processor ................................... 1.3GHz quad-core

MTK 6582 M, MTK 6290

»^ Memory .......................................4GB storage, 1GB RAM

»^ Dimensions ..............................141 x 71.4 x 9.5 mm

»^ Weight ..........................................162g

»^ Display size ...............................5.0-inch

»^ Display resolution ...............540 x 960 pixels

»^ Connectivity .............................4G/ Bluetooth 4.0/ FM Radio

»^ Expansion slot .......................microSD, up to 32GB

technical spe

issue 42

Alcate

OneTouch

Pop S3

Moto G 4G

issue 42

Special offers

Pick up the Smart 4 Power for as little as

a £14 per month contract. To feel the

benefi t of that LTE speed, from £27 per

month Vodafone also includes 6 month

free subscription to Spotify, NowTV or

Sky Sports Mobile TV