Rating: We think this one is supplied by TCL/Alcatel
If anyone has spotted a niche in the market for a good, entry-level Android (Gingerbread) smartphone then it is very definitely Vodafone. (Or maybe, 3 – Ed). Anyway, Vodafone has decided to follow up the success of the original Vodafone Smart handset with the Vodafone Smart II. As you’d expect, the Smart II outperforms its predecessor in every way. It offers a bigger display; better camera; longer battery life; a more powerful processor ; and more memory than the original Smart handset. To give readers an idea of the price, this Android 2.3 handset should cost around £70 on a prepaid tariff. We’re pretty sure the original Vodafone Smart handset was supplied by Huawei (probably its U8160 model). Runours are that the new Smart II is supplied to Vodafone by TCL which owns the Alcatel handset brand. It previously supplied Vodafone with the 555 Blue.The most outstanding feature about the Smart II is its a proximity sensor, which you can see in action in this YouTube video here.
The Smart II will give users access to Google Android services such as Gmail, VoiceSearch, YouTube and Google Talk.
Embedded will include ones for Facebook and Twitter – plus access to SWYPE for quick and easy typing.
Additionally, there’s Vodafone AppSelect which enables Vodafone’s customers discover even more Android apps.
Also built in is Vodafone Freebees – which include a choice of free minutes, text and web access or international calls.
Every pay as you go customer is also automatically opted-in to Freebee Rewardz.
Every time a pay as you go customer tops up with £5, they’ll receive a text giving them a voucher code.
They can then go online to ‘grab’ an instant reward or bank them as ‘grow’ points, to save up for something bigger.
Customers can choose from a wide selection of rewards including big name discounts from brands such as Thorntons and Blockbuster, music downloads and free minutes or choose to take a mystery reward, which could be anything including an Apple iPhone.
Alternatively, customers can collect points towards vouchers and experience days.
If your hooked on trying this Android Gingerbread handset out you can visit the Vodafone online shop here.
I think £70 is a very fair price for this headset.