Vodafone 845 review

Android 2.1 stuffed in a budget package

Vodafone 845
The definitive Vodafone 845 verdict

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.


The great thing (or the not so great thing depending on your views on Google and privacy) about using Android phones is that once you've used one, you can switch on any of the handsets, type in your email address and every single one of your phone and email contacts are instantly downloaded.

As a bonus, you also get information you've previously in-putted regarding Skype accounts, email and home addresses as well as any picture you have associated with that contact.

It also remembers those lucky folks you've specified as favourite contacts with a little star. In theory, you can add your Facebook account to proceedings, but when we tried to do that we were immediately returned to the previous screen over and over again. That was frustrating.

Vodafone 845 review

The contacts interface is nice enough and easy to navigate, as you'd expect from an Android phone. It opens very quickly from the Home screen and has a handy tabbed interface to whizz between Dialler, Call log, Contacts and Favourites.

The Call log enables you to start typing a name through the alphanumeric pad and pick up the contact you'd like to dial.

Vodafone 845

You can use the touchscreen, or the touch-sensitive trackpad to scan contacts with no lag at all, or search as you type. It works very well.

Heading within a contact allows your to see calling, text and email history in one stream, and also serves up invitations to make contact in a number of different means. It's a nice interface.

Vodafone 845

You can also access the dialpad direct from the Home screen, wherever you might be within the OS, by pressing the phone icon. Once you're connected, call quality is very good and voices come through loud and clear.

The loudspeaker quality on calls is also better than expected, but it doesn't go loud enough for our liking. Also, we did find that when you lose signal, it takes a significant amount of time to return.

Chris Smith

A technology journalist, writer and videographer of many magazines and websites including T3, Gadget Magazine and TechRadar.com. He specializes in applications for smartphones, tablets and handheld devices, with bylines also at The Guardian, WIRED, Trusted Reviews and Wareable. Chris is also the podcast host for The Liverpool Way. As well as tech and football, Chris is a pop-punk fan and enjoys the art of wrasslin'.