Vodafone Smart 2 review

Vodafone follows up its original Smart with an updated Android handset

Vodafone Smart 2 review
The Vodafone Smart 2 runs Android 2.3.5 in a little 3.2-inch touchscreen handset

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Battery life is an area where Vodafone seems to have dropped the ball as far as upgrading the original Smart is concerned. With a 1200mAh battery, the new Vodafone Smart 2 has the same spec as its predecessor.

Vodafone says you can get 7.5 hours of 3G talktime and 300 hours on standby - a massive rise from the 4.5 hours it suggested you'd get for the original Smart (which offered 380 hours of standby). That's despite the Vodafone Smart 2's battery having to push a bigger screen and drive a faster processor.

Vodafone Smart 2 review

After an average morning we depleted the battery to half way. By the middle of the average afternoon we were starting to feel the need for mains power.

When we wanted to listen to music on a daily commute, or use the GPS to get us from A to B, we could run out of battery by lunchtime. We don't think any user should expect a full 24 hours between charges.

Vodafone Smart 2 review

Our experience was actually worse than it was on the original Smart, so our advice is always carry a charge cable.

Connectivity bases are well covered for a low-cost handset. There's 802.11n internet, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS and HSDPA, but no DLNA.