Smart II could represent "tipping point" in market evolution
On the same day Orange announced the official launch of its Intel-powered own-label smartphone, the San Diego, Vodafone has launched the Smart II, another lower cost smartphone designed exclusively for an operator.
The Smart II will be powereed by a Broadcom chipset offering a 832MHz processor and 512MB of RAM – "the computing power of high-end smartphones 3 years ago", according to Vodafone.
Just in case you thought this was some low-end phone destined for the bargain bin, Vodafone's Patrick Chomet, Group Terminals Director, gave it quite the introduction:
“The Smart II is one of the most important devices we have ever introduced. It delivers a level of performance, functionality and quality that is traditionally the preserve of high-end smartphones but at an exceptionally affordable price. We believe the Smart II could represent a tipping point in the evolution of the market, bringing a new wave of consumers to the supermobile world for the first time.”
The Smart II will be available across 25 Vodafone and partner markets this summer and will be priced under €99, launching first in the UK priced at £70. Vodafone released no other details initially on OS partner or who manufactured the phone.
UPDATE: The phone is made by TCL Communications which is also the company behind Orange's Facebook phone for emerging markets, and owns the Alcatel OneTouch brand. The Smart II's OS is Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).
Phone features:
- HVGA capacitive touchscreen with 64 million colours;
- Broadcom 21552 with 832MHz processor and 512MB of RAM
- 3G HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity;
- 3.2 megapixel camera with white LED flash;
- Assisted GPS (AGPS)
Phone functions/ services:
- Voice-activated Google Search;
- Social networking services such as Facebook and Twitter
- Vouchercloud, a location-based shopping discount voucher app
- Dedicated Vodafone apps