FutureFive New Zealand - Consumer technology news & reviews from the future
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Vodafone NZ reveals new smartphone fleet to rival high-end devices
Mon, 15th Aug 2016
FYI, this story is more than a year old

​There is one word that pretty well sums up the smartphone market: Cutthroat.

As it's dominated by two major players, for other competitors it has become a bit like squeezing blood from a stone to make any progress.

However, Vodafone is giving it a nudge in their chosen niche, as they're proving that they're not just a telco provider. Today, they announced new additions to their own smartphone range, built as unique phones from the ground up.

“The launch of Vodafone's newest range of smartphones demonstrates our commitment to offering our customers both the latest mobile technology and value for money,” says Vodafone's Head of Terminals Todd Hardie. “The devices combine beautiful design and quality functionality, including vivid touchscreen displays, powerful processors, fantastic cameras and the latest Android 6.0 operating system.

The phones on offer are the Vodafone Smart mini 7, Smart turbo 7, Smart ultra 7 and Smart platinum 7, ranging in prices from $79 to $699. What is unique about these phones is they all feature specs of phones with much, much bigger price tags.

Screen sizes vary from 4” to 5.5”, with the Smart platinum 7 featuring a 16MP back camera and 8MP front camera, with 32GB expandable memory and 3GB RAM. What's more, the entire range of phones are all running on the latest iteration of Android's OS (6 Marshmallow).

“Vodafone has built up a wealth of experience in creating devices over the last decade, working closely with component makers and manufacturers,” Hardie says. “Kiwis know that you don't have to sacrifice quality or design for lower prices, so we're encouraging them to pick the smarter option and embrace what Vodafone smartphones have to offer.

We're doing hands-on reviews with each of the phones, so keep your eyes peeled to see what our reviewers think.