Which Vodafone phone is right for you?

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Name	Product	Display	Display	Rear camera	Battery size	Overall rating	More info	More info
Vodafone Smart A9		2.4 inches 240 x 320px	Display 2.4 inches 240 x 320 Rear camera MP Battery size 1,000 mAh	MP	1,000 mAh	Not yet rated	Buy at Target View details	Buy at Target View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Vodafone Smart C9		4 inches 480 x 800px	Display 4 inches 480 x 800 Rear camera 2MP Battery size 1,500 mAh	2MP	1,500 mAh	Not yet rated	Buy at Target View details	Buy at Target View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Vodafone Smart E9 4G		5 inches 480 x 960px	Display 5 inches 480 x 960 Rear camera 5MP Battery size 2,000 mAh	5MP	2,000 mAh	Not yet rated	Buy at Target View details	Buy at Target View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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What to consider when choosing a Vodafone phone

Network-branded phones rarely try to go toe-to-toe with top-of-the-line smartphones like your iPhone and Samsung Galaxy handsets. Vodafone stays true to this approach with its "Smart" line, focusing on affordability and accessibility over high performance and fancy features.

There are compromises that you need to accept when considering Vodafone's in-house phones. For one, they're less likely to receive operating system updates after they've been released, so you probably won't have access to the new features packed into the latest version of Android. Network compatibility is also limited, with all Smart phones locked to Vodafone's 3G and 4G network.

We've rounded up more of the key factors to consider when choosing a Vodafone Smart phone below:

• Internal storage

  Limited storage is a common drawback among budget phones and Vodafone's handsets are no different. At the high end, you're looking at 8GB of storage in the Smart E9 – enough for a handful of downloaded apps along with a sizeable collection of photos and videos. Don't expect to carry your entire music library with you, though.

  On the flip side, the ultra-budget Smart A9 includes just 512MB of internal storage. After accounting for the space reserved for system files, that's going to be enough for a couple of albums, max. Keep that in mind if you like to listen to music on the go.

  Fortunately, all of Vodafone's Smart phones support external storage via microSD, allowing you to increase capacity by as much as 128GB.

• Screen size

  Screen size on Vodafone's handsets tends to err on the small side. 5 inches is the largest it gets with the Smart E9, though it's worth noting that the resolution on that screen is a low 480x960. That's going to lead to blurry text and pixelated videos, in some cases.

  Other Vodafone handsets feature even smaller screens, limiting their viability as video players and photo viewers. At the same time, reducing screen size allows for a more compact design, making Vodafone's handsets easier to slip into your pocket or purse.

• Price

  Price is the selling point of Vodafone's Smart line. You can snap up a basic 3G-only feature phone for as little as $39, while the more advanced Smart E9 manages to clock in at under $100. The age-old mantra of "you get what you pay for" is worth remembering here, but there's no denying the appeal of such a low cost of entry.

• Headphone jack

  If there's one area that budget phones have the edge on premium handsets, it's headphone support. Most low-end handsets still include a 3.5mm headphone jack despite its absence on the latest iPhones and Android flagships. Vodafone's Smart handsets continue this trend, giving you the option to hook up a pair of wired headphones and groove out to your music rather than requiring you to purchase a new wireless or USB-C headset.

• Security options

  To keep costs down, most budget smartphones release as one-and-done affairs with little support for ongoing software updates. This means they're inherently less secure than most modern mid-range and high-end phones as they often don't receive the security patches and bug fixes regularly rolled out across the Android platform.

  Other security features are also notably absent. You won't find any fingerprint scanners or facial-unlocking systems on Vodafone's handsets, nor can you use any of the phones as security keys themselves due to the lack of NFC support.

• Camera quality

  Middling camera quality is a staple of budget phones, Vodafone's handsets included. At best, the Smart E9's 5MP rear-facing camera should deliver acceptable results under optimal conditions, though you'll start to notice imperfections if you transfer those photos to a device with a larger screen.

  Cheaper Vodafone handsets offer considerably less in the camera department, to the point where they're best used for emergencies and little else.

• Network speed and support

  One of the ways that Vodafone keeps the cost of its budget handsets down is by locking them to its mobile network. Only SIM plans from Vodafone-powered telcos like Kogan Mobile, TPG and Vodafone itself will work with Smart handsets, though you can still choose between prepaid and postpaid plans depending on which you prefer.

• Wireless charging/quick charging

  Both wireless charging and fast charging technologies are relatively recent additions to the smartphone space. As such, you won't find them supported by any of Vodafone's budget-priced handsets.

• Battery life

  Like most budget phones, Vodafone's handsets are smaller than your average modern smartphone. This places a hard limit on battery size, with the larger Smart E9 topping out at just 2,000mAh.

  While raw capacity is relatively low, the budget hardware inside the Smart handsets requires less power to run than larger, more expensive phones. This reduces battery drain and allows them to last longer than their specs might suggest.

• Waterproof design

  While there are a few "rugged" budget phones that prioritise protection against environmental hazards, Vodafone's handsets do not. They feature no form of IP-rated water or dust resistance, so you'll want to avoid using them in wet and dirty conditions.

• Performance

  It's important to set appropriate expectations when considering the performance of Vodafone's Smart handsets. Each is built on low-cost, low-power hardware designed predominantly for basic tasks like making phone calls, checking your email and some light web browsing. If that's all you need, the limited power of Vodafone's handsets might be enough.

  Should you be interested in playing mobile games, streaming video or other more-demanding tasks, however, you'll likely be left wanting with a Smart handset.

Which Vodafone phone is best?

With so few handsets available, picking a single "best" Vodafone handset doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Each phone serves a different audience and the one that best meets your needs will depend on what those needs are. The Vodafone Smart E9, for instance, is geared towards folks wanting to download apps and browse the web at 4G speeds. The Smart A9, on the other hand, trims away modern smartphone features in service of a simpler design harkening back to the phones of the late 90s and early 2000s.

To determine which Vodafone phone is right for you, we recommend checking out our hub pages for each handset, which we've listed below:

Vodafone Smart E9

Vodafone Smart C9

Vodafone Smart A9

Looking for a prepaid plan to go with your Vodafone handset?

Vodafone doesn't offer its Smart phones on contract plans, since their low price tags don't really warrant a fixed-term payment plan. There are, however, plenty of Vodafone prepaid plans suitable for use in its self-branded handsets. You can compare these in the table below:

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Matt Sayer

Matt Sayer is a writer for Finder, covering all things technology and telecommunications. Along with reporting on events like CES and Mobile World Congress, he has produced comprehensive guides for popular products like smart speakers and graphics cards. He has a Bachelor of Computer Science from RMIT University and is passionate about helping Aussies leverage technology to better their lives.

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