14 DAY TRIAL // Vodafone unveiled one of its own-branded Android smartphones, the Vodafone 858 Smart back in May, but the phone was released in the market one month later.
It appears that the smartphone has been officially introduced in India, though the Vodafone 858 Smart was available at Flipkart for quite some time.
However, Flipkart is offering the device for Rs 6,695 (127 USD or 95 EUR), while Vodafone announced that the smartphone is now available at all Vodafone and Mini stores across the country for only Rs 4,995 (95 USD or 70 EUR).
In addition, Vodafone customers will also be able to take advantage of a special introductory offer of Double Data Benefit on their 3G subscription. The deal is time limited, so customers may want to hurry if they want to subscribe to Vodafone's 3G plan and grab this smartphone.
“At Vodafone, we understand the pulse of the urban Indian youth who are extremely brand conscious and have shown a great response to smartphones,” said Kumar Ramanathan, chief marketing officer, Vodafone India.
Vodafone 858 Smart is a budget-friendly smartphone that runs Google’s Android 2.2 Froyo mobile platform and packs 130 MB onboard memory, as well as microSD card slot for memory expansion (up to 32GB, 2GB memory card included).
The phone is powered by a low-performance 528 MHz Qualcomm MSM7225 processor and sports a 2-megapixel rear camera with video recording capabilities.
It has a 2.8-inch capacitive touchscreen with 240 x 320 pixels resolution and support for 262k colors. There’s also Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, along with 3G, Wi-Fi hotspot and built-in GPS receiver.
“Globally, smartphones have become a versatile tool for mobile computing, communications and multimedia entertainment. Vodafone Smart fully utilizes Vodafone's high-speed 3G HSPA network to cater to the increasing demand in India for a compelling 'Internet on-the-go' experience,” said Dr. Sandeep Sibal, country manager and vice president, Qualcomm India and South Asia.
