Vodafone Smart €90 Android smartphone to launch in Europe this summer

Operator says the device aims to take smartphones to the mass market.

Vodafone has announced plans to launch a €90 Android smartphone in Germany, Italy and the UK this summer. The Vodafone Smart will run the Android 2.2 software, and will provide access to services from both Google and Vodafone, while being available on pay-as-you-go tariffs.

"More and more Vodafone customers are enjoying the benefits of smartphones which currently account for over 40% of the phones we sell in Europe," says Vodafone Group terminals director Patrick Chomet.

"Continuing to push the boundaries through our own-brand range, the Vodafone Smart is a new smartphone concept. It takes the higher end mobile internet experience and packages it for the mass market, its range of covers and accessories making it a fun fashion statement."

The Smart will include Android Market, Gmail, Google Maps and Google Talk, but will be preloaded with direct links to Facebook, Twitter and Vodafone's Prepay Manager top-ups service. Vodafone Music will also be promoted on the device, as well as its Updates widget to highlight 'a shortlist of leading Android Market apps and other services' chosen by Vodafone's local teams.

Following the launch in Germany, Italy and the UK, the device will roll out to other countries in Vodafone's network. The phone will come in multiple colours, with users able to create their own covers for it online.