1. Introduction2. Packaging and Bundle3. Design4. Display5. Software6. Performance7. Camera8. Battery9. Closing Thoughts10. View All Pages

Only a few weeks ago we took a look at the Smart ultra 6 – a great smartphone from Vodafone, which has unbelievable power for a fantastic price. Today we review its smaller brother, the Smart prime 6. Priced at £80, it is £45 cheaper than the ultra 6. Is it worth a look if you are tight for cash?

The ultra 6 was – as the name suggested – a large and powerful phone. The prime 6 is smaller by half-an-inch, giving it a 5-inch display size. It also features a slower Snapdragon processor, half the RAM and lower resolution cameras. Its 5.5-inch brother was a fine smartphone, so the prime 6 may have its work cut out to make itself a more compelling purchase than the ultra 6. We will see if it is up to the job.

Features

• 5-inch HD display
• Snapdragon 410 CPU, 1.2GHz
• 1GB RAM
• 8GB internal storage, microSD cards supported up to 64GB
• 8MP primary camera, 2MP secondary camera
• Android Lollipop 5.0
• 2500 mAh battery
• 4G ready

In terms of packaging, nothing has changed from the Smart ultra 6. The phone is supplied in the same brown and red box, with a photo of the phone itself on the front and right edge of the box.

The underside of the packaging again has a few key specifications of the prime 6, including battery capacity and display size to mention just two.

Inside, Vodafone include nothing out of the ordinary – meaning there is the handset, an AC adapter, microUSB cable, earphones and a (fairly redundant) quick start guide.
The similarities between the prime 6 and ultra 6 continue when we come to handset design. While there are some subtle differences, the overall look and feel of the two phones is essentially the same.

To start with the obvious, the prime 6 is smaller, but not hugely so. It measures 141.7 x 71.9 x 9mm (LxWxD), compared with the 154 x 77 x 8.4mm dimensions of the ultra 6. The prime 6, therefore, has a 67.6% screen-to-body ratio which is not great, but reasonable at this price point. It also weighs 155g, which I think is on the heavy side for a 5-inch display. It is actually just 4g lighter than the ultra 6 which does make me think less care has gone into the design of the prime 6.

The same grey plastic construction remains from the ultra 6, meaning the phone does not feel particularly great to hold, but it is not awful. Considering the lower price of the prime 6, it is to be expected. After all, we are not going to see an aluminium and glass phone for this money. Still, the plastic serves as a reminder that the prime 6 is far from premium.

On the back of the phone, the camera has shifted in to a central position – rather than being located on the left edge as with the ultra 6. It does not make any real difference – I would imagine that placing it centrally (in the thickest part of the phone) means the lens does not have to protrude from the main body of the handset. Still, it is a difference to be noted.

Home buttons on the prime 6 (left) compared with the ultra 6

The home buttons have been changed slightly, too. They are now much larger than on the prime 6, which I do not like. While still located separately to the screen (meaning there is the full 5-inches of screen real estate), the larger size of the buttons means they look garish and fairly tacky. I can only guess Vodafone has done this to accommodate older generations who may be picking up the prime 6 as their first smartphone. Other than that, I have not a clue why they plumped for bigger, tacky home buttons over the smaller, simple ones found on the ultra 6.

As for the microUSB charging port, that remains in the middle of the bottom edge. The headphone jack is also centrally located at the top edge of the phone. A volume rocker and our on/off switch are positioned on the right edge, both within easy reach of a thumb.
As previously mentioned, the prime 6 comes with a 5-inch, HD (1280×720) display. It is an IPS panel, but for now I will focus on the resolution. For me, a 720p display across 5-inches is fine. It gives a pixel density of 294 PPI which is fairly sharp, and more could not be expected for £80. Sure, those used to 1440p phone panels will be able to spot the difference, but at this price it is a good resolution to have.

So, on to the IPS technology. The ultra 6 stunned me with its IPS Quantum display, but alas the prime 6 has just a regular IPS panel. I say ‘just' a regular IPS panel, but it is pretty good itself. Colours are nice and rich, and of course viewing angles are just what we would expect from such a display. So far the Prime 6 is delivering a good display for an affordable price.

Screen brightness is reasonable but not exceptional. For indoor usage it is more than adequate – but then again, most phones are fine for indoor usage. When the prime 6 makes it outside and into sunlight, it is passable. On full brightness, the screen is certainly usable but it could be more comfortable if it was slightly brighter. Still, for £80, what we get is certainly good enough.

So while the prime 6 cannot live up to the FHD, IPS Quantum display of its bigger brother, it still has a good display at a cheaper price. The resolution will be more than enough for anyone interested in buying the handset, while brightness levels and colour reproduction are also very satisfactory.
Just as with the Smart Ultra 6, the prime 6 ships with Android Lollipop 5.0 – the latest version until Android M is released in Q4 this year. The OS is the same on both Vodafone phones, meaning that we what we have is essentially stock Lollipop. There are a few Vodafone apps here and there, but there is no custom skin or extra features included within the operating system itself. Regular readers will know I always think this is a good thing.

To start then, the lock and home screens are nice and uncluttered, with just a few choice apps and a simple clock widget. I like the clean approach, and it means I would have no problems using this stock launcher in the long run. I usually recommend Nova, but since this launcher is simple and uncluttered, it is very user-friendly and attractive.

The drop-down notifications bar and quick settings are left untouched, which is no bad thing. Things are laid out simply, meaning it is very easy to access the settings you want. One gripe I do have with the quick settings is that there is no auto or adaptive brightness setting readily available. It is there if you go into the display settings in the ‘proper' settings menu, but the feature is not on the quick settings drop-down itself.

I find this rather odd and somewhat frustrating, as like many users I'm sure, I often toggle between auto-brightness and then manually setting my own levels if I am staying in the same environment for a prolonged period of time.

The actual settings menu itself, then, is identical to the menu found with the ultra 6. This means there is one page divided into different sections, like ‘wireless and networks' and ‘device' etc. I would rather see these sections in different tabs at the top of the page, meaning those sections are more easily accessed – as tabs save you scrolling until you find your desired settings. Still, the menu is clean and simple, so it is not the end of the world.

Other than those choice niggles (which are far from deal-breakers), there is little new to the OS as it is stock Lollipop. So while it may seem there is not a lot new to comment on, stock Lollipop is responsive, attractive and user-friendly – so a big ‘well done' to Vodafone to leaving it be.
As you would expect, there is a Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU at the heart of the prime 6. While it is not the beefy octa-core 615 CPU found within the prime 6, a 410 is well-utilised. Alongside this is 1GB RAM.

For everyday usage, the 410 performs admirably. It is generally responsive and smooth, and handles my favourite mobile games (Stick Hero and Temple Run 2) very well. There is the occasional tell-tale sign that this is a budget processor, however. I found that the keyboard would sometimes lock up and take half a minute to recover and let me start typing again. When switching between several open apps, too, I would sometimes encounter system lag – slowing me down somewhat. Performance is far from bad, it is just clear it is not quite at the level of the ultra 6.

This was reflected in the benchmarks, too. In Geekbench 3, the prime 6 scored 460 for single-core performance, and 1108 for multi-core performance. This is quite a way off the respective 639 and 2393 of the ultra 6.

The ultra 6 was also a distance ahead when it came to Ice Storm Unlimited. It scored 7668, a few thousand ahead of the 4058 the prime 6 registered. So clearly the Snapdragon 410 is not going to be setting any performance records. It does, however, offer decent real-world performance at an attractive price.

Finally, I tested the prime 6 for its 4G performance. With download speeds peaking at the 26mbps mark, and upload speeds at the 18mbps mark, it can be safely concluded that the prime 6 is no slouch when it comes to mobile networking.
I find that budget phones often compromise most on their cameras. Some baseline models do not even included a secondary ‘selfie' camera – but that is not the case with the prime 6. It has an 8MP primary camera, which takes photos at a native 3264×1836 resolution, along with a 2MP secondary shooter.

While, within the camera app, there is the option to have manual control over your photos, my test photos were taken on auto mode to give an indication of the image quality everyday users will expect to get.

And on the whole, image quality is mostly as you would expect. Images are not hugely detailed as the 8MP sensor is comparatively low on pixel count compared to other phones, including the ultra 6. Colours, though, reproduce well and seem fairly rich.

HDR off (left) compared with HDR on

The most disappointing aspect of the camera is the auto-exposure feature. Images often seemed too dark or too bright, and HDR only made matters worse – as you can see by my image comparison above. With HDR off, photos are acceptable, but the usually trusty HDR mode is a no-go for me.

Still, for most users paying £80 for a smartphone, this is a perfectly acceptable camera as long as you have realistic expectations.
Keeping things going within the prime 6 is a 2500 mAh capacity battery. I must say I had high hopes for this battery as the ultra 6 features a 3000 mAh unit but has a larger FHD display. For a standard HD display, 2500 mAh sounds like quite a lot.

I was not disappointed. With data/WiFi always enabled, as well as auto-sync on constantly, I found the prime 6 could comfortably last a day and a half. For instance, I could be out all day, come home in the evening and find the prime 6 to still be on or around the 40% battery mark – which is very impressive.

Our battery benchmark confirmed this. The prime 6 lasted a total time of 7:41 in the Geekbench 3 battery test. Compared to the 5:04 time the ultra 6 scored, the prime 6's battery looks very capable. I would have no doubts about recommending the prime 6 for periods of extended usage.Taken on its own, the Vodafone Smart prime 6 is a great budget handset.

The design is simple and what we would expect for £80. The main issue is that it is comparatively heavy (155g) for a 5” phone, but that is quickly adjusted to.

Vodafone have gone for an IPS HD panel, too, which I found very usable. The resolution is very acceptable, with a 294 PPI density which is great for the price. The IPS technology also helps produce vivid colours and great viewing angles.

In terms of its OS, Lollipop, there is not a lot to comment on. It is stock Android, and could be improved in a couple of minor ways, but otherwise it is a great system to use and is nice and responsive – just what we would expect from a stock OS.

The Snapdragon 410 is another admirable performer, with just a couple tell-tale signs (such as occasional lag and keyboard freezes) that this is a budget CPU. Our benchmark scores only confirmed this. Still, for everyday usage it is very usable.

An 8MP camera handles photo duties, and is largely as expected. Detail is not the best due to the 8MP sensor, but it would be unreasonable to ask for more for £80. The auto-exposure is the biggest issue, but leave HDR mode well alone and your photos will look fine.

The 2500 mAh battery is probably the standout performer for me. It will keep going under continued usage and can comfortably last a full day, even stretching to two days with more intermittent usage.

So with that all in mind, it would seem the prime 6 is a great budget phone. And that is certainly the case. However, we must also consider the Smart ultra 6 – its bigger brother. The ultra 6 costs just £45 more, yet gives flagship performance and comes with a premium FHD display panel. It is the current budget king, and by quite a distance.

The ultra 6 means it is hard to recommend the prime 6 as it is only £45 extra. If you are absolutely on a budget, the prime 6 won't let you down. But for the extra cash, the ultra 6 is the phone to get. Our review of the Smart ultra 6 can be found here.

You can buy the prime 6 from Vodafone for £80 here. Alternatively, you can see the range of contract options available here.

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Pros

• Excellent battery life
• Attractive price
• Capable display
• Stock Android
• Decent budget performance

Cons

• Slightly too heavy for a 5” phone
• Only £45 less than the Smart ultra 6
• Camera auto-exposure is not the greatest

KitGuru says: On a very tight budget, look no further than the Smart prime 6. If you can stretch to the Smart ultra 6, though, for an extra £45 you will not be disappointed.

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