MTN vs Vodacom in cheap smartphone comparison

[Kevin Lancaster]

MTN Steppa vs Vodacom Smart Kicka

It’s the battle of the operator-branded smartphones with fancy footwork

 

[recre8]

I phoned Vodacom Canal Walk to get one:

Me: "Do you have stock of Vodacom Smart Kicka phone"
Vodacom: "The what?"
Me: "The new R549 phone from Vodacom"
Vodacom: "No sir no stock"
Me: "Do you know when you will have stock"
Vodacom: "No sir, we don't know"

 

[Pooky]

I phoned Vodacom Canal Walk to get one:

Me: "Do you have stock of Vodacom Smart Kicka phone"
Vodacom: "The what?"
Me: "The new R549 phone from Vodacom"
Vodacom: "No sir no stock"
Me: "Do you know when you will have stock"
Vodacom: "No sir, we don't know"

Useless. I would expect no better.

 

[pedruid]

I phoned Vodacom Canal Walk to get one:

Me: "Do you have stock of Vodacom Smart Kicka phone"
Vodacom: "The what?"
Me: "The new R549 phone from Vodacom"
Vodacom: "No sir no stock"
Me: "Do you know when you will have stock"
Vodacom: "No sir, we don't know"

Here in PE I first tried cellucity at Walmer park who did not know what I was talking about but did come back to me when I asked them to find out. Reply, no they will not be stocking it. Next Vodacom Greenacres who also seemed vague on the model. I followed with an email and got a response that they didn't have stock but would accept an order which I declined. I want to have a "hands on" first.

 

[cozinsky]

Thanks for the review. I was waiting for it.

 

[cozinsky]

Here in PE I first tried cellucity at Walmer park who did not know what I was talking about but did come back to me when I asked them to find out. Reply, no they will not be stocking it. Next Vodacom Greenacres who also seemed vague on the model. I followed with an email and got a response that they didn't have stock but would accept an order which I declined. I want to have a "hands on" first.

The Kicka is advertised in their new brochure. You can even get it on contract for R50 a month!

 

[Sodan]

That Kicka doesn't look half bad! Are the phones network locked, or would it work on, for example, a Telkom Mobile sim?

 

[FaSMaN]

I have been using the smart 4 mini now for almost a month as my primary business phone, it has an amazing standby time, its nice and fast for doing work related things, like browsing the web, emails, document or two.

The screen is okay, but you need to view it at an angle, not the end of the world.

BUT, it is let down by the fact that it has a pretty much useless touch screen, its unresponsive , miss types, and sending a sms is a nightmare. and I do believe that if they simply added a proper backing ,it doesn't have to be glass, but a nice think plastic backing, it would be perfect, at the moment it flexes too much causing all sorts of drama on the touch screen.

Hope they fix it on the kicka.

 

[Spontaneous Interruption]

So, has anyone managed to just walk into a Vodacom store and buy one of these on prepaid? Bit odd that the Vodacom stores don't even know what it is.

 

[Segg]

Does anyone know if it shows adverts on the home screens like the MTN version? If it doesn't then it sounds like a decent pho for its price

 

[cozinsky]

I have been using the smart 4 mini now for almost a month as my primary business phone, it has an amazing standby time, its nice and fast for doing work related things, like browsing the web, emails, document or two.

The screen is okay, but you need to view it at an angle, not the end of the world.

BUT, it is let down by the fact that it has a pretty much useless touch screen, its unresponsive , miss types, and sending a sms is a nightmare. and I do believe that if they simply added a proper backing ,it doesn't have to be glass, but a nice think plastic backing, it would be perfect, at the moment it flexes too much causing all sorts of drama on the touch screen.

Hope they fix it on the kicka.

Thanks for sharing your experience with the Steppa.

 

[sajunky]

Huawei Y220 compares better to Kicka than MTN Steppa. Old Android, but better build quality. Other parameters are very similiar, it is also HSPA+ device. Y220 is couple months old, so we would expect something better from Vodacom.

 

[Lupus]

Huawei Y220 compares better to Kicka than MTN Steppa. Old Android, but better build quality. Other parameters are very similiar, it is also HSPA+ device. Y220 is couple months old, so we would expect something better from Vodacom.

The Y220 compares more with the Steppa than the Kicka, the Kicka has better cpu, more RAM, larger ROM, newer OS, better camera and better screen res.

 

[entrepr]

Which of these have Wifi. It's a sin if the monied folk on S5's and Apples can get free Wifi in many places but the poorest folk have to pay top dollar per megabyte - even to upgrade their apps

 

[Lupus]

All of them have wifi

 

[CellBel]

Is it possible to view my remote CCTV camera on this Kicka?
I've checked the specs, but not sure what to look for...(noob)

 

[KleinBoontjie]

If you can do it on other Android phones, I'd say yes.

 

[CellBel]

If you can do it on other Android phones, I'd say yes.

OK thx.