Vodafone Smart 4 Max review

Commendably for such a cheap phone, Vodafone has packed the Smart 4 Max with a 13-megapixel camera.

Now, we're all experienced enough to know that more megapixels doesn't necessarily equal better pictures. But when you're used to reviewing cheap phones that come with nasty 5-megapixel snappers, as I am, I reserve the right to build up a little hope based on such a spec.

Sure enough, the Smart 4 Max is far more capable of taking decent pictures than most entry-level smartphones I've used – though it's a little inconsistent.

Given plenty of light and ideal shooting conditions – such as those I experienced during my main shooting day – you'll be able to capture images that are suitable for more than just sharing on Facebook.

There's even a decent HDR mode that, in my experience, didn't result in freakishly hyper-real images. It lightened the shady areas, whilst keeping the detail in the deep blue skies and white buildings.

I was also impressed with the general speed of the Smart 4 Max's camera. I was able to rattle off a series of quick snaps at a rate that belied the sluggish performance found elsewhere in the phone.

However, I also found that the Smart 4 Max's autofocus system would occasionally throw a wobbly, failing completely to get the right level of focus on a succession of simple seaside landscape shots that lacked a distinct subject.

It was also incapable of focusing on the closest of a series of deliberately assembled objects when testing its indoor capabilities from around a foot away.

I experienced problems, too, when attempting to shoot a series of close-up images of some yellow flowers. The bright reflected sunlight seemed to completely throw off the camera's auto-exposure settings, resulting in comically dark images.

Shots taken inside with decent artificial lighting tend to render predictably murky results, but they're perfectly adequate at this level. Meanwhile, the flash does a reasonable job within very specific parameters. It's OK from a couple of metres away, but a waste of time at any other distance.

The camera's 1080p video capture, meanwhile, was perfectly accurate, though it struggled with dynamic range on the bright and sunny day I shot on, rendering dark and shady areas much darker and shadier than they should have been. Still, I've seen much worse for more money.

All in all, the Smart 4 Max's camera is a little too inconsistent to make it reliable for quick, impromptu snaps – which is typically the kind of shot you most want to capture on your phone.

However, it has the potential to obtain much better results than most other phone cameras at this price point.