inq1 archives

Ewan and Jonathan over at Mobile Industry Review have been giving the INQ1 a fair workout for sometime now.

Now it’s the turn of Ricky to give us his “Student Perspective” on the handset which he’ll be putting through his own paces over the next month. In a series of three parts he promises to look at “all aspects of the device”.

The first instalment he assures us will be published later this week. We certainly look forward to it.

An INQ1 handset in hand, Marianne of Busy Making Other Plans has been trialling away furiously.

“I’ve been playing with my INQ a lot yesterday and today, and am getting to like it more and more.” Marianne has used the traditional phone functions sparsely, opting to utilize the alternative methods available however it is not all sweetness and light, noting there are “some niggles that could do with a bit more work in my opinion.”

To see what they are and what she believes can be done to iron them out read her post, a temporary dive.

Tim, of the previously mentioned Sparky Malarkey blog (still loving the name), has got INQy fingers.

His full bloodied, headlong leap into the world of INQ1 and first impressions throw up some interesting points - especially bearing in mind that Tim is a dedicated iPhone user. It’s looking like the month ahead could be a comparison frenzy.

For some early pros and cons plus a visual fare on unboxing, just click.

James O’Malley has declared himself a self -facilitating media node! Partly it was because he was heading to Shoreditch whilst wearing a Trilby, but mostly, because he was asked to trial an INQ1, “a new INQ1 mobile phone for a month - a device not unlike the Wasp T12.

James notes that the INQ1 lacks the ‘extra-large 5-key’ of the Wasp; sadly I can confirm it is also without integrated mp3 decks. Nevertheless James, don’t be put off and don’t worry, we don’t mind that you wear a fleece.

Daniel has asked for advice in the 3 Skypephone forum regarding switching from the S2 to an INQ1.

He’s read a bit about the device and considering the change, but first would like some thoughts from anyone who has test driven the handset. So if you have some advice for him place it here.

Jay by jayfresh is ready to give the INQ1 a “whirl”. Looking to get to grips with it over the next week or so, his review can be considered pending.

“The INQ1 looks like a pretty big deal for people who are not at the iPhone end of the market, so this is pretty intriguing.”

He’s keen to get his readers involved, so if there’s anything that is particularly pressing in regard to the INQ1 and what it can do, head to his post and let him know via a comment.

At Tech Digest they’ve compiled a list. 100 Christmas presents 2008. And the INQ1 charted at 11, hailed as a “must have for those that don’t have”.

Realistic about the device, they state that “It’s not a multi-touch vision of app store loveliness but you’re not going pay through the eyeballs for it either.” They finish by giving it a Bargain Factor of 5/5 and suggest that it’s best for teenagers.

For all that made the list jump to here.

Two posts specifically based on the INQ1 have been provided by Ant of Fresh Plastic.

Firstly, there is some photographic work and an initial reaction - despite admitting to not fully digesting his thoughts on it, “One thing that stands out however is how good it looks in the flesh.” The second post is less INQ1-centric, and more to do with a ‘Japanese restaurant-style’ sofa and table. However, you can see the interior décor being discussed via a couple of video’s taken with the INQ1.

Unfortunately the video only gives a little bit of an idea as to what the INQ1 is capable of due to a VOX converting process described by Ant as “weird and wonderful”.

Jonathan at Mobile Industry Review has dealt out some first impressions of the INQ1. Initially believing the handset felt like a quality device, he describes how “that illusion was shattered” when he turned it on, primarily due to the display and basic appearance of icons and menus.

Despite this setback, Jonathan felt much better about the INQ1 in regard to its social networking capabilities and makes a point of mentioning, “…the way Facebook, Live Messenger and Skype contacts are imported into the Contacts application on the handset, so you can contact people directly from there and view their status.” This is something he feels all handsets should have.

Slide through this link for the finer points of his review and the chance to add your thoughts.

AdonisMobile has his INQ1, and while waiting on the arrival of a SIM card, he’s given us plenty of visual fodder and a specification list.

Presented as a slideshow, the Flickr images show off the packaging and handset, and Adonis accompanies this with his first impressions of the device. “Physically the handset is pretty solid and ergonomic, it is pretty small too, but doesn’t suffer from a cramped keypad because it has some huge buttons!”

To gaze at the “cool artwork” and get a full flavour of the AdonisMobile post, click here.

The Skypephone 2 has been treating Mediawitch well, and in a recent trip to Scotland has kept her well and truly in touch (on facebook and beyond), and meant that icy trips to the shops to pick up a cumbersome newspaper are a thing of the past.

Her eye has recently been drawn to another device though, and it is with some delight she has picked up on the INQ1 phone, branding it “bloody brilliant”! Clearly impressed with its range of social media application “They are calling it a social mobile and I have to agree with them” she only hopes that it can be spread to the masses.

Writing posts like this can only help!

In the tech section of AioForum, member Sub-0 has relayed the news that 50,000 people pre-registered their interest in the INQ1.

The story was also covered by Trevor on his INQ1 blog, “I knew it would be popular, but not that popular!” There’s also coverage of this on MobileNews before they go into more general information on the handset itself.

Did you beat the rush? If so let us, or indeed Trevor, know what you think.

Adam of Adamok.net gives the INQ1 his attention and exclaims, “No! It’s not a touch phone…”

Once past this though, he believes that for its capabilities and price points it is “one of the best phones around.” He covers the ins and outs of the device before suggesting, “Maybe I should have waited a bit longer instead of going for the Sony Ericsson 770i.”

Do you agree? Let him know here.

LiveMint has investigated potential zeitgeists for the upcoming new year, 2009 for those not paying attention. They’ve taken some of these trends and made a bit of a feature of them.

One of the trends has been coined as Nichetributes, “Nichetributes are attributes/features/additions to existing products, which make them more practical for specific user groups…”

Under the examples, they’ve listed the INQ1 and its integration of services to suit the social media crowd. It is intriguing stuff. To read the minutiae of Nichetributes and decide where the INQ1 fits in, head to here.

Duncan at Shiny Shiny has posted a video review of the INQ1; a phone he suggests at the top of his clip could be “quite special”.

After some introduction on the philosophy behind the device and explaining the Facebook integration, Duncan gets into the buttons and knobs of the INQ1 and what he thinks of it. To take in all his thoughts follow this link or watch the video below.