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Posts Tagged ‘INQ’

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21 April, 2010.INQ Mini 3G

For roughly a week Matthew Hoare of Matthew Hoare’s Journal has been in possession of an INQ Mini and he has posted a review on the handset.

Overall he takes the rough with the smooth, noting good integration of apps, but finding them too basic. He made use of the Twitter and Facebook apps most seeing as these are services he uses on his regular device. An example of what he saw as short-comings would be the display of status updates from Facebook on the INQ Mini,


“Peoples names are in the same font style as the statuses. Therefore it’s hard to distinguish between the names and the actual statuses. Perhaps having names in bold would improve it. Maybe this is just me being picky.”



He was however more impressed with the navigation through the user interface of the phone,


“On the side of the phone there is a scroll function where you can scroll through your apps, which works well. You can use the scroll whilst in the apps to change between the tools and apps you looking for, which I thought was quite useful.”



This also tied in with the overall aesthetics of the device, the bright and vibrant styling of the menus and especially the red back.



So what did a week with the INQ Mini teach Matthew?


“I think this phone is aimed at the younger teenage market, which I think this phone would be perfect for as its compact and lightweight, therefore perfect for teenagers to catch up on with their friends when they are out and about.”



Do you agree? Leave Matthew a comment on his site.


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15 April, 2010.INQ Chat 3G

Lucy of Snippets of Shiny Thoughts has treated her readers to a peep inside her handbag revealing not only beauty, travel and stationary essentials, but also an INQ Chat.

“My new phone for the last two weeks has been the INQ Chat on 3Mobile and it does everything I could want: Surf the net, check Google maps, go on Facebook, use Skype, check my Emails (and reply to them in seconds), text easily and it constantly alerts me of new happenings as well as streaming my Facebook and Twitter feeds – Phew!”

The feature that she is appreciating the most is Twitter, especially after previously having to send tweets to the micro-blogging site by text at cost. The wide screen too is something that Lucy’s finding useful minimising the amount of scrolling required when receiving or writing messages.

On the negative side of the things the keys are a little firm, which has led to the occasional sore thumb, though Lucy does qualify this by stating that she is sure she uses her phone beyond what is recommended.  Her final thoughts,

“This do-it-all device is fashionable, cool, sexy [and] it’s having a bigger effect on life than I first thought…”

Would you like an INQ Chat in you handbag?

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13 April, 2010.INQ Chat 3G INQ Mini 3G

Fred Weimer over at tekIMage has reviewed the INQ Chat, which comes hot on the heels of last months INQ Mini appraisal.

The INQ Chat was a pleasure to use according to Fred, with all the elements of the Mini on board, but with the advantage of a bigger screen and full QWERTY keyboard that he believes has a ‘great feel to it’. He goes on to explain it is these two features that make the difference where the Chat is concerned, making it ideal for Twitter and Gmail especially. Two of the reasons that lead Fred to the conclusion that,

“…if you want a mobile with full QWERTY keyboard, fabulous social media tools and great Gmail syncing then this phone is for you.”

Do you agree with Fred? Either leave us a comment below or head to his post to let him know your thoughts.

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27 January, 2010.INQ

INQ Chat 3G

INQ Chat 3G



There’s been quite a lot of talk about the INQ Chat 3G recently from the guys who are trialling it from us so we thought we’d give you an update of their thoughts..

The design and feel of the INQ Chat 3G has been a constant source of pleasure for Mark from The Boulton Bugle and Abul from adonismobile! Mark (@markb44z) states,

“…like the INQ Mini it looks fabulous, is very well designed, feels very good to hold and is nicely weighted.

Whilst Abul (@adonisdemon) says that it reminds him of an E71 or a Blackberry in terms of the keyboard.

Both Mark and Abul also both comment favourably on the camera of the INQ Chat 3G and the integration of the facebook & Twitter apps into the phone,

“The camera and integration with the services is excellent as is the integration of the Phonebook and Facebook.”

The most negative thing that @adonisdemon could pull up was the fact that it doesn’t have WiFi connectivity as back up, all connection is done through the 3 network, so there’s no option to use WiFi if it’s available.

@markb44z liked the improvement of the Twitter app on the INQ Chat 3G as compared to the INQ Mini 3G, but feels that it could still be better,

“The same problem remains however that you can only view your most recent tweets and you still have to go online and log-in to the mobile Twitter website to view older tweets.”

Stephen (@stephenwing) meanwhile has been talking on UKGadgeteer about the new app that INQ is using to manage users’ media, Doubletwist. Pop over to UKGadgeteer to hear what he thinks of it.

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17 December, 2009.INQ

Do you want to win an INQ Mini 3G?




Well here’s your chance… no, no, no we aren’t giving one away but we know someone who is. Over at Gtvone photographic, Simon is going to give one lucky reader an INQ Mini 3G. Maybe this is because he’s got himself an INQ Chat 3G now instead?



All you have to do is send him a funny picture, the one which he finds the funniest wins. Don’t forget to include your Twitter name so everyone can see the results.



We haven’t entered because we’d obviously win, and we already have plenty of INQ Mini 3Gs. But feel free to discuss entries here and Simon if you need any help judging give us a shout, we like a giggle.



A message to the winner, as Simon says get in touch, we’re happy to help.

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16 December, 2009.INQ

As we reported on Friday the INQ Mini 3G’s bigger brother the INQ Chat 3G launched in the UK. The early opinions are positive, Stuart Miles from Pocket Lint likes the ease of use:


“If you are looking for a simple, but easy-to-use communication device without all the hassle or expense of the App Store and open source operating systems, the INQ Chat 3G will do you nicely.”



Electric Pig are keen on the packaging and the setup:


“We love INQ’s packaging: if you’re a mobile novice, it couldn’t be clearer how to set up.”



There are also loads of great pictures on both reviews, however if video is more your thing then check out our friend Simon’s unboxing video:







Our Chats are currently winging their way to our first set of trialists, so over the coming weeks you will be able to hound them for their opinions and experiences.



Have you got hands on with one already? Let us know what you think.

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11 December, 2009.Handsets INQ

The INQ Chat 3G is available in store and online from today.


Available for £99.99 on PAYG or £15 on contract the INQ Chat 3G could be just the gift for someone at Xmas. What’s so special about it? The full QWERTY keyboard, email integration and let’s not forget free Skype and WLM. That’s not all though, as explained by 3G.co.uk there is more:


“The fun isn’t all in the chatting though – the INQ Chat 3G has entertainment as well as communication covered with iTunes and Windows Media Player media syncing for PCs and Macs.”



UKGadgeteer, Gerrymoth and markedup have already picked up on the news.



If you’ve an opinion on the INQ Chat 3G get in touch. Or maybe you would like to get your hands on one? We always like hear from you.

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17 November, 2009.Handsets INQ

Mark Boulton has been taking part in our INQ Mini trial, and has shared his thoughts on his brilliantly named “Boulton Bugle”



Mark was disappointed with the in-built Twitter app:



“..only the very most recent tweets are displayed, if you wish to view older messages you have to go online and log-in to the mobile Twitter site which to me seems a little daft”



Instead, he prefers to use Dabr, which is fast becoming the benchmark against which other mobile Twitter apps are measured.



On the plus side, it’s a positive that, “on the Contacts list you can synchronize with your Facebook contacts so they are displayed alongside your regular contacts”.



He also echoes other feedback we’ve had about the look and feel of the phone – “the handset itself is an extremely nice looking and small phone, feels very well built and very good to hold”



The INQ mini has been widely praised for its combination of social media integration, good looks and low pricing.  With INQ moving onto the Android platform next year it’ll be interesting to see what the next generation of INQ handsets bring to the table.

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10 November, 2009.3 Skypephone INQ

If it’s tips on how to get the best out of your INQ Mini you’re after, then you’d be well advised to get yourself over to UKGadgeteer, where they’ve posted a second useful piece of advice.

You might remember that we drew attention to Sam’s first INQ Mini tip, which suggested hooking your mobile’s browser to m.inq.getjar.com to get access to an array of free and paid for apps.

The latest snippet will help you to capture new fixes and features into some of the applications of your device as INQ rolls them out, such as Skype, Facebook and Twitter.

UKGadgeteer says: ‘It’s nice to know it’s this easy to get updates.  As you may remember, the INQ1 had a number of updates delivered this way after a few months of release. We should also add that INQ also stated they update their manufacturing build with these new updates, so a brand new phone may not need updates when taken out of the box.’

If you’re a social networking type and you think that the INQ Mini could be your bag, don’t forget that 3 last week dropped the prepay handset price last week. Sounds like a decent stocking filler… Santa can expect a lot of new Facebook friends and Twitter followers this Christmas.

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12 October, 2009.INQ

Seeping throughout the online space currently is the rumour that INQ are going to be building and releasing a Spotify branded phone.

TechCrunch and TechDigest have put together cases as to why this is likely, notably the recent investment by INQ backer Li Ka-Shing in the streaming (and now downloadable) music service. Engadget have gone a step further, adding fuel to the fire by suggesting the possibility of new OS for INQ,

“The last thing we heard from INQ about future plans was a forthcoming Android handset […] so the optimist in us would like to believe that this Spotify phone could be INQ’s big Android play – there is already an official Spotify Android app to make that whole process seem even more doable.”

For now we’re going to have to delve among the ‘possible’ and ‘maybe’ because, as Pocket-Lint confirm,

“Here in the UK, INQ’s press office has no comment on the news.”

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22 September, 2009.Handsets INQ

Spread across three pages is Electricpig’s review of the INQ Mini 3G.

“The social networking mobile is back in a new, smaller, faster, pumped up guise. Called the INQ Mini 3G, it adds Twitter and a 3G internet connection to a smaller package. But is it any good? Read our INQ Mini 3G review and we’ll give you our verdict.”

And true to their word that is exactly what they do! Comparisons are made with the INQ1, a device they refer to as breakthrough, and therefore expectations are high. Regardless of this the INQ Mini fares well. The only minor gripes are in relation to only packing in a 2-megapixel camera and the need for an adaptor to use headphones, which seems odd considering the phone’s young target audience.

Nevertheless Electricpig believes, “If you’re after the functionality of a smart phone on a budget, look no further.”

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14 September, 2009.INQ

Frank Meehan has been talking at Mobilise ‘09 and has subsequently sparked a few rumours, notably that INQ would be dropping the BREW platform and moving to the Android.

Trusted Reviews Gordon Kelly believes this point has been over-exaggerated however,

“Speaking directly to INQ we were told that despite what was printed ‘INQ isn’t saying anything at the moment other than that they are looking at Android. INQ is not dropping Brew. They’re looking at both platforms in parallel. We’re not totally sure where [the rumours] came from and appreciate you setting the story straight!’”

It all seems to be a loss of context, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see INQ making the switch as it something they are clearly investigating.

Also coming from Mobilise ‘09 via 3g.co.uk is the news of INQ’s plans for a 2010 launch in the US.

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11 September, 2009.Handsets INQ

During an interview with Om Malik of GIGAOM at Mobilize 09 in San Francisco, INQ CEO Frank Meehan has revealed that INQ will release an Android powered handset by the close of next year.

This news, which you can read at Pocket-Lint, comes just before the launch of the Chat and Mini devices from the manufacturer. The company’s unrelenting drive to compete is something Meehan is proud of,

“We can beat Nokia and Sony Ericsson and Motorola at this … we’re small, we’re nimble, and we’re fast”.

The decision to change from BREW to Android is assessed by UKGadgeteer,

“Whilst the BREW platform is a good and easy platform, it has a number of limitations (things like not being able to support cell ID location information for apps, meaning Google Maps either has no location information, or has to have a GPS), which simply don’t exist with Android.”

If you want to see the interview, jump to The Really Mobile Project who have posted it in its entirety.

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28 August, 2009.INQ1

At Tech Digest there is a picture based article (be sure to click on the pics to get the text) of the five coolest British made phones ever. Enjoying the article greatly is IntoMobile who have highlighted the Sendo X and the INQ1, both of which are in the Tech Crunch cool to call list.

Noted by Into Mobile is the positivity that currently surrounds INQ, “Actually INQ have just released two new handsets (see here), but their first device, lauded by press and public alike, was the INQ1 – a very nice little slider which has a ton of social networking features in it.”

To have a look at all five make sure you head through and reminisce, proud to be a British mobile user!

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24 August, 2009.Handsets Misc.

We know that Hutchison Whampoa main man Li Ka-Shing has invested cash into Spotify and now, we also know it was enough to get a chair on the music streaming company’s board.

This chair has been filled by INQ Mobile’s CEO Frank Meehan. As The Really Mobile Project’s Dan Lane states, “Frank Meehan [is] a whirlwind of business savvy, it’s tiring just being in the same room as him.” With this knowledge Dan is confident that a BREW Spotify app is being worked on right now (BREW being the platform the INQs run on) – hopefully to be ready for the release of the Chat and Mini? Watch this space… and, if speculation is your thing when it comes to 3UK and Spotify, read this post by UKGadgeteer.

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