The INQ1, also known as 'the Facebook phone', is a low-cost social networking device developed by INQ, a subsidiary of 3. It’s available exclusively on the 3 network and free on practically every contact.
What we like
If you like being connected to your friends at all times then the INQ1 offers easy access to Facebook, Skype and Windows Live Messenger. One of our favourite features is how it syncs your mobile contacts with friends on Facebook and Skype, giving you access to their info and profile picture, which cleverly pops up when they call you.
The INQ1’s menu system and overall interface is straightforward, displaying icons on the main menu along the bottom of the screen that you can scroll through using the navigation key. Almost anyone will be able to use this phone and the keypad is large and easy to press. Finally, we liked that the INQ1 offers HSDPA (3.5G) which adds a kick when you’re browsing the Web.
What we don't like
The INQ1 might be packed with social-networking features but the rest of it is very basic indeed. It looks very boring and doesn’t have a great camera, Wi-Fi or a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. The 3.2-megapixel camera was disappointing in low light due to the lack of flash and even in daylight we weren’t overly impressed by its pictures.
Although we like the INQ’s keypad, it’s not great when it comes to typing long messages – a full Qwerty would have been better. We’re also disappointed that there’s no built-in Twitter client and hope to see one in the future.
Conclusion
The INQ1 is a superb social networking phone that offers a great experience when it comes to keeping in touch with friends. It’s inexpensive, easy-to-use and works really well, unlike certain other phones marketing themselves as social networking phones. The only thing we’re not crazy about is its design that makes it look like an awfully boring phone, which it isn’t.
"his phone is good, but back button does not work properly, its easy to use but battery life is bad, anyway its worth for money"
2.5
"I got this phone yeasterday, preety good with all social networking stuffs, takes a lot of time to load pictures and doesent have any radio init."
4
"I have it pay as you go,for now a year but a barely use it cause this deal is not worth it.
Skype communication does not work properly.
I don't receive my skype incoming calls in it.
No wonder why the sales assistant wasn't looking happy to reply to all my questions before buying it."
2
"I use this phone for a year , so far it is ok, not too bad. normal calling, skype phone, fast internet and youtube ,it good for this price. But It doesn't support Asian language, dose it? Becauase I couldn't ready any thing from my friends, feel very annoy. And the battery is not that good like they say, it run out so fast after it has show at 50%. Many time it run out battery on the way to work in the morning or between the day. Because the night before it had showed at 80% then in the morning it run down to 60% then on the way it has run down so fast until it red which it can stay just 20 minutes annoying. But good so far when i compare with the price. Just think that if next time I want to buy a mobile phone , I will look at quality not the price."
3
"Interesting features like the way Facebook integrates with my contacts unfortunately don't make up for the terrible quality camera and the battery life which is appalling. Roll on the next model 'coz this one is a serious let down. My fault for being an early adopter? Don't think so, they've had enough time to iron out the kinks before delivering to the market. Consider a different internet phone on the same 3 tariff."
3
"i have had this phone a few days now and i think the phone over all is one of the best phones ive ever had, but the batterey on it does not seem to last more than a few hours and this is while it is un-used or had any interaction off me, dont just judge the phone from the battery life because its a great phone!"
4.5
"I have a INQ1 in black, I keep reading all the reviews saying how bad it is, well I have a different opinion. I think its a great phone, I've had it a week now and i love it, i get full HSDPA signal( ppl saying signal is weak) and I live in a small town!! The facebook app and msn are always on and connected and the battery lasts me 4 days with heavy texting which I think is brilliant for a phone constantly connected. the facebook app runs smoothly as does msn and I have had no crashes or sluggish software. I think people are giving the phone a hard time, I think its great , and don't forget, its never going to be a nokia n96 or G1 , its a £80 phone , which does what it says on the tin, and very well too!"
5
"very good phone for the money you pay. great size phone and battery life is great. two bad points is poor camera (which makes you think of the first camera phone you ever had) and also not very good signal, which is a problem i never had on 3 before. still a great phone tho"
4.5
"I agree with the reviewer who mentions the signal strength, it is very poor on that side and struggles to get 3g signal a lot of the time which of course is essential for fast use of things like e mail and face book, hence its a city phone not a country one, other than that a great looking phone with loads of features."
4.5
"Great value for money, along with features no all phones possess (skype, facebook, messenger)free internet and unlimited texts for £15/month is great. My two major gripes are the lack of flash to accompany the poor quality camera, and the issues I've had with the phone crashing when I open the messages menu (it's being collected for repair tomorrow). Hopefully as the software gets updated we'll see more options within the phone (more flexibility with the menu items would be useful.) Overall i's value for money is outstanding, and with a few tweaks could become the poor man's iphone."
3.5
"I love it. It's on the first firmware revision at the moment, so I'll expect some refinements to the UI, but overall it's packed full of features that have obviously had a lot of thought put into them. One grips is that it doesn't seem to have good signal strength compared to other 3G phones I've used in the same area, and the battery seems to go down very quickly. I suspect both these issues can be fixed with firmware updates. This phone will sync with your gmail, yahoo mail, even your work email (assuming you have Outlook Web Access). No need to mess around with configurations anywhere at all - just put in your username and password. It supports Java and Flash Lite, as well as BREW applications (although the latter will be tightly controlled by 3). Even as it is now, it's well worth buying if you use Facebook or Messenger. But it also has a great potential for extra features with 'widgets' and 3's own updates. One thing I'd like to see is a calendar widget to show the next appointment or birthday on the front screen (and I'd be very surprised if something like this didn't appear within the next few weeks). If you're in any doubt at all, perhaps you'd be better off waiting for the INQ2, which will probably come out in another 8-10 months. A QWERTY keyboard, GPS, and perhaps WiFi and a Touchscreen (?) would be enough to draw anyone in. This phone is game-changing, and the first in a generation of devices that put the flow of data to and from the user first."
