I'm rarely truly impressed with gadgets. I've seen so many over the years that I've become a little indifferent.
However, when my wife asked me to check out some basic contracts, mainly for SMS, the deal that caught my eye was one from the operator '3', comprising unlimited texts, unlimited Internet, unlimited '3 to 3' calls, and an 75 minutes any-network calls for 15 quid per month, and this included an INQ1 phone.
So what's an INQ1, I wondered? Well, it turns out to be a reasonably well constructed slide phone, with a reasonably nice 240 x 320 display, a very average camera (as with most phones), and a great network specification (HSDPA, 3G, GPRS).
What makes the INQ1 different to most phones, and what sets it apart from its peers (by a very wide margin), is how many great features are included in the phone's software, and how intuitive all of these features are to use. Think 'Old School Nokia' meets 'Funky SmartPhone'.
Here's what I've found already: -
- The phone multi-tasks perfectly. Multiple browser windows, Java apps, BREW apps, and the usual phone functions all run side by side, and are available from a 'carousel of icons' on the desktop.
- Built in apps for Facebook, MSN Messenger, Skype, and Email (POP3, IMAP) are seamlessly integrated with the phone, and are all very easy to use.
- Contact management is comprehensive and intuitive, and integrates with Facebook, MSN, and Skype user-ids.
- The browser is a variant of Netfront 3.5, a very capable browser that includes Javascript support.
- Network connectivity is outstanding; the phone maintains a connection at the highest speeds possible at all times. At home (we're a bit rural), we get Edge or GPRS connectivity. In and around Edinburgh, we get 3G or HSDPA. In any case, the network is very useable for browsing and messaging. Voice and SMS services have, so far, been faultless.
I'm struggling to find any real negative points. Ok, so there's no Wifi and no flash for the camera, but we didn't really expect either of these on a phone at this price. The browser uses a key-controlled pointer to select links, whereas I prefer to just have my links selected sequentially for me (e.g. using the joypad to move directly between links). Like I said, I'm struggling to find any real negative point.
So, my wife's really happy with her snazzy little phone. She didn't realise she'd love using the web from her mobile as much as she does. Definitely a thumbs up for her INQ1.