At that very same ‘small (but select) gathering at INQ HQ last night, we were informed there will be no new INQ phone unveiled in Barcelona in a few weeks time.

INQ’s marketing director Jeff Taylor said in a semi private briefing to MIR there will be no product announcements at MWC. Where many of us traveled the several hundred miles to the event, for such an insider scoop – journalistic instinct FAIL.

We then raised the bar and posed another question in light of the recent news of INQ touting their phone(s) *cough* around to other networks. All with a view to improve the profile of the fledgling ’3′ venture and expand their market dominance, by bringing INQies to the little people.

We have it on good authority, even from Jeff himself they have been traveling far and wide talking to other networks. We’re guessing by the amount of air miles discussed, INQ’s carbon footprint is so vast they’d have to replant the forest moon of Endor to balance things out.

Back to the most difficult of difficult questions raised – are INQ going to announce the INQ1 on another network, at Mobile World Congress?

Jeff’s reply was along the lines of he could not confirm or deny there will be any news of this nature, only there will be no product announcements in Barcelona.

Companies such as INQ will be there to make deals of this ilk,  for journalists their presence there falls into two camps, product or carrier news.

As there isn’t a new INQies (noun: a word describing any phones by INQ) being taken and shown off to all their splendor at the event, then it’s a network being announced to carry the phone.

We’ll bring you more news at the time, of that exact announcement.

I phoned them on Friday, received a prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery returns envelope on Tuesday, posted the handset on Wednesday and received a brand new handset by Royal Mail Special Delivery on Saturday.

Top marks to 3 – great customer service!

I am currently reviwing the INQ 1,  and it has a inbuilt Skype client which is heavily promoted in its advertising and some would even say the INQ 1 is simply the Skype Phone version 3.

I have 2 Skype contacts, that’s it! Who actually uses Skype?? This really hit home when reading a post by Jonthan Jensen.

Teenagers don’t seem to be big Skype users so this application didn’t engender as much interest, although adults did show some interest in it.

He is exactly right but its more then teenagers I would say anyone under the age of 25  is probably not a Skype user.  Is it because that Skype is mainly used to contact people abroad?  The only time I haves used Skype, was when one of my friends took a semester in the Czech Republic, this was the easiest way for us all to stay in contact with her for free!

Now I move on to Skype on your Mobile, who uses it?? Hold your hands up now! I am completely at a loss why you would need Skype on your phone??

Am I missing something?

I understand about VOIP, and I think services such as Sipgate are fantastic when on your Home PC, but on your mobile I think they are a complete waste of time. For example if I really wanted to I could use a service like Fring and be able to receive calls on my Sipgate local number on my mobile.  The only I think this would actually be *useful* is when abroad on my holiday and in Wi-Fi coverage!

Maybe I am wrong and Skype is a fantastic resource, for me I think it a waste of time.

I do look forward to reading your comments about Skype!

Ricky

ricky@mobileindustryreview.com

Now back to business The INQ 1 has had a lot of coverage here on MIR, both positive and negative.  Both Ewan and Jonthan both have handsets, and thanks to the chaps at 3mobilebuzz and Trevor from the INQ 1 Blog, they have kindly sent me one to test for a month!

I am going to be covering the handset in three parts and the first one is due later on this week, I will be looking at all different aspects of the device. I am really looking forward to reviewing this phone. Sadly I am unable to use the device as my main handset, as I am not a 3 customer and my primary number is with T-Mobile UK.

If you have any questions or anything you want me to test specifically, leave a comment below or drop me an email ricky@mobileindustryreview.com

Coming after the variable performance of the INQ1′s applications this hardware failure has confirmed my view of the INQ1 as a disappointing mobile device.

My reservations about the handset user interface were maybe a reflection on my love of quality mobile devices because my Normob panel were fairly happy with the design and interface. We moved on to the social networking applications where I was looking for feedback on whether the INQ1 appealed to people who enjoyed using Facebook, Live Messenger and Skype on their PCs.

Facebook was universally criticised for being slow and not particularly easy to read. This mirrored my experience where the application seemed to spend most of its time ‘refreshing’ and ‘loading’. This was a disappointment as it’s one of the unique features of the handset but it seems that this key social networking application is a big miss on the INQ1. One comment I received was that updating Facebook once a day is enough so having it on a handset is not particularly important.

It’s in the less unique applications that the INQ1 seemed to score. Feedback on Live Messenger was much more positive. This worked well and everyone liked it. Being able to carry on instant messaging when out and about is clearly a popular activity. Teenagers don’t seem to be big Skype users so this application didn’t engender as much interest, although adults did show some interest in it. I think from a Normob perspective Skype is still seen as a PC based communications tool.

Another area where the INQ1 seems to fail is in the area of delivering predictability of costs to users. Feedback suggested it’s not clear when the user is generating additional data costs and the prepay balance seemed to disappear remarkably quickly even with fairly limited use. 3 needs to be much clearer about what’s included and what isn’t, to avoid ‘bill shock’.

The Messages application was popular because of the way it displays inboxes for SMS, Facebook (mail, pokes and messages), Live Messenger, Skype and email on a single screen. This is a reasonable attempt at integrating all received messages in one place which users seem to like and plays to the social networking theme.

The rebooting problem I experienced initially seems to have settled down – maybe I’m a bit hard on my handsets!

So, overall a more positive verdict than I was expecting. The INQ1 does have some rough edges and the disappointment with the Facebook application reduces its credibility as a social networking device. However the handset does appeal to users who want to be able to add instant messaging to calling and texting on the move and it achieves this at a reasonable price.

—

Jonathan’s also at Sevendotzero.

When you take the INQ1 out of the box it feels like a quality device with its solid metal and plastic construction. However that illusion was shattered when I switched it on, as the display looks like a low end device and the icons and menus have a basic appearance. Instead of a user guide in the box there are a series of ‘flash’ cards which explain the principle applications. Although I thought the info was a bit thin it probably reflects the fact that non geeks rarely read user guides and just dive straight in! The full user guide is on the CD along with the PC Suite software for copying contacts, photos etc to your PC. Overall the handset’s performance is sluggish and the software seems fairly buggy as the it rebooted several times when I was trying out applications. Not a good start and may mean it has to go back.

Now to move on to the INQ1 as a social networking device.

The Facebook application looks good when you load it and has icons at the top for the key Facebook features – Profile, Inbox, Friends, Photos. The rest of the screen shows your News Feed. Reading and updating Facebook from the application is very easy, although you have to wait a while when you refresh to get your latest Facebook info or select an item to read. Not surprisingly, this is much slower than on a PC. I’ve also noticed that even when refreshed, the News Feed lags behind my PC. So, Facebook on the INQ1 versus Facebook via my E51 browser? I definitely prefer the browser version – it’s more responsive, up to date and I think easier to read. However, from a usability perspective, as an application that is easily available from the home screen, then Facebook on the INQ1 probably works better for Normobs.

The Skype application is very simple to use and incorporates Skype Out for calling ‘real’ phone numbers. Several times when I tried to use Skype, the handset rebooted. Live Messenger works well, with the long and frequently bizarre user names that some people use fully displayed!

In theory the browser provides web access but more often than not it returns an ‘unable to contact the website’ message! When it does work it’s horribly slow to load pages. I wouldn’t have the patience to use it on a regular basis.

Unfortunately there’s no Twitter application. For me that’s a big miss but as Twitter is still niche compared to Facebook I guess that forgivable!

Next I’ll be letting some Normobs in the family have a play with the INQ1 to see whether easy access to Facebook, Skype and Live Messenger holds appeal or whether they’d prefer to stick with their PC.

One very neat feature is the way Facebook, Live Messenger and Skype contacts are imported into the Contacts application on the handset so you can contact people directly from their and view their status. Effectively the INQ1 has presence enabled the Contacts application – something every handset should have.

This morning I ordered the INQ1 handset from 3. Why, you may ask? Surely it’s just a 3 branded handset from an unknown manufacturer that doesn’t allow you to download extra applications because it isn’t running any of the usual operating systems – S60, Apple, Android etc. And you’d be right. But …

3 claims the INQ1 is optimised for social networking. It comes configured for out-of-the-box access to Facebook, Skype and Windows Live Messenger. Plus, the contacts application shows you which of your contacts are online. I want to understand what this means for social networking Normobs. All these applications are available on many other handsets via downloads or web browsers and in some cases ready-to-go on high end smartphones. But the INQ1 delivers this functionality in a low cost device. My experience of many Normobs is that they aren’t interested in looking for and downloading extra apps or paying more for data tariffs to support web browsing. But they use Facebook, Skype, Live Messenger on their laptops and I think would use it on their mobile if it was there and just worked, with no additional charges.

Ewan mentioned yesterday how poor (he used slightly more colourful language!) the S60 download experience is & he’s right. For mobile geeks it’s great fun hunting down cool apps but Normobs just want to use their handsets. The iPhone delivers a simple user experience plus the ability to download new stuff for those that want it but at a price point that is out of reach of many Normobs. I think the INQ1 could be making a reasonable stab at filling this gap. I’ll be testing it out with a selection of Normobs and reporting back shortly.

Meanwhile I’ll get back to my E51 and see what new apps I can find to download to it!

Michael took issue with the manner in which we’ve covered the INQ1 launch. So much so he knocked me over a text about it this morning. I responded asking him to expand on his viewpoint so we could publish his opinion here. Over to Michael!

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Hi Ewan,

I sent you an SMS about the INQ1 coverage on MIR earlier today.

To expand on it:

It seems the whole MIR redaction has fallen in love with the new INQ1 phone. A more balanced view of the device could be useful to the MIR readers.

The INQ1 is the third attempt from manufacturer Amoi to create a Skype-friendly handset.

It is also the first one that is remotely usable by third-party application developers.

It still has teething problems like the complexity of customizing a shortcut icon.

It is still based on a cheap Qualcomm chipset with limited audio capabilities.

It is still using a security model that is actually laughable.

However, Amoi is a good manufacturer when it comes to responding to developer feedback and producing improved firmwares. Hopefully, all the alpha and beta testing developers have gone through with this phone over the last few months will make for a good user experience now that the INQ1 is available in the shops.

The INQ software layer in itself, including the Skype VoIP and Facebook social networking clients, certainly looks exiting.

One last comment about the UK marketing campaign: Over-exposition reeks of desperation.

Regards,

Michael Aubert
http://developer.symbian.com/quick

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Michael, thanks very much for taking the time to write and to rebalance the sometimes rather keen coverage we’ve been delivering here on Mobile Industry Review. You’ve made some fair points there — I’m looking forward to getting the perspective of the wider audience on the INQ1 too.

(And I’m just away to go and buy one!)

Once again we thought we’d bring you the delights and treats of the unboxing ceremony, in an effort to share with you our pleasure or not as the case may be.

Think of it as another Christmas come early; the tree is lit, the cracking of the fireplace, The Queen’s message playing in the background ..

Now the mood is set, we’ll begin …

The INQ 1 about to be unboxed, drum roll please ….

The INQ 1 unboxed, tadarrrr!

The INQ 1 unboxed, a little bit closer

The INQ 1 unboxed, everything inside

The INQ 1, powered up and all works well!

The INQ 1, da main menu.

That’s it for now folks.

After we’ve spend some time with it, well share our findings and thoughts

Posted via email from MIR Live

The INQ1 is available today. COME ON!

From the 3UK release:

INQ1 will be available free on a contract tariff from £15 per month offering unlimited free Facebook, Skype, Windows Live Messenger and web access, plus 75 minutes of calls to other networks, unlimited texts, unlimited email and unlimited free 3-to-3 calls*. £20 will get you all of the above but with 200 minutes of calls to other networks. INQ1 will also be available on PAYG at £79.99 (£78.29 actual cost) with internet packages available from £5 per month.

Who’s buying one? Eighty quid! Eighty quid! I’m getting one later today.

I’ll take two please. £80 quid a go? Brilliant!

Well.

I can only actually USE one at a time. I’m slightly concerned about the possibility of adopting the INQ1 because I fear it could be hugely, hugely addictive! I really do like the concept of having my social address book from the likes of Facebook and Skype integrated in one place. With other people keeping their numbers up to date.

I shall most definitely get one. I think I will get one in-store when they become available. I noticed today as I strolled past a few 3UK shops that the INQ1 is marked as ‘available for pre-order’.

Are you getting one?