Rumours regarding the highly anticipated follow-up to the award-winning INQ1 mobile phone have finally been confirmed. Alongside the Mini 3G, INQ have announced the imminent Q4 release of the Chat 3G which has also been placed in the fledgling category of social mobiles. While some may be quick to count it out as merely nothing more than a Blackberry knockoff, there’s actually more to this device as it hopes to fit into the big shoes it has to fill.
Screening the Mobile
One of the best features of the INQ Chat 3G has to be its wide home screen which has the ability to display Twitter and Facebook updates without the use of a dedicated client. The real time updates are made possible by its impressive user interface which happens to be an upgraded version of the one found in the INQ1. Although we weren’t able to actually test out the device, we are right to have high hopes if we take the INQ1’s impressive performance into consideration.
The actual screen is also much bigger than the one present in the INQ1 – 2.4 inches and QVGA-type technology.
Other Notable Features
The INQ Chat 3G will also be equipped with a purely functional 3.2-Megapixel camera that is still able to produce average quality photos. Aside from direct integration to social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, the device will also have support for push Gmail. This goes well with the new QWERTY keyboard present on the Chat 3G – a first in the entire INQ family.
With all those features on board, it would be easy to say that the INQ Chat 3G truly has the potential to be a more affordable version of the Blackberry for those who have an eye for the famed Smartphone, but not the wallet.
INQ have just unveiled their latest Smartphone in the form of the soon to be released INQ Chat 3G. Together with the INQ Chat Mini, these two devices hope to help build the reputation of this relatively new mobile phone manufacturer. It also hopes to build on the success of the esteemed INQ1 which has gained a multitude of accolades, none more prestigious than winning the Best Handset award at the Mobile World Congress just this February.
Affordable Smartphones
According to INQ themselves, their primary objective is to come up with mobiles that are able to competently compete with the most advanced Smartphones in the market at a fraction of the price. They hope to do this by cutting costs in production and manufacturing devices that are priced not because of their brand name, but based on their actual functionality. The INQ Chat 3G will make use of a proprietary operating system that is able to multitask between both built-in and user-installed applications without a hitch.
The INQ Chat 3G will also have support for a number of third-party applications to further boost its already impressive résumé. This includes integration with social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as other poplar programs like Windows Live and Skype. While also supporting BREW and Java-based software, one of the best features on the INQ Chat 3G is its iTunes syncing capability.
Responding to the Call
Based on a study they did, INQ realized that around 30% of INQ1 users actually used the device for emailing purposes despite being equipped with only a standard 12-key keypad. As a response, the manufacturer has added a full QWERTY keyboard on the INQ Chat 3G which will surely provide a great deal of help for users who want to bring their work with them wherever they go.
Relative newcomer INQ barely made waves when they initially released the INQ1 last year. However, they were definitely making headlines when this highly impressive device was awarded with the Best Handset award in the WMC or the World Mobile Congress earlier this year. This time around, they wish to build on the success of the predecessor by coming up with a bigger, better, and Smarter version which comes in the form of the INQ Chat 3G.
The Basics
With the dimensions of 114.5 x 61 x 12.8 mm, the INQ Chat 3G will share similar measurements with most QWERTY keyboard-enabled Smartphones in the market today. It can actually be described as a Blackberry meets the Nokia E71 type of mobile device. Speaking of QWERTY keyboards, the Chat 3G is the first INQ device to bid farewell to the traditional 12-key keypad which was so successful in the INQ1. The addition of a full QWERTY keyboard will make it a whole lot easier for users to compose those long messages which can be used in conjunction with the device’s Gmail push support application.
Also on board the device is a 3.2-Megapixel camera, a GPS receiver, as well as an internal memory of 120MB which can be upgraded to up to 8GB.
Going Further
Because of HSDPA support available on this device, you can make use of high-speed 3G connectivity for various functions on the device. This also means that internet browsing on the Chat 3G will be a breeze. INQ probably had this in mind when they also added social networking integration apps on the Chat 3G so that users can have quick and direct access to their Twitter and Facebook accounts.
In terms of customization, users can choose between 7 different coloured back covers on the Chat 3G.
After recently announcing their intention to follow up the considerable success of the INQ1, the manufacturers of the device have reiterated their desire to establish themselves in the mobile phone industry with the unveiling of the upcoming INQ Chat 3G. Set to be released together with its younger brother, the INQ Mini 3G, the Chat 3G hopes to be the device that paves the way for INQ’s much awaited breakthrough in the mobile phone market.
Full QWERTY Keyboard
The most glaring difference between this new device and the INQ1 is that the Chat 3G sports a full QWERTY keyboard. This is the company’s response to the fact that 30% of their users actually use the mobile phone for emailing. Aside from providing users with a simpler tool to use in composing those lengthy email messages, the QWERTY keyboard on the INQ Chat 3G will also come in handy when users would like to use the built-in Facebook and Twitter integration apps. These are just two of the many neat programs which have been pre-installed on the Chat 3G.
A Cheap Blackberry?
At first glance, you’d definitely think that the INQ Chat 3G looks like a Blackberry clone. This is primarily brought about by its slightly raised, rubberized QWERTY keypad which obviously screams Blackberry. What’s better is that you can get it for a much cheaper price. Once it is released later this year, experts have predicted a very reasonable price tag for the INQ Chat 3G which is at around £110.
Because it does come with a lot of impressive features and functions, it can actually pass off as a cheaper alternative to the Blackberry. But then again RIM have already released only this month the Blackberry Curve 8520 which is even cheaper than the INQ Chat 3G at only £80.
INQ have just announced two phones that they have in development that will be aimed mainly at the social networking phone user. INQ plan to build on the success of their ‘Facebook phone’, the INQ1 that featured special integration with Facebook. This proved to be very popular and now INQ want to extend this to other services including Twitter, eBay and Skype among others. While the phone world is starting to see the integration of these services available on many devices, either though in-built apps or downloadable apps, they are usually to be found on the more pricey phone. Now with the announced release of these upcoming handsets, INQ promise to bring this functionality into the low price range and make it more affordable.
The INQ Chat 3G features a 2.2” TFT display and the Mini 3G sports a slightly larger 2.3” display. INQ had noted the high proportion of INQ1 customers making regular use of email and so decided to include a full QWERTY keyboard on the Chat 3G helping to facilitate this function. Both phones feature a camera although they are quite low range at 3.2MP and 2MP for the Chat 3G and Mini 3G respectively.
Both devices feature an onboard media player that supports most standard codecs and both handsets will sync easily with iTunes and Windows Media Player. Through the use of HSDPA and 3G tethering they will also allow seamless downloading and streaming of online video and audio content. One area where they are let down on the media front is the decision not to include a standard 3.5mm audio jack.
The INQ Chat 3G and Mini 3G are both aimed at social networkers and aim to make that functionality on a phone more affordable for phone users. More information will be available on the handsets closer to their release which will be some time in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Rumours regarding the highly anticipated follow-up to the award-winning INQ1 mobile phone have finally been confirmed. Alongside the Mini 3G, INQ have announced the imminent Q4 release of the Chat 3G which has also been placed in the fledgling category of social mobiles. While some may be quick to count it out as merely nothing more than a Blackberry knockoff, there’s actually more to this device as it hopes to fit into the big shoes it has to fill.
Relative newcomer INQ barely made waves when they initially released the INQ1 last year. However, they were definitely making headlines when this highly impressive device was awarded with the Best Handset award in the WMC or the World Mobile Congress earlier this year. This time around, they wish to build on the success of the predecessor by coming up with a bigger, better, and Smarter version which comes in the form of the 
INQ have just announced two phones that they have in development that will be aimed mainly at the social networking phone user. INQ plan to build on the success of their ‘Facebook phone’, the INQ1 that featured special integration with Facebook. This proved to be very popular and now INQ want to extend this to other services including Twitter, eBay and Skype among others. While the phone world is starting to see the integration of these services available on many devices, either though in-built apps or downloadable apps, they are usually to be found on the more pricey phone. Now with the announced release of these upcoming handsets, INQ promise to bring this functionality into the low price range and make it more affordable.