Page 12 - Sphere No.24 (Mar 2009)

10 SPHERE
3 G H O T S P O T
WELCOMETOTHE
SOCIAL MOBILE
INQ1 is simple to use, affordable and more importantly - it is the best
By Jon Marsh
WE’VE ALL BEEN THERE BEFORE.
A sophisticated new piece of tech-
nologicalwizardryarrives
on the market to
huge fanfare. It looks beautiful,
promises the earth and at
the same time puts a big
dent in your wallet.
Now comes the hard
part – you have to actually
use it. That’s usually when
the problems start. The in-
structions appear to have been
written by an engineer trained
on another planet; the fancy new
applications refuse to respond to
all manner of increasingly desperate
button pressing and an attempt to get
through to the help line leaves you pull-
ing your hair out in frustration.
Sound familiar? Well, it is hardly sur-
prising as in today’s world “must have” de-
vices such as the latest 3G “smartphones” are
becoming more complicated (and expensive)
almost by the day. Indeed, a recent industry sur-
vey reported by the BBC found that the complexity of
modern mobile phones was leaving many people unhappy.
The survey revealed that 85 per cent of users reported that they
were frustrated by the difficulty of getting a new phone up and working.
Of the 4,000 people questioned, 95 per cent said they would try more new ser-
vices if phones were easier to set up.
Well, help is at hand. INQ, a brand new Hutchison company, is offering customers what is
being described as the world’s first Social Mobile. The INQ1, as the handset is known, looks good, is
very affordable and, significantly, is easy to use. Most importantly, it makes keeping in touch a cinch by con-
necting your Facebook, Windows Live Messenger (WLM) and Skype contacts with your phone book.
The impact has been swift and dramatic, sending shockwaves through the industry. Within months of being
launched, the INQ 1 walked off with the GSMA’s award for Best Mobile Handset or Device, the most coveted and