There have been rumours about a properly integrated Facebook mobile phone coming out for while, but now, the actual phone itself has leaked out for us to see! And no, it’s nothing like the Facebook concept phone I did in a previous blog post…
It’s called the 3 INQ1, it’s going to be available exclusively on 3, and it features the tightest integration of Facebook of any mobile phone ever, according to Electricpig.
Basically, what we’re looking at here is a mobile phone that pick ups where the 3 Skypephone S2 left off, and that takes mobile social networking to the nth degree. The project’s in good hands, too, since it’s being made by INQ… a handset subsidiary of 3 themselves. Oh, and it’s being overseen by the man responsible for picking which mobile phones 3 used, Frank Meehan, now running the INQ handset division, responsible for (the clue’s in the name, really) the 3 INQ1.
Starting on the outside, as you can see, the 3 INQ1 is a rather pretty little mobile phone, built into a sliding frame, with a nice bright screen, and a 3 megapixel camera. Where Meehan promises it’ll get really fun, though (and this is what sets the INQ1 apart from other mobile phones), is inside the phone itself, where you’ll find it tightly tied in with Facebook. I’m not entirely certain what he means when he says tight integration between the phonebook and Facebook, but at the very least, I reckon it should include things like adding the status of your friends into their phonebook entry.
Oh, and like its predecessor, the 3 Skypephone S2, it’s also got Skype built in. And you can link it up as a USB Modem, to get mobile broadband without having to buy a special package. So, essentially, what we’re looking at here is a sexier, slidy version of the Skypephone, with tons and tons of Facebook stuff built into it.
Or, in other words, it might be billed as the Facebook phone, but you don’t have to be one of Jerry Zuckerberg’s drones to enjoy it. The best bit though, is the price; the 3 INQ1 is said to come in at under £125, which means it’ll be absolutely dirt cheap, as well as giving you all those communication options! So, if you’re looking to change down your contract, or go for a pay as you go mobile phone (impending recession, and all that), this could be your perfect phone!
Sign up on our coming soon page, and we’ll email you when the 3 INQ1 is released!
