The INQ Chat 3G is a budget smartphone that has been designed with social networking primarily in mind. Packing in a full QWERTY keyboard and a rather neat design, this could well be the Facebook phone of choice, or will it? Find out how we got on with our INQ Chat 3G review…
After the INQ1 and INQ Mini 3G comes the INQ Chat 3G, once again putting social networking to the fore, and in most cases, to the masses. After all, this handset comes with a budget price tag so don’t expect too much in the way of extras. The handset is nice and slim and surprisingly light. The keypad offers plenty of space and there is a button on the side of the phone for bringing up the menu and quickly switching between apps.
Check out our INQ Mini 3G review
The INQ Chat 3G has a 2.4-inch screen and full QWERTY keyboard. It uses the Qualcomm Brew OS, most recently seen on the HTC SmArt and even has Twitter set there waiting for you as soon as you switch the device on. It’s not just Twitter, as the phone makes full use of access to Facebook and Skype is very much an integral part of the Chat 3G, so you can make free or cheap calls from the contacts book.
http://experts.thelink.co.uk/2010/01/11/htc-smart-a-budget-special-brew/
If you have used the INQ Mini 3G you’ll be instantly familiar with the layout as it’s the same. The interface does start to show the budget roots of the INQ Chat 3G, as the fonts look a little jaggy and the low-res screen isn’t ideal. When it comes to moving around you’ll find it a little slow at times.
This may be smartphone on a budget but you’ll still find GPS built-in, which works nice and quickly with Google Maps. The 3.2-Megapixel camera is better than we were expecting on the INQ Chat 3G but while the stills snaps look decent, video capture is a little less than impressive.
Verdict
The INQ Chat 3G offers a great entry-point into the smartphone market, especially if you’re looking for a budget social networking phone.
Best features
Great price
Easy to use
Spacious keyboard
Not so good
Poor video
Poor battery life
Low-res screen
Closest Rivals
Nokia 5800 XpressMusic
The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is Nokia’s first touchscreen phone and is a fantastic all-round device. You can take great quality pictures with the 3.2-Megapixel camera or listen to your tunes on the built-in MP3 player
LG Arena KM900
Inside the LG Arena touchscreen phone is a powerful S-Class user interface that lets you control an array of apps with your fingertips. The 3-inch touchscreen is perfect for images, video and even web browsing
Samsung S8300 Tocco Ultra Edition
The Samsung Tocco Ultra Edition blends style, design and the latest in technology. With a full touchscreen and revolutionary 2.8-inch super bright AMOLED display and 8-Megapixel digital camera this is one knockout phone
100% secured payment
