INQ1

Some excellent news for people who use Skype on the move on the 3 mobile network in the UK: there are now no data charges or top-up fees for either contract or pay-as-you-go customers who use Skype on 3's network. Pay-as-you-go users no longer need to top up at least £10 per month to use Skype on the go. The change is in effect for 3's current lineup of phones (including the 3 Skypephone S2 and the INQ1 phone), and by the summer Skype will be available to anyone on 3 with a compatible 3G phone, whether the phone came from 3 or not.

I'm really excited about this--3 really seems to understand the importance of being able to use Skype wherever you are. It means free calls from your mobile to other Skype users (or SkypeOut calls using your Skype credit) without having to top up your phone. If you and a friend are in the UK and both have Skype-enabled phones from 3, it's free to talk to one another forever. You can learn more about calling for free on 3 in the UK here.

Today I had the chance to check out the new INQ1 phone from 3. Like on the 3 Skypephones S1 and S2, Skype is built in--you can make calls for free using Skype (or for cheap using your Skype credit) from wherever you are. The phone is also big on Internet features and Facebook integration. It will be available from 3 in the UK very soon.

Hardware-wise, the phone feels quite solid in your hand, and the flipping open the keypad is quite satisfying. The buttons offer a good amount of feedback. Software-wise, the BREW interface is clear and clean, and it has many nice features, including widgets on the home screen and an automatic change from portrait to landscape mode in the browser when you turn the phone.

Here's a video I made showing off the INQ1's user interface and Skype functionality.



Check out some more photos of what using the INQ1 is like after the jump.

Continue reading "Hands on with 3's new INQ1 phone" »