INQ's not-long-released Mini 3G handset has just received a price reduction to ?49.99, down from ?59.99.

The handset has Facebook, IM, Skype and Twitter functionality along with a 2.2-inch display and 2-megapixel camera.

There have also been changes to the pricing of the wireless modem that enables Mi-Fi on the 3 network, which now costs ?49.99 upfront on the "Broadband 5GB 1 Month deal", down from ?69.99. The package includes 5GB of data for ?15 a month.

Previously only available on a monthly contract, Mi-Fi is now available on PAYG, so you can shell out the initial ?49.99 and top-up as and when you need it.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Inq INQ Mini 3G 3 Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: INQ Mini 3G gets price cut originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

3 has been announced as the first UK mobile operator partner for Spotify, following negotiations earlier in the year, and will be pushing out the music subscription service bundled with handsets before Christmas. The HTC Hero will be the first phone to come with the app pre-installed, and it'll be followed by three further handsets.

It's already possible to get Spotify on the HTC Hero (and other Android handsets) from other operators, as well as on the iPhone, but this will be the first time in the UK that the subscription service will be bundled in with your monthly mobile phone bill. It's unclear so far how much it'll cost - we reckon it won't be the full ?10 that the subscription normally costs.

The move puts Spotify in an interesting position - directly competing with fellow Scandinavians Nokia and its much-derided Comes with Music service. It'll also help Spotify break out of early-adopter circles and into less tech-savvy markets, making it more mainstream.

It's unclear yet what the other handsets on offer will be, though the lineup will almost certainly include the not-yet-detailed Spotify handset from INQ. We'll bring you more on this story as we hear it.

UPDATE: A 3 spokesperson has told Pocket-lint to "watch this space". Sounds like there'll be more news shortly.

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Tags: Phones Audio 3 Spotify HTC Hero Inq Nokia Comes with music

3 to launch Spotify phones in the UK originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:18:31 +0100

Following the news that in Sweden, music streaming service du jour Spotify is to team up with operator Telia on mobile phones and more, more info on the hardware we can expect has now been revealed.

The work-in-progress dedicated Spotify phone revealed to Pocket-lint by Telia's head of mobility services, Erik Hallberg, is to be produced by Hutchison-Whampoa-owned INQ.

So reports TechCrunch, stating "a source with knowledge of the deal tells us that London, UK based INQ is developing the Spotify-branded phone".

It's a logical step - INQ already makes handsets tailored to various Web 2.0 services, with its "Facebook phone", Skype phones and now a Twitter handset from the company that prides itself on integrating such services into phones.

Although a Telia launch seems logical as a first step, "the phone is in the design stage right now, and there are plans, we're told, to roll it out to all markets via partnerships with various carriers", says TechCrunch.

Here in the UK, INQ's press office has no comment on the news.

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Tags: Phones Inq Spotify Mobile phones Rumours Telia Audio

INQ to make Spotify phone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:19:05 +0100

INQ's Mini 3G handset is now on sale. The phone is available from 3 through its high street stores and online, and will be free on ?15 per month "Internet Texter" contracts with free internet, free 3-to-3 calls, free voicemail and 75 minutes talk-time. Alternatively, you can pick it up for ?60 on Pay As You Go.

The handset has Facebook, IM, Skype and Twitter functionality along with a 2.2-inch display and 2-megapixel camera. It's a beast with many backs - 8, to be precise. Red comes in the box and seven other options will be available from 3 stores.

The INQ Chat 3G, which has a full QWERTY keyboard and BlackBerry-like form factor, will be out later in the year. We'll bring you more news of that as it arrives.

Related links:

• News - INQ Mini 3G priced for October launch on 3
• Photos - INQ Mini 3G and INQ Chat 3G

Tags: Phones Mobile phones 3 Inq INQ Mini 3G Twitter Tariffs

INQ Mini 3G on sale now originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:43:21 +0100

INQ Mobile CEO, Frank Meehan, has slammed other mobile handset manufacturers saying they are only focusing on big screens and megapixel cameras because they haven't worked out how to do software well.

"Those manufacturers appear obsessed with fighting Apple with ludicrously feature-rich devices – things like four-inch widescreens and 12-megapixel cameras – but only because they haven’t invested in bringing out a strong internet-centric, software driven product to match Apple", Meehan said in a comment piece on an mobile industry website, Mobiletoday.co.uk before continuing his issues further:

"Frankly, none of these so called ‘iPhone killers’ have excited enough consumers to make a difference".

Meehan says that he believes that "neither consumers nor operators have had a great choice in the mass market handset space" citing 2009's most popular handsets, the Samsung Tocco Lite and LG Cookie, both which lack 3G.

Clearly gunning for his own company's brand of internet focused handsets, Meehan believes that like BT and the BBC have revitalised digital content for the PC, the same opportunities are just waiting to be exploited by operators in the mobile space.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones iPhone Inq

INQ CEO: "iPhone killers just not exciting enough" originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:18:47 +0100