News
INQ¹ Wins Phone of the Year Award from Mobile Entertainment Forum
London – 24 June, 2009
INQ Mobile, maker of the world’s first low cost Social Mobile, was named “Phone of the Year” at last night’s Meffys Awards, held by the Mobile Entertainment Forum. The Meffys are considered the industry’s official benchmark for measuring success and rewarding innovation, and the awards honor the most influential players from around the world. This category recognizes the importance of mobile handsets in driving consumer discovery and entertainment, and the INQ¹ was recognized by the judges for being a mass market phone that offers social media and mobile internet services in an easy to use, simple way, driving mobile data usage.
MEF's Executive Director, Rimma Perelmuter, said “We are delighted for INQ Mobile, a new entrant to the market, whose focus on usability and social networking features answers the needs of consumers who seek a fun, affordable and connected experience.”
INQ’s innovative approach – building hardware and software from the ground up with social media and internet services at the core – has caught the attention of the mobile industry and consumers. So far this year, the INQ¹ has won the “Handset of the Year” at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the Mobile Industry Awards “Best Newcomer,” and now “Phone of the Year” at the Meffys.
The company also recently released data on usage of the INQ¹ on the 3 UK network. The numbers seen on an entry-level handset and pay as you go tariff were comparable, or in some cases higher, than what operators typically see on much more expensive smartphones.
An average of 65% of INQ¹ customers are using Facebook , with the majority of users accessing once a day or more. 30% of INQ¹ customers are regularly using email. Windows Live Messenger usage is 3-4 times greater than on other 3G phones on the 3 UK network, with around 50% of INQ¹ customers accessing the service every month. 19% of the INQ¹ base uses Skype.
About INQ Mobile
INQ Mobile is a standalone company wholly owned by Hutchison Whampoa Limited. INQ Mobile is the maker of the INQ¹, the world’s first Social Mobile to integrate email, IM and social networking in an intuitive way. INQ draws on the strengths of its parent company, which made an early investment in global 3G networks based on a fundamental belief that 3G changes the way people communicate and was formed to address a growing need for advanced mobile internet handsets from operators across the world. For more information visit: www.inqmobile.com or follow us on Twitter @inqmobile.
For more information, contact:
Rachel Bremer – Sparkpr for INQ (UK) +44 (0)779 551 8335, rachel@sparkpr.com, Twitter: rbremer
Rebecca Fuller – Sparkpr for INQ (US) +1 415 321 1863, rebecca@sparkpr.com