INQ branded phones available from 3

IMITATION IS the sincerest form of flattery. So Hutchison Whampoa (which owns 3UK) has decided to launch a range of 3G handsets branded INQ. The INQ can report.

Obviously, INQ modems will have a ready-made market with the various mobile operators which Hutchison runs worldwide (not all of them using the 3 brand). However, the idea is to flog the handsets to other mobile operators, too. Tricky.

The move stems directly from the fact that Hutchison decided to develop the original Skypephone. It needed a custom handset with Skype built in. Later on the Skypephone S2 was launched which boasted the ability to act like a 3G dongle as well as a phone.

According to reports, the new handset vendor will boast a range of around five models. They all sound like they are being made for INQ/Hutchison by Chinese manufacturer, Amoi, as was the case with the Skypephones.

INQ's handsets will take the integration of Web 2.0 services into a low-cost mobile handset to a new level. Not only will you have Skype tightly integrated into the Ui/handset but other apps like Facebook, Windows Live Messenger, and Ebay will be there. Wouldn't be surprised if Youtube shows up too.

The first INQ handsets are expected to go on sale in the UK next month (November). They'll be extremely competitively priced. Maybe as low as £50 for a prepaid handset.

With that kind of launch date, they'll be in plenty of time for the Xmas sales season. Given that Hutchison competes in a numerically small number of markets, maybe this ploy might succeed. µ