We’ve just taken delivery of our INQ Cloud Touch review model and are giving it the usual What’s In The Box? going over.
We got to have some brief hands-on time with the Cloud Touch earlier in the year. Even though the model we saw then was an early version, we were impressed. We really liked how Facebook features like Chat was integrated into the fabric of the phone as well as the look and feel of the custom Android skin.
You may remember the Cloud Touch as one of the ‘Facebook phones’ that was rumoured to be in development. Facebook integration is a big part of what the Cloud Touch is all about, but it does more than that as well. We really like that it comes with SwiftKey and Spotify built in – two of our favourite Android apps as it happens.
Before we continue, it should be noted that you sadly don’t get two big red lollies with your Cloud Touch. As nice as an idea as that is, in reality, they’d melt in transit and everything would get covered in a big sugary mess.
The box that it does arrive in is pretty fetching; we really like the effort that’s gone into presentation here. It’s a far cry from the bland all-white packaging that most phones come in. We’d like to see other manufacturers take a leaf from INQ’s book and go crazy with the marker pens.
Click through for more up-close hands-on pics of the red INQ Cloud Touch in advance of our full review, coming real soon like.
Update: our review of the INQ Cloud Touch is now live.
Like we said, much effort has gone into presentation with the INQ Cloud Touch. We wouldn’t normally bother taking pictures of a box (normally because they’re boring) but we love what INQ has done here.
Again, another shot of the box to pour over. Nice isn’t it?
Ok, no more box shots. Here’s a close-up look at the unlock screen. Three icons are submerged in inky blackness at the bottom. The central one unlocks the Cloud Touch and takes you to the home screen.
The icon on the right with the keyboard, takes you to the INQ Type app, an all-in-one search/note taking app. The camera icon on the left unlocks and fires up the camera app (surprise).
Your Facebook News Feed sits front and centre on the main home screen and renders people’s status updates in a nice italic font with blockquote-style inverted commas in the background. It’s going to lend mundane updates about the weather a bit more gravitas, we guess.
You can also access any YouTube clips that people post as statuses – simply tap on the link and the YouTube Android app will fire up and do its thing.
The 5-megapixel camera there on the back next to a big external speaker. 3.5mm audio jack in the middle there, between the micro USB port and the power button.
That ‘i’ key you see there on the left is a dedicated settings key. One tap of that when you’re anywhere in the phone will load up a settings layer which will allow you to do things like toggle Wi-Fi and Bluetooth etc and check your battery life.
As well as a dedicated settings key, there’s also this music button here. Spotify comes pre-loaded as the default music player for the INQ Cloud Touch. Even if you don’t have a Spotify account you can still use it to play your own MP3s on.
The same kind of multi-part mains adapter/USB charger that we’re getting used to seeing with all phones now. You use the same wire to charge your Cloud Touch and to connect it to your computer for transferring pictures and MP3s etc.
The headphones that come with the Cloud Touch are pretty decent; they’re of the inner ear type and have soft rubbery pads. So they’re comfortable and you won’t be ruining anyone else’s bus journey with your tinny, second hand music.
Those instruction manuals again, with artwork by Aiden Hughes. Some of you might know him from his work with the band KMFDM. You can see more of his artwork here.
Those lollies again. Sorry for the boast, perks of the job and all that!
Again, like the lollies, this cool little USB stick doesn’t come with the retail versions of the INQ Cloud Touch. But we love this little corrugated memory stick so much we just wanted to show it off.
Stay tuned for the full review of the INQ Cloud Touch coming soon. It’s live now!
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