INQ Cloud Touch official with Android, Facebook and Spotify
updated 06:05 pm EST, Wed February 9, 2011
INQ Cloud Touch, Cloud Q unveiled
INQ today confirmed plans for a jump into smartphone-level devices. The recently spotted Cloud Touch now uses Android underneath and is designed to put Facebook at the front of the OS. While it's not an official Facebook phone, it puts the social network's chat, contacts, events, notices, places and the news feed at the front through widgets and shortcuts.
The phone also scraps the stock Android media player for Spotify and by extension gives users unlimited music listening, albeit with a subscription needed. Many of the carriers offering the Cloud Touch will have a Spotify Premium deal in place to factor it into the service plan.
INQ is targeting it more towards the same market as phones like the LG Optimus V or a basic BlackBerry Curve and uses a 600MHz Qualcomm chip. As with its Korean competitor, though, INQ is planning some futureproofing and expects Android 2.3 to reach the Cloud Touch later.
A variant of the Cloud Touch, the Cloud Q, is due to bring a QWERTY keyboard to the same basic formula.
The Cloud Touch will ship first to Europe with a UK launch in April, likely on 3 UK, and could reach other countries later. Other countries may depend on Spotify deals. An American Spotify deal is still being hashed out and would preclude a launch of the phones as-is. [via AllThingsD]
