For a long time we have admired the folk from INQ. While the big boys in the smartphone world have only dallied in the social networking arena, INQ seized it with both hands. Of course, nowadays we know that most smartphones feature some sort of integrated social networking feed - but we've never really used the term ‘Facebook phone' until now - INQ has proved just how social networking should work on handsets with the INQ Cloud Touch.

First impressions

Before we take a closer look at the Cloud Touch's social networking credentials, let's take a good look at its chassis. Well, to be frank, it's not its best feature. It comes in three striking hues, red and white, and they do nothing to improve on the cheap looks and feel of the phone. It's a good size, sits comfortably in the hand and has a good-sized 3.5in touch-screen - but is not as sturdy as some other handsets. We would definitely think about getting a protective case for it if we were going to buy one.

Underneath the screen sits a mirrored bar that has three icons etched on it for the three touch-keys. There's a menu key that is related to the feature that you've chosen, a back key, and the home key - which adopts the shape of the ‘Q' logo of INQ. As we said, they are all touch-sensitive rather than raised, but the bar offers enough width to make this work, and a short vibrating buzz is set off each time you press one of the icons, so it shouldn't be too hard to get to grips with navigating this phone.

A touching display

The screen appears somewhat dull and doesn't boast the kind of resolution you might expect on a smartphone.

But bear in mind that despite its wealth of features, the Cloud Touch is a phone of the ‘affordable' kind, so you can't expect everything. Happily, the touch-display works far better than it looks; you'll be rewarded with smooth key swipes and a decent hit-to-response ratio when you press the virtual icons.

But it's the virtual keyboard that really impressed us. INQ has joined forces with TouchType, which has a SwiftKey typing app that is preloaded on the phone and acts as the default keyboard - although you can head back to Android's more usual one if you wish. TouchType learns your text-typing habits and then suggests likely words as you are typing. It creates a really personalised typing experience - and the CloudTouch also offers one-touch links straight from the home screen to Facebook Chat, friends' walls and your status updates.

Facebook

And so to Facebook on the Cloud Touch. Turn on the handset for the first time and you'll be asked to log in to your Facebook account. Once you've done this, it pretty much becomes the heart of the phone. There is a home screen dedicated to Facebook, where you'll see your news feed - which is far more than the text feed you get on most smartphones. Videos and photos are shown in full, and above the feed you'll find icons for events calendar, notifications, places and people.

When you initially set up your Facebook account on the Cloud Touch, the five friends whose profiles you view most often (you know who they are!) are grouped together so that you can quickly access them. However, if you'd rather they were people you actually communicate with (rather than secretly stalking!) these profiles (up to 25 of them) can be edited and grouped together. At the bottom of the display is a shortcuts bar, which offers quick access to thing such as your profile, messages or Facebook Chat. You can slide this bar from left to right and there are also shortcuts to the more usual feature such as text messages, browser and camera.

The verdict

The INQ Cloud Touch is a great phone with some very decent features. When it comes to social networking - especially Facebook - it can't be beaten, which is likely to make it hugely popular with younger smartphone users. The fact that Spotify is its default music player is another point in its favour. But it has a couple of slightly disappointing features, which may be deal-breakers - the mediocre snapper and low-res screen for instance - and that cheap chassis might be a turnoff. However, for a device that can be had for nothing on an £18 a month contract it's certainly worth considering, especially if you are big on social networking.