Social networking phones didn't really exist until the INQ1 'Facebook phone' hit the scene. The IQ Mini 3G is actually one of a pair, alongside the Chat 3G, both of which add 3G internet access and Twitter to the original model.

As its name would suggest, the Mini is the smaller of the two, as well as being the lowest specced. As well as Twitter, it offers Facebook, Skype and Windows Live integration,  and iTunes syncing.

Appearance
The INQ Mini 3G was designed to be have smartphone credentials at a very low price, so if you are looking for a high-class finish, best look elsewhere. The handset is covered in a lightweight plastic casing with a very glossy back and red fascia and a choice of seven colours for the back.

It's certainly mini – it measures just 102.9mmx45.8mmx12.8mm. The resulting tiny keypad may prove difficult to use for large-fingered texters.

A crowded homescreen means everything is easily accessible. There are widgets for Google or Yahoo searching, a choice of RSS feeds, weather and a clock. A shortcut bar at the bottom links to your most-used functions. The menu itself is good looking, with three rows of three block icons. It's easy to get to grips with, although when you press the D-pad there can be a delay before your chosen function fires up.

A microUSB adaptor serves both to charge the phone (we like this feature – it's the closest there is right now to a universal charger) and to plug in your headphones. There's no 3.5mm jack though.
You can update your applications over the air, and PC suite installs automatically.

Social networking
The Facebook access works really well. All your Facebook updates appear in one box along with text messages and Skype. When you first log into Facebook from your phone, the INQ Mini 3G with sync your contacts with your phonebook, so you can see everyone's live status.

Take a photo on the two-megapixel camera and you can post it directly to Facebook. You  access your data connection to make calls automatically on Skype.

Despite the Mini being promoted as a Twitter phone, notifications don't automatically get pushed to your handset like they do with Facebook. However, there is a Twitter application on your home screen, and you just need to sign in once each time you switch your phone on.

You can set-up push-email for Hotmail, Gmail and other webmail using IMAP – a painless process. Unfortunately things get more complicated when you try and find your server settings. You need to be technically minded to manually input the information. The INQ Mini's big brother, the INQ Chat 3G, which has a QWERTY keyboard, is the real email device in the family.

The 3G.co.uk verdict
We were slightly disappointed that there isn't better Twitter integration – this is, after all, marketed as a Twitter phone – and the time delays on the interface can be off-putting. But as a budget smartphone for social networkers,  the INQ Mini 3G really fits the bill.