As budget phones go, you can't do much better than the iNQ. But don't just take our word for it; the 3G handset was recently voted the best mobile phone in the world at the recent Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona last month.

The iNQ (also known as the iNQ1) was created by 3 as a low-cost phone with Facebook and social networking functionality. It's quite suited to low-income teenagers and University students.

The genius of the phone is partly due to its clever marketing. Dubbed the 'Facebook phone',  the iNQ is everything a simple phone should be, but without the more expensive whistles and bells that clutter the better known smartphones including the iPhone and HTC Dream.  Not everyone needs maps, apps and touchscreens. The iNQ doesn't pretend to be either of those phones. It's a different beast altogether and we admire it for that.  

A handy-slider phone won't take up too much room in your pocket.

The lightweight iNQ (100g) is sold at an attractive prepaid price of $249 (also available on $39 plans) and offers the kind of quick-link apps that its target demographic will probably prefer the most - namely social networking sites. The most popular programs sit patiently on screen as navigation icons. Familiar big-hitters include MySpace, MSN, Skype and of course, Facebook.

Facebook and MySpace apps are integrated into the message menu and offer simple reminders when new 'pokes', 'friend requests' and messages are received.

The best way to describe the iNQ slider-phone is to emphasis its simplicity. The keys on the keypad are slightly raised, making it easier to type numbers and SMS. Calls are clear and the speakerphone works well.

Battery life was very good; our usage lasted for a few days and that included a mixture of calls and web surfing. The phone isn't without its downside however: The lack of WIFI isn't ideal, though the inclusion of 3G HSPDA more than makes up for it.

Web navigation was tricky without the use of a QWERTY keypad. It does take a while getting use to navigating websites using an ordinary mobile keypad. It's also a little difficult trying to view all the screen real-estate on a  2.2" screen.

The iNQ is light, small and works great for the price

Facebook, Skype and others are optimised for the slightly-too-small screen. As much we would of liked a bigger screen, were sure the likely price increase would render the whole low-cost pre-paid mobile exercise effectively mute.

The iNQ features brushed aluminium casing, which is very desirable. It feels solid enough to drop on the ground without worrying and dosn't incur ugly finger smudging that is a feature of glossy plastic casings.

A mini-USB charge socket is also a nice addition - you'll most likely charge your digital cameras and other gadgets this way and we wish more phone manufacturers had the cojones to offer mini-USB charging. It sure beats searching around for a charger at those inopportune times.

The MP3 player is also handy; tracks and albums can be automatically downloaded via the planet 3 website which hosts thousands of tracks at iTunes competitive prices.  It's good to see the expandable memory slot on board too. It allows MicroSD cards up to 4GB. It's not so good that there's no 3.5mm jack for using your pre-existing headphone sets.

The photos from the 3.2MP camera are ok, though won't compete with the standard 8MP snapper. avaliable today. It's best served for taking pictures that are destined to end up on social networking sites - the very purpose that most will buying this phone to begin with.

Overall, for $249, you get a 3G-enabled HSPDA phone with MP3 and social networking functionality. What more could you want at that price? This is one of the best cheap phones on the market right now.

The 2.2" screen is a little small for web viewing, but sufficient.