Click on voucher for printable size.

Read my short review of this phone at here.

Note: $0 INQ Mini 3G has a 2-year mobile plan peg to it.

A while back I did a quick sharing on why I think the INQ Mini 3G is cool. After I got a little more acquainted with the review unit, I discovered some more things, both good and not so good, about the phone. Here’s a little more about the INQ Mini 3G from Claud talks Gadgets.

INQ Mini 3G

First! As you may have read somewhere already, the INQ Mini 3G is not, i repeat! Its NOT to be put side by side with the iPhone, the Blackberry, the Android nor any Windows Mobile phone! It is of a category on its own, atm. It is however a very low cost ($0 with 2-year mobile plan) phone for those who wants a cheap alternative to accessing their online social networks and catch youtube while on the go. Yes! The INQ Mini 3G does youtube.

YouTube in landscape view

You can access and download lots of free games and applications from your Mini 3G, accessible via the INQ Hub widget on your homescreen. This is where the exploration and fun can be discovered and enjoyed!

Some games & applications on INQ Mini 3G

Overall the INQ Mini 3G, as you all should already know, its surely not my type of phone. But if my younger sibling (if I’ve one) or my mother (if I’ve time to teach her facebook and twitter), this phone may be something worth getting. (It’s $0 leh!)

If you’ve been considering a cheap alternative or as a matter, a FREE one, head over to Plaza Singapura this weekend. And here’s why…

Advertorial

INQ Mini 3G will be having its second roadshow this weekend at Plaza Singapura from 11am to 10pm. And this time, they’re giving out even better deals when you purchase your INQ Mini 3G at the roadshow. Just print out the e-voucher below and redeem the following when you buy the phone this weekend at the roadshow:

1. Free pack of 3 INQ Mini 3G battery covers (worth $34.95)
2. Waiver of registration fee and SIM card charge (worth $42.80) when you sign-up for the INQ Mini 3G handset

Click on voucher for printable size.

While you are there, don’t miss the chance to catch Mediacorp celebrity, Dai Yang Tian on Sat (I recall him as the ping pong player) and Elvin Ng (he’s damn cute! if I go is bcos of him! Wahahaha!) on Sun at 8pm! They’ll be there to meet you and you may have the chance to take photos with them too! So don’t forget your cameras!

There will be a lucky draw too for anyone who purchases the INQ Mini 3G on 31 Oct – 1 Nov at the roadshow. One winner each day will be picked to win a 12-month SingTel mobile subscription.

Now that’s the end of the advertorial. More photos of the INQ Mini 3G by yours truly for your viewing pleasure…

Colorful and unique menu

Right side of Mini 3G

View of the left

The camera

The bottom and speaker

Picture this… huge container boxes with artsy design showcase, glass house, cosy corners, snacks and drinks, enjoy local band performances by For This Cycle, Inch Chua and many more. And for those who love to party, come on down on 19 September and catch DJ Andrew T from Butter Factory spinning from 9pm onwards!

Take part in a Photo Challenge with your favorite bloggers from 4pm to 6pm daily! All you need to do is to strike the most INQpressive pose with your favorite bloggers, snap it, upload it to facebook and tag it! The best photo will win a pair of 2009 FORMULA 1 SINGTEL SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX Sunday Walkabout tickets worth $256/pair! Which bloggers will be there? Hmm… I shall not reveal, just come and find out! Or better still, pull your favorite blogger down and snap a photo with him/her! Don’t waste your chance to win the walkabout tickets!

So for the next three days, come on by INQ launch at Ngee Ann City, Civic Plaza and find me! I’ll be there daily from 4pm to 6pm. I want to take photos with you! But I’m not there as a blogger-blogger lah, but for work loh, but I don’t care lah! Come take photos with me ok! Just come k?

More details available at facebook event page and Singtel’s website.

See you there!

Through our platform we’ll enhance the way you use your phone to stay in touch with your friends. Our phones make using services that’d normally chain you to your desktop, such as Facebook, Windows Live, Skype and eBay, as simple as sending a text.

more on their website

I’m going to keep all the techie stuff out from this post, you can find detail run down of the INQ Mini 3G from Tech65 and Techielobang. Here, I’m going to go a little bimbotic artistic in this post of Claud talks Gadgets, because the INQ Mini makes me feel so colorful and artsy! Here’s 10 reasons why…

Wonder if anyone spotted this on the box. Find it very cool leh. That’s the first thing I noticed while I got hold of the box.

When have you ever spotted such artsy box on a mobile? I know this is my first time.

Many many colors to choose from! Not sure if it’ll all be available here though. Got to wait and see.

I love love love love love love these help cards! I’m going to stick them next to my workdesk. <3 <3 <3

Behind these beautiful cards are simple guide on the main features of the phone. Never have I enjoyed going through phone manual this much! I keep flipping through them over and over!

Again, its the box! Wahahaha! Yes, I think I’m obsessed with the whole packaging! Impressed by inside too!

USB mini charger! Can charge on any USB port.

Singtel AMPed comes with INQ Mini 3G too. Music anyone?

Where can you find such pretty menu in a phone?

Google search right from the homescreen using their widgets feature.

Here’s how the phone looks like…

INQ Mini 3G will be available from Saturday! Look out for details on where you’ll be able to try it out coming soon. Just in time to flaunt it during Hari Raya! Tweet, facebook and IM your friends anywhere anytime! O_^

Technology is always changing, and so does customers need and expectation. Singtel saw this need as a calling, and so they aim to transform their telco image to becoming your multimedia solution provider. And with that in mind, Singtel is changing and improving their customers experience at their stores. No more boring waiting time! There’s much to explore while you wait for your number.

The latest Singtel store at Jurong Point

To get an opportunity to openly take photos of this new store, I woke up early and headed all the way to the west…

And than upon arriving at Jurong Point, I mixed up the basement for the ground floor! This proves that I was probably still half asleep! Anyway, if you’ve not been to the new Jurong Point yet, here’s how the new basement look…

With some navigation help, I managed to find Singtel store (just opposite Samsung) at Unit B1-98/99 (at JP2). And there were four sexy looking things inviting me to touch them!

These are interactive screens where you can browse and purchase multimedia direct to your phones. (Sounds similar to PlayNow Kiosks right?) I haven’t tried exploring and trying it out in details yet, but from the looks of it, the content will be sent to your phone via MMS(?). Price of the songs are slightly more expensive than those from PlayNow, and I’m not quite sure if these are DRM-free too. Will have to check and update this post.

Let’s take a tour around the unique features and concepts of the store with Singtel’s Director of Corporate Communications… from how they enhance the in-store ambiance, embracing the coffee culture and to how they create multimedia solution with their music bar…

There are six of such multimedia bars in store. So you don’t have to worry about hogging it for slightly longer. If not, just head outside the store for non-audio version.

As a Singtel customer for so many years, let me share my experience and delight after this visit.

Finding the right phone
Personally, when I am planning to buy a new phone, I would already have a list of features in mind and how I would like my phone to work for me. So having them displayed according to their brands at the store, may not be the best strategy. I like how Singtel is now seeing the way customers behave, they’ve grouped their displays according to the function and features.

Now these phones on display are still dummies. Apart from the latest from Samsung which have the real thing on display in the center of the shop. If all the mobile phone providers can have a real set on display too, it will surely enhance the experience even more!

Creating visuals
For many customers, it is hard to visualise how a mio setup will look in their homes. So instead of displaying the unit on a shelf and have the customer cracking their visualisation, Singtel has set it up for you.

This is how clean and simple the setup for mio broadband and tv and mobile will look at home. Of course, they don’t have to line-up next to one another.

Not just mobiles
To become a multimedia solution provider needs more than just having mobile phones. There is a corner dedicated to the latest gadgets that will compliment Singtel service.

These displays are all in working condition, so customers can experience the real thing. One which attracted my interest is these stylish looking glasses.

MyVu?

Find out what this is in the video below…

Very cool! But its only working with iPods.

Putting customers first
It is important to make your customers feel welcome and comfortable. I’d been settling my Singtel plans and transactions at Compasspoint. And with limited space, customers have to stand and carry out the entire process. As for those stores where there’s big enough space, the staff would be sitting behind a counter and servicing their customers with a barrier between them. But now, with the coffee culture concept in mind, Singtel have created a closer interaction with their customers.

So now, you can see what goes on behind those screens and if you’re savvy enough, you can even take over control! Having all phone plans, details and information stored, their staff can now provide a better integrated interaction with their customers. Forget about brochures and product flyers, everything is just a click away!

I’m impressed by the commitment Singtel has to improving their system. I always believe in engaging with your audience and giving them an experience that they will talk about. And this new store concept does just that! Looking forward to seeing more of these stores popping around soon!

Photos and videos in this post all taken with

Click here to view photos taken with Samsung Innov8

Sharing some photos and my thoughts of the concert…

Totally inexperience with shooting such concert and all the photos didn’t turn out well. Was relieved that I had switched my D40 (malfunctioning flash) with Abang’s D60 after the day’s engagement shoot. If not, I would have ended up with 200 of blurred shots instead.

Here are the photos for Energy’s performance, which was great and my friends and I, with some 25% of those present, totally enjoyed ourselves. Energy has got great body, great voice, great dance moves and great charisma. But sadly, they’ve somehow lost their touch with the latest music market (as compared to Lollipop).

Kun Da

Kun Da again with tongue sticking out

Xiao Gang (newest member)

Kun Da and Xiao Gang

Kun Da, A Di and Shu Wei

Energy

Second group performing that night was latest craze Bang Bang Tang (Lollipop). Group of 6 young boys whom my friends and I felt was trying too hard to become Jpop. I know their fans are going to be sooo mad at me for saying this. But seriously, we felt that they’re better off hosting or acting in drama series. Yes, they can jump dance and sing, but during the concert, which I left after their first three songs, they were just all over the place. And their hair style… gosh!

And when they danced and went “我爱棒棒糖! 我爱棒棒糖!” (which brought their fans super high), my friends and I almost fainted! Sooo commercial lah! Ok I better stop before I start getting more hate mails/comments from their fans, which was like 85% of the crowd present at Music Monster Festival! *roll eyes* I wonder if they’ll be as popular two years down the road. That’s usually the lifespan of such bands isn’t it?

Ok! Ok! If you’re their fans, before you start throwing hate mails at me, scroll down and it might just calm you down (or bring you to even higher ecstasy…). Here are some photos of them on stage at Music Monster Festival…

Soooo cute right?? *ermmm….*

I can hear Lollipop fans screammmm!

*Gah!!*

Music Monster Festival was presented by Singtel and Sony Ericsson. Thanks to H&K for the tickets! And nope! These 3 brands didn’t pay me to blog about this nor mention them in this post. I just thought it’s basic courtesy to do it.

Sorry if this post is too cute for you. LOL!

Disclaimer

I am NOT fan of either band who performed at Music Monster Festival. Whatever comments that I’ve made are my personal thought and the point of blogging is for the freedom of speech. And thus I will not edit nor hide any comments that you want to post. You have your personal thoughts and I respect that.

Thank you all for visiting and I hope you’ve enjoyed the photos.

Spotted the quick TVC for Singtel Christmas Festival last night. And since mum wanted a new phone, I decided to go down to Suntec to get the phone at a special price.

There are music monsters there too! More about them later…

Being the beginning of school holiday, many exhibitions and events were happening at Suntec this weekend. And the place, as usual was packed like hell. (Not as hell as when there’s ITshow or during Sitex, but still packed!) Singtel’s occupying Hall 401-402 and there’s showcase of all the promotional phones as featured on their website.

I reached the place at around 4.30pm and there were people everywhere. And the queue for mobile phone purchase was kinda messy. I got my number and to my horror, I was 545 people away from the queue!

We went around looking at other events at the convention center, went to buy food, went around Suntec to shop and still we sat at the waiting area for so long! It was at 8.30pm when I finally get to sit in front of a counter to purchase my phone. 4 hours! That’s the longest time I had to wait so far to get a phone. All so to save $50 on the handset, save on cost of SIM card and registration fee and to get the $50 voucher for new line sign-up. If you’re not a broke as I am, you might want to just head down to Singtel shop to get your phones instead. Unless you’ve a whole day to spare waiting around tomorrow at Suntec.

So now, my mum is happy with her new phone. This is what I got for her…

LG Viewty @ $48

The other thing that made me happy was to see the blown-up music monsters bouncing and swaying around the hall. They’re also seen kissing and bumping into one another.

Don’t you find the monster ultra familiar? I mentioned about them before. I wonder if they’ll be at the Music Monster Festival next weekend too.

And while taking photo with one of these vibrating music monsters, the guy behind it tried to scare me with some funny groaning sound. LOL!

Final thought, if you’re tempted by the offers they’re offering at this roadshow, go down early and pray that not many others are there too. If not, be prepared to have your lunch and/or dinner there too.

For those who’ve been to the website, you would probably know what I am going to say.

Yap! youdeservebetter.sg is a M1 initiative and its a site for them to collect survey from users and try to show that they’re listening to the consumers. I’m not a M1 customer myself, so I’m not sure how well they’re listening to customers. In fact, being a Singtel customers for so long, I’m also not aware, or should I say, I don’t even care if they’re listening to me or not. As long as they’re providing me the service I’m paying for, I’m happy. And if I’ve things or issue to complain, I hope they would have.

If you’d notice, the actors in the TVC (TV commercial) for youdeservebetter.sg wore red ties and carrying red microphones. I’m so it’s obvious ya? :P I wonder why not use green leh. Hmm… Oh wait! Was the mp3 player the guy held green? Haha!

Updated: Just realised the ties were green and red! And the other green spotted was on the secretary’s hand… yap! The green bangle! The orange guys are sure working its competitors right out!