U.K.-based INQ is trying to feed the appetite of social media addicts with the introduction of its Chat 3G smartphone, available in Canada at Telus and its discount brand Koodo.

The smartphone is designed for Canadians that use sites like Facebook and Twitter as a way of connecting with friends and family, said Jeff Taylor, marketing and strategy director and co-founder of INQ.

The advantage of the Chat 3G is that it takes fewer steps to connect to social networks, and users can keep them running in the background, he explained.

The Tuesday launch marked the phone's North American debut.

"You guys love to chat," said Taylor. "It seems Canada really gets it when it comes to new methods of communication."

Telus is selling the phone for $179.99 without a contract, and free for customers that sign up for a two or three year plan at $50 or more per month. 

Taylor said INQ plans to introduce more models in Canada later this year.

While INQ launched a brand campaign (social media, guerrilla posts and online ads) from Sid Lee earlier this week, Telus and Koodo will also run separate promotions, said Taylor.

Meanwhile, Rogers launched its Chatr brand Wednesday for cellphone users who just want to talk and text, taking aim at new wireless players offering the same low-priced services.

Chatr is offering no contracts with unlimited talk and text–similar to packages available from Wind Mobile, Public Mobile and Mobilicity, which rolled out their networks in recent months.

New cellphone company Mobilicity sees Chatr as a threat and said it will go ahead with a legal action against Rogers Communications Inc.

"We feel that this is an attempt to try to drive us out, so that they can eventually raise prices," said Mobilicity's chief operating officer Stewart Lyons.

Toronto-based Mobilicity said it will challenge Chatr under the federal Competition Act and is also working on civil litigation and complaints to federal authorities such as Industry Canada and the CRTC.

Rogers, which bought rival Fido in 2004, said its new Chatr brand is good for competition. "It offers more choice for Canadians," said Garrick Tiplady, senior vice-president of Chatr.

Telecom analyst Iain Grant said Rogers was copying from the new players. "If you're sitting in the dugouts at camp Mobilicity, this is your worst nightmare," said Grant, managing director of the Seabord Group Inc.