Foursquare will power location data for Inq Cloud Touch “Facebook phone”

Foursquare will be invading the Inq Cloud Touch, an Android phone that so far has been mostly known for its extensive Facebook integration.

On stage at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in New York City today, Foursquare co-founder Dennis Crowley announced that Foursquare will be the default location view for the phone, allowing users to take advantage of the service without ever installing an app.

Using the Foursquare API, the Cloud Touch phone will have most of the capabilities of the company’s app. You’ll be able to check-in as well as view nearby places, to-dos and tips.

It’s a smooth move for Foursquare, since the Cloud Touch has often been referred to as the “Facebook phone” thanks to its deep Facebook integration. Many had figured Facebook Places — the social network’s Foursquare competitor — would power Inq’s location data. But it looks like Inq is doing the smart thing and choosing the best service for its phone’s features instead of trying to shoehorn Facebook into every aspect of its devices. Update: Inq tells me that Facebook Places will continue to be a feature embedded in its phones. Users will be able to swipe between Facebook and Foursquare’s location data.

The Cloud Touch doesn’t yet have a US release date, but it could be popular here as an inexpensive Android device. An update that will enable the Foursquare integration will be made available to European and Asian Cloud Touch users in six weeks.