Solid Phone - but can Nextel make a decent battery ?
Written: Jan 21 '04 (Updated Jan 21 '04)
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Pros: Service, durability, ergonomics
Cons: BATTERY
The Bottom Line: It's a five star phone, zero star battery life.
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| tbfl's Full Review: Nextel i85s |
The company I started with required me to get a Nextel phone for the Direct Connect feature and I've used this phone now daily for the past two years. The phone itself has been very sturdy and reliable, even surviving a couple substantial falls and a car wreck. I did have a problem with the charging "plate" on the bottom that came loose after a year, I took it to a local Nextel shop and they replaced the phone with a new one for free. I've never had any complaints with their service and the coverage on the phone has been great even in many of the backwoods sections of West Florida I have to work in. I have also enjoyed the wireless web features and make good use of many of them every day.
My two complaints -
1. The Battery - I can charge this phone all night, I'm up and out the door by 6 am, and if I receive absolutely no calls during the day (a rarity) the phone MIGHT make it through one five minute call at about 3pm without dying. Usually the battery life bar will show two or a full three bars, I'll receive a call and three minutes in, the phone drops to low battery and will disconnect. I can almost always immediately turn the phone back on, let it connect with the network, and show two bars again, only to have the phone drop again the moment I try to make another call. I've purchased multiple batteries, bigger batteries, and am forced currently to run the thing off a car charger all day if I know I will be making any lengthy calls and still want to have any charge when I get home. This is really amazing to me as I have had cell phones with other companies that will sit idle for DAYS and I can still pick them up and make a call. If I were to leave this phone at home on my desk it would be dead by the next morning.
2. Pricing - not so much on the basic service, as Nextel offers many plans that are wonderful for regular service. But to add a second phone for my wife, or upgrade web services, or be able to SEND a text message (I can only receive them)the fees addded on become ridiculous. The basic web service available when I bought the phone two years ago was great, but over the past two years the features I found most useful have almost all been removed from my availability and added into a pricier tier structure.
The newer version of this phone, the i88s is basically the same phone with added GPS technology. I considered getting it until I heard tales of similar battery trauma, so I will stay with this one for now.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 149.99
Recommended for: Professionals On-the-Go - Internet and Email is a Must!
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Epinions.com ID:
tbfl
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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