Might want to look at something else...
Written: Mar 26 '01
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Pros: Walkie Talkie function is very handy
Cons: Battery life, menu navigation
The Bottom Line: Shop around some more, unless you definitely need the walkie-talkie feature of this phone.
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| Cfu's Full Review: Nextel i1000 |
This is one of the few phones that I actually have been very disappointed with... Here is a basic comparison of the i1000 to the StarTAC series of phones which Motorola also puts out. If there is anybody that would like a simple comparison between any of the phones listed in my reveiw of the T28w, please e-mail me and I will get back to you as soon as I can =)
Ok, now for the lowdown...
When the i1000 first came out I quickly rushed out and traded in my Nokia 6188 for one right away =) I will admit that initially I found it to be quite fun (as most people do with their new toys) but after using it for a few weeks, I started to realize that the phone had a few shortcomings.
Size and Body Construction
This thing is not exactly tiny, as most of you will already know this phone can also be used in a similar fashion to a walkie talkie and pretty much is the same size as one. This also translates into it being pretty bulky and heavy. When used with the provided beltclip it's not bad at all and hardly gets in your way, but if you were to try to stick this thing in your pocket some people might think that you are just a little too happy to see them...
As with most Motorola phones that I have owned I have found almost all of them to be extremely sturdy, particularly the StarTACs. When I had a StarTAC 6000, 6500, 7790 I dropped all of them on a daily basis over the course of a few years and the phone hardly got a scratch and functioned just as well as when I had first bought it. With the i1000, Motorola continues to put together a sturdy product, but the i1000 certainly seemed to be more prone to getting beat up a lot quicker then the StarTAC series. Daily wear and tear became quite visible after a month or two.
Menu Layout and Navigation
This is where I had the biggest problem with the phone. Through their line of cellular phones Motorola has maintained a pretty consistent setup with their navigation systems thus making it easy for people who move from one phone to another to quickly familiarize themselves with their new purchase (even more so with Nokia phones). The instruction manual that comes with the i1000 is approximately twice that the size of the StarTAC manual and unless you designed the phone yourself you WILL need it. I found myself often looking back to the manual just to figure out how to do simple functions. As with the remark in another review that the phone did not display current call length, it certainly does, so they may have just missed a page in their manual. Like all the other Motorola phones they have call timers that can show you the length of your current call while speaking on the phone, and the timer can also be shut off and referenced only when one is curious as to how many minutes or how much time they have used.
Battery Life
On average, I found that the battery was good to last me about two days ( the included lithium ion standard battery ). I didn't use the phone excessively but for those who believe that the i1000 has the specifications that they are looking for and find the walkie-talkie function an essential part of everyday business I would definitely recommed purchasing another battery and perhaps a cigarette lighter adapter as it doesn't take much (phone calls and constant use of the walkie talkie function) to drain the battery.
As for entering e-mail and text messages with this phone, it lacks the predictive text messaging that is starting to become so common on cellular phones nowadays. This does slow down things a fair bit but I do have to admit that one can hook up the phone to their computer and program everything from there. The only drawback to that is the additional cost incurred from purchasing the data cable and software. This program can also be used to enter in the phone numbers and whatever else you may want to save in the phones memory.
All in all, this phone was a well designed idea giving us what phones in the future will be like (hopefully much better improved) but for those just looking for a cell phone, and think the idea of having the radio function on your phone might be neat. Just give it a second thought before running out to go and grab an i1000. There are many other suitable mobile phones out there which I would recommend before this one.
As with all of my reviews, should you have any questions or suggestions as to how I may improve it please e-mail me ! I WILL write back ! Cheers !
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 50
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Epinions.com ID:
Cfu
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Location: Edm, Alberta
Reviews written: 18
Trusted by: 66 members
About Me:
I like anything that has to do with electronics and photography =)
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