Constructed for construction, and other various industries
Written: Apr 10 '03
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Pros: Rugged design, good features, not too bulky, battery
Cons: not a flip phone
The Bottom Line: If you are looking for a rugged phone then just buy it.
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| junebugz's Full Review: Nextel i55sr |
The i55sr (now deemed the i58sr) is the replacement phone for Nextel of the i700plus. The i700plus was known as the "rugged" or "construction" Nextel by some Nextel users. It was the yellow phone you would see advertised in the hands of construction workers, landscape artists, etc. The i55 turned into the i58 and did not really change anything except the fact that the 58 is GPS enabled. This is I believe due to the e911 laws/legislature out there.
RUGGED
What makes the phone rugged is the rubber molding around the outside of it, and other various designs. It meets Military standards for dust, shock and vibration testing. The rubber outside also helps you keep grip on the phone (of course, you lose this is you put the phone in a leather or other type of case covering it). The antenna stem is also reinforced helping to keep the antenna from breaking easily. All of this along with the rubberized battery door help the phone stay problem free (as long as you don't take it in the pool with you).
FEATURES
The i55/i58 has some great features to ... they are:
- Speakerphone: Enabling you to talk just like a regular desk speakerphone ... you don't have to try to hold it between your ear and shoulder. Possibly saves trip to the chiropractor I guess?
- Vibrate: In case you need to keep a low profile.
- Phone book: 250 entries with the ability to keep 7 entries for one individual
- Internet/Data capable: You can surf the net or hook up your computer ... usually an extra monthly fee associated with this service, but it could be handy depending on how much you would use it.
- Call list: Last 20 calls either received or made. You can even go in and view the detail of when the call took place and how long it was.
- GPS enabled: So your boss can know exactly where you are ... great huh?
- Datebook: Have the phone notify you of various appointments you can set for a specific length of time. Kind of handy. Or just use it as an alarm clock.
- Java apps: Ability to use various java apps on the phone. Standard install of calculator and a game demo or two.
- Keypad lock: you can let your kid play with it without calling China.
And some other features as well ... ie- Various ring tones, etc.
SPECS
The phone comes in two color combinations. It comes standard in yellow and black, also comes in black and grey.
It is about 5" x 2" x 1.5" so it is not even close to the bricks everyone was carrying several years back, but there are also smaller phones on the market. I would say it is average size or slightly (by a hair) smaller.
It weighs with the battery about 6.5 ounces. The great thing is the battery life. It will last 5 hours or a hair more on the battery for talk time. It will last over 5 days on standby (without talking). The battery is also a Lithium-ion battery so you do not have to worry about the battery getting a "memory".
Like every Nextel it has the Direct Connect feature (soon to be Nationwide). You can choose between 4, 6, or 8 lines of texts to appear on the screen.
It is an overall good phone to use. My one con which I gave the phone is that it is not a flip phone. This means unless you make a practice of occasionally wiping the phone (and case if you have one) off then it will eventually become scratched and can become hard to read after enough scratches on it. Flip phones do not have the face exposed so this is not generally a problem.
If you need a phone that takes a beating and you want an excellent communication tool ... then this is the phone for you!
Happy hunting.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 150
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Epinions.com ID:
junebugz
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Location: Mansfield, OH
Reviews written: 73
Trusted by: 2 members
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