Nextel i205 Cell Phone Review

I recently had to switch phones with one of our employees because I usually stay in the office and that other employee is always in the field. He got my Nextel i530 and I got his Nextel i205. I have always liked phones with color screens, cameras, and other cool features like Bluetooth and broadband internet, but I had to settle for this because it’s for work use only, and plus I have my own Razr V3m now. We usually purchase these phones from the local Nextel store.

THE PLAN

They gave me the $45.99 plan (same as before) that includes 500 anytime, unlimited nights and weekends, included nationwide long distance, and unlimited walkie-talkie minutes. This plan also has free call hold and waiting, 3-way calling, and voicemail. The owner of our company does not like contracts that much so he signed up for a one year plan.

THE PHONE AND FEATURES

This i205 is designed like a candy bar so it fits nicely with my office. Since it is an old phone, it does not have that many cool features that I would be interested in. So I just let it sit on my desk until it rings or I have the need to use it. On the other hand, this phone does have internet capabilities and email access. This phone is about 5 inches in height, 2 inches in width, and about 1 inch in depth; it weighs just 5.1 ounces which is really great. You can easily slip this phone in your pocket and not feel a thing because it is so lightweight.

This phone is small enough to fit easily in your hand or your pocket. There are volume and a Push To Talk (PTT) or Direct Connect (DC) control buttons on the upper left corner, while the top right has the jack for headphones. The speakerphone button is on the very bottom under the “-” button.

Buttons on the keypad are small but big enough to get the job done. You can make calls quickly and easily with this phone. If you have been using mobile phones for a while now, then do not need to worry about anything as the basic features are the same as any other phone. Most buttons are in places you would expect them to be, but the speakerphone button is on the very bottom of the phone.

There are a back-lit monochrome LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screens that will show you everything you need to; it is about 1.5 inches diagonally. Although the screen is easy enough to read in most lighting environments, it is too small when you use the Web or e-mail features. Navigating through the menus on this phone is somewhat of a challenge because the four-way toggle and two soft keys are very small. While the buttons are easy to use after you get the hang of them, the text-driven menus are dull and hard to read. On the other hand, the back-lit keypad buttons are well designed and spaced.

This i205 has a fair amount of useful features, regardless of all the downsides. The phone-book can store 600 contacts with multiple entries for each. You can also set unique ring tones for each contact. There is also a built-in speakerphone, a WAP wireless Web browser, vibrate mode, text messaging, and call-waiting available on this low-end phone.

SIGNAL AND QUALITY

Well, I only use this phone in my office and hardly ever take it out in the field, but it has great signal and voice clarity. The employee who used this before me said he never had signal problems when he was out in the field. The sound quality was great both inside buildings and out in the field. The speakerphone sound quality also is good.

BATTERY LIFE

I usually run about 3 to 4 days of standby time; talk time was about 2.5 hours which okay for this low-end phone. I usually have to charge the phone every other day or so as I use it quite a lot during the day. I never had an incident where the phone was out of juice in the middle of the day with my normal use and recharging.

EXPERIENCE

I have been using this phone for about two months now and I am very satisfied with it. It is not my first choice for a cell phone, but since the company was giving it to me for free, I choose not to complain; better than having no phone. This phone is very reliable and it does not look and feel cheap. This phone gives me long talk and standby times too. The signal strength of this phone is great compared to other older phones I have used in the past. I have noticed clear call quality and louder too (but Nextel is always loud); the speakerphone is excellent. The menus are somewhat easy to navigate through without getting lost, but you always have the manual that explains everything but without much detail. If you really need detailed information I suggest researching the Internet and reading reviews like this.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This Nextel i205 cellular phone should be your second for work phones. I like to use this at work because it is well built, the signal strength is great and the phone is extremely reliable. So if you have a company (big or small) and want to give your employees phones to keep them in touch–I suggest you get these cheap and reliable phones that will last you for a long time.

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