Nextel Debuts New, Rugged Phones

Nextel Communications Inc., Reston, Va., has unveiled two new phones, the Motorola i35s and the GPS-enabled Motorola i58sr.

Both handsets have been designed for durability, both offer non-slip rubber grips, and adhere to Military Standards 810 C/D/E for resistance to dust, shock and vibration, for additional protection in harsh working environments.
Both handsets feature the same services of the Nextel network, including digital cellular service, Nextel Online Web, email, text messaging and Direct Connect -- Nextel's long-range walkie-talkie feature that allows communication at the touch of a button.
The i58sr is outfitted with a GPS internal antenna, GPS functionality to provide the user?s latitude and longitude information, as well as support for future location-based applications to support features such as compass, speed, navigation points and distance.
Despite its rugged design, the Motorola i58sr is Nextel?s smallest full-featured Java-enabled rugged phone, allowing subscribers to access hundreds of software downloads accessible at www.nextel.com/idenupdate.
The i58sr offers a built-in speakerphone for hands-free conversations, a 250-entry phonebook, date book, VibraCall alert and a SIM card for easy transfer of information between Nextel phones designed by Motorola.
Meanwhile, the i35s is a more moderately priced, entry-level durable phone offering extended battery life, a 250-entry phonebook, VibraCall alert and a SIM card.
The Motorola i35s is available immediately for a promotional price of $89.99, and model i58sr is expected to be available nationwide next month on the Web at www.nextel.com. Prior to January 2003, the Motorola i58sr is being offered at the promotional price of $179.99 for enterprise customers.