Motorola's Nextel phones have the kind of features that are usually associated with office phones, not cell phones. The conference call ability and the speakerphone function tie in with the phones' most noteworthy feature: they can be used essentially as walkie-talkies to communicate with other Nextel users in a group. Motorola's newest Nextel model, the i2000, adds a feature that globe-trotting execs or businesses based abroad are sure to appreciate: international roaming.
Looks Aside
We can't say that the i2000 is the most attractive or compact world phone we've seen. For starters, the phone measures 5.3 by 2.2 by 1.1 inches, and it looks more like a cordless than a cell phone. It also weighs a whopping 5.4 ounces--almost double the weight of world phones such as the Nokia 8890 and the Ericsson T28 World.
But the i2000 has plenty of features to compensate for its lack of style and large size. There's voicemail, a vibrating ringer, call forwarding, caller ID, a 100-name phone book, and SMS (short message service) for sending and receiving text messages. Other favorites are three-way conference calling, a built-in speakerphone, and group lists for sending the same voice or text message to a bunch of recipients.
Navigating the phone's menu is fairly straightforward. The oval-shaped Mode button provides one-touch access to Direct Connect, Nextel's digital two-way radio service, while the rectangular Menu button is used to scroll through the rest of the phone's functions. Four other buttons on the phone's face actually select the features found on the five-line LCD. Volume controls are on the side of the phone--great for making adjustments in the middle of a call. The speakerphone can be initiated two ways: through the menu or by simply pressing the speaker button at the base of the phone during a call.
Power Hungry
The i2000 is a dual-mode phone that roams from Nextel's iDEN network to 900-MHz GSM networks when abroad. Though you can use the phone outside the United States, you can't use it in as many nations as you can Ericsson's T28 World or Nokia's 8890, both of which can be used in more than 120 countries. So if you're traveling to places such as Iran, Thailand, or the Congo, either the Ericsson or the Nokia is a better choice. But the i2000 does work in more than 65 countries and in most of the world's major cities. We found the call quality pretty clear, although it should be noted that we tested the phone only in San Francisco and New York
One of the main benefits of the i2000 is Nextel's iDEN network. Through the network, you can use the Direct Connect service; you get unlimited usage of the service when you sign up with Nextel. Basically, Direct Connect is a digital two-way radio service that users in a group can use to talk with each other in a local area--all without making a phone call. This feature works only in your home market. For example, if your home market is Los Angeles, you can use the two-way radio service to talk with anyone in your Direct Connect group who is also in Los Angeles. But if the person you're calling is in San Francisco, the Direct Connect feature won't work, and you'll have to make a call instead. The iDEN system is available in the United States, Mexico, and parts of South America. If you're thinking of using the Direct Connect service in Europe, think again; it's not available there. However, you're still able to make calls and use all the other features of the phone in countries that have GSM 900 networks.
As far as battery performance goes, the i2000 doesn't have the power-saving features that Nokia's 8890 does. Nextel says the included lithium-ion battery offers 100 minutes of talk time and 28 hours of standby time. We actually did a little better than that, squeezing out 120 minutes of talk time and 36 hours of standby time; however, that's still pretty mediocre. On a more positive note, the phone comes with a compact charger, which is half the size of the phone and can juice up the battery in about an hour and a half.
Unfortunately, the i2000 isn't as compact or lightweight as Motorola's other well-known Nextel model, the i1000 Plus. But if you're looking for a business-friendly cell phone with world-roaming capability, this $349 model will serve you well. Just be sure to bring along the charger or an extra battery.
