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It's notable that the i605 is one of few Nextel mobiles with Bluetooth. Using the feature, you can access a wireless headset, or if you want to use your phone as a wireless modem, you can connect to Bluetooth-enabled laptops and PDAs. Like all Nextel phones, the i605 comes with a speakerphone; Direct Connect walkie-talkie service; and Group Connect, which lets you conference call with multiple callers at the same time. It also includes the Direct Send feature, which enables quick and instant sharing of contact information (names, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and so on) among Nextel handsets.
The phone comes with 32MB of flash memory that can store downloadable applications and ring tones. Although you have to sign up for a subscription, preloaded applications include Calculator Suite, TeleNav 3.0 for audible driving directions, Trimble Outdoors for outdoor navigation, 1KTV multimedia for news, and AtRoad Pathway for fleet management and tracking. For fun, Nextel throws in two game demos: Space Invaders and Boulder Dash. The phone uses the Openwave Web browser, and thanks to the large screen, data services are relatively easy to use. The phone also supports text and multimedia messaging, enabling you to send audio, images, text, or all three to e-mail addresses and other Nextel multimedia-messaging users.
We tested the Nextel i605 on the company's iDEN 800 network in New York City. Although we had some trouble locating a satellite for the GPS service, the voice quality was strong throughout Manhattan. We never had trouble making calls or hearing callers, even on noisy streets. The phone's remarkable volume made using the speakerphone a truly walkie-talkie-like experience. Likewise, we had no interference issues with 802.11b wireless networks, 5GHz wireless telephones, or microwave ovens.
We tested the phone's Bluetooth connection with a Plantronics M2500 headset. Using the Bluetooth icon in the phone's menu system, we were able to quickly set the phone to detect and link up to the headset.
The battery life was excellent; we got 6 hours of battery life from the phone making voice calls, far exceeding the rated talk time of 4.8 hours. Given the size of the screen, the battery life will be a lot less if you are using the phone's data and Web features. On standby, the phone lasted 8 days on a single charge. While that's impressive, it's 2 days short of the promised time of 10 days.
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