This military-grade clamshell promises to withstand drops, dust and even rain, and it packs in a 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth and a music player. Did it pass our punishing boot camp?
Review summary of the Motorola i580:
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 Calling the Motorola i580 the Hummer of cell phones is an understatement, as this rough-and-tough clamshell took quite a beating during our tests with no sign of distress. The i580 also backs up its impressive reinforced look with a plethora of calling features, including push to talk, direct-talk, group walkie-talkie, Bluetooth, three-way calling and a speakerphone. However, we were disappointed by the phone's sub-par talk time, while messaging capabilities are average at best. Release: July 2006. Price: $230.
Pros: Eye-catching ruggedized shell; push to talk; great call clarity; includes an MP3 player and a 1.3-megapixel camera.
Cons: Rugged keys are tough to press; below-average battery life; while-you-type searching not supported in the phonebook.
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55%
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Full review of the Motorola i580:
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Design
The Motorola i580 is built like a tank. Its striking rubberized shell adheres to the military 810F spec and can endure extreme weather, drops (we knocked it around tile, hardwood and concrete without so much as a scratch), solar radiation, snow and rain. In fact, we put the rough and tough clamshell under a running shower head for a full minute, and the i580 didn't skip a beat. The keys are fully protected and encased completely in rubber, as are the battery and the antenna. Considering its near indestructible shell, the i580 is rather light (5.1 ounces) and packs in a 1.3-megapixel camera, an MP3 player and a bright, surprisingly sharp, 262,000-color internal display.
Calling - Very good
Call quality was impressive on the streets of New York as we heard our pal's voices loud and clear. However, reception was a different story, as the flip phone's service dropped in and out every few minutes, even when our test unit hadn't moved an inch. This also made dialing a call a little tricky; we sometimes had to dial two or even three times before our calls went through. Still, the hard-as-nails clamshell won us over with its bevy of calling features, including Nextel's push-to-talk, Direct Talk (which allows for off-network chatting with another Direct Talk-equipped handset), group walkie-talkie, voice tagging, Bluetooth and a very loud speakerphone that could be heard over noisy rush hour traffic. The handset also boasts three-way calling that was very easy to use, but we miss maneuverability between calls. The i580 offers up a robust phonebook with several calling fields and the ability to assign pictures and ringtones to your pals. However, there's no while-you-type searching for contacts, and overall battery life was disappointing, at just 2.75 hours of talk time.
Messaging - Good
Messaging isn't one of the i580's strong suits, but it's still quite capable. The backlit, easy-to-distinguish keys were tough to press, and we were annoyed by the lack of a dedicated back key. Also, we noticed a slight lag between our key taps and the appearance of characters on the screen (which fits about 120 characters, a bit shy of the 160 we prefer). Moreover, the i580's wallpaper shows up in the background as you type messages -- a nice effect, except that it made our messages a little difficult to read. That said, the i580's messaging menus were easy to use and we added text, pictures, music and voice notes to our messages with no trouble.
Odds and ends
We were pleasantly surprised to find that the i580 isn't just all business. The clamshell manages to squeeze a 1.3-megapixel camera and an MP3 player into its tough shell. Even though Nextel doesn't offer downloadable music, the i580 packs in a microSD expansion slot that makes it a breeze to side-load your favorite tunes. The 1.3-megapixel camera takes stills, with solid color balance, and video (albeit a little blocky). The i580 also makes it simple to share your shots via MMS or Bluetooth transfer.
Related phones: Motorola PTT handsets
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Motorola i615
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Score: 81% When: October 2006 Worth: $200 - $350 Carrier: Sprint Nextel
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A rough-and-tumble handset with a ruggedized case and access to Nextel's push-to-talk network, the i615 lacks a camera but packs in plenty of no-nonsense features. Is it hard-hat worthy?
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Motorola i670
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When: July 2006 Worth: $50 Carrier: Sprint Nextel
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The bargain-priced clamshell boasts national, group and off-network walkie-talkie service, plus a 65,000-color LCD, built-in GPS, and a speakerphone.
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Read »
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Price and availability
Available now from Sprint Nextel, the Motorola i580 retails for $50 with a two-year service agreement.
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