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"Read the i680 reviews. Similar phone."
on by dmbleessPros Has the same initial quality and look of the i680. The CNET editors were fooled by the i680.
Cons This phone looks like the i680 and very likely suffers the same hinge design flaw.
Summary Get a warranty rider in writing for the hinge.
If you want a look into your future, read up on the hinge problems of the i680. Run a google search on "i680 hinge bulletin" and read the motorola service links. If you still want to buy this phone, get a guarantee in writing that this phone has a new design hinge that will not fail for the duration of your contract on pain of free replacement each time it happens. I bet they'll find you a different model by the second phone.
The armor is made of weak material that makes it look like the phone is abused more than it is. You can rub across a sharp table corner in an industrial environment and take a chunk out of it. That will probably be used to "prove abuse" and deny warranty.
Have 8 in our "fleet", the 4 most used phones all have the RH hinge broken by the first anniversary. Local Nextel store claimed it was abuse and not warranty after the first one (at about 6months). Three more have broken in the last two months.
I am about to ship them all off to our national provider for replacement.
Just before or just as the hinge breaks, the hold-open spring fails as well. Have you ever tried to talk on a flip phone while having to brace open the top so it doesn't flop shut and hang up your call?
I am convinced that the other 4 i680's we have will fail eventually if we don't replace them first.
STAR TAC mechanical quality is long gone. I think the i686 is the same phone with minor waterproofing tweaks. I suspect the hinge is the same and the model number change was to help hide from the steadily accumulating bad reviews. -
"Terrible phone, Don't waste your money."
on by RedT99Pros Durable and sealed well, Nextel piece is the only part of this phone that seems to work.
Cons hard to hear, drops calls antenna seems to turn off all on it own for no apparent reason. No antenna so reception is shoddy. one of my employees dropped this "rugged" phone the first wee he had it and the display broke.
Summary We have over 50 of these phone in our company and I had to send back and replace 75% of them already. Batteries don't charge all the way. They Turn off and don't turn back on till you remove the battery and re-insert it. So if you are looking for an expensive radio it may be a good choice, Otherwise I wish we could go back to the i386's but we already recycled them :(.
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"Horrible waste of money/time"
on by RP_ColtranePros Really, not much. It works til it doesn't, and it doesn't way too quickly.
Cons Fragile. Garbage hinge. I bought 70+ for our company and they keep coming back within a couple weeks with the flip partially or completely detached. Sure some of the guys beat up their phones, but not everyone. Even then, they should be able to withst
Summary
First review, failed to see most of my rant wasn't included as I typed it in the wrong space. Anyway, it continued on:
Updated on Aug 19, 2011
...should be able to withstand more abuse than an iPhone. Motorola and Sprint/Nextel should be ashamed. If you need a rugged work phone, I'd check out other carriers. Besides the junk phones they offer, Nextel isn't investing in the obsolete iDEN network, so that lousy coverage is only going to get worse til its cancelled completely in a few years. Anyway, I'm pretty p!ssed about the whole deal. -
"A great phone .." all bells and no whistles" .."
on by badfrog01Pros A solidly built phone that fits into your hand and has a great keypad that actually matches your fingers. Easy user interfece and easy to understand features. Excellent signal reception and crystal clear call quality.
Cons If yah want cellphone whistle features .. buy a smartphone !
Summary When I first picked up the phone, I thought "great ! .. it actually fits my hand and the tiny button are gone on the keypad". My first call was crystal clear and I live in the boonies. Strong reception, too .. now I get 3 bars instead of 1 bar from inside my house. Customizing the phone was a piece of cake .. just follow the menu and pick your choices
There is "nothing wrong with the hindge" .. it fits perfectly !
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