Windows Phone Thoughts: The Rugged Smartphone: Nextel i930 by Motorola

Let's Open The Box
The i930 ships in a stylish, bright yellow box. Over the last couple of years, I have opened a number of Smartphone packages. None of them were packed as attractively as the i930. Let's check out whether the product is truly "World-Class Pocket-Sized," as the packaging boasts.


Figure 1: Don't you love the way the box presents the i930?


Figure 2: The contents of the box.

Here's the full list:
• The i930 Smartphone;
• CD with ActiveSync and Outlook;
• Welcome Guide (the user guide is on the CD);
• USB sync cable;
• travel charger;
• cradle;
• belt clip/holster.

I was surprised to find that the contents did not include a headset. But, we should not complain because the voice quality and the speakerphone are both terrific on the i930. I was able to carry on a conversation while driving, using the speakerphone, and I could hear the other person clearly over the road noise and rain.


Figure 3: The travel charger.


Figure 4: The travel charger from another angle.

I love the travel charger included with the i930. You can wind the cord into the charger itself, and the plug folds in, making it extremely portable. :8 Interestingly, the connector on the travel charger doesn't work with the Motorola MPx220. The connectors look the same, but there is a slight difference.


Figure 5: The cradle, a rare accessory nowadays.

Since this Smartphone does not have Bluetooth and, as I later found out a poor battery life, the cradle comes in handy for the sync and charge process. The one thing I didn't like about the cradle is that it cannot charge the Smartphone over USB. It requires the power adapter/travel charger to be in plugged in for charging the phone. Also, I found that it was not easy to release the i930 from the cradle. There was no release button so I had to tilt the Smartphone forwards so it would snap out of the cradle. The back rest of the cradle adjusts to accommodate the standard and extended battery.

The one design flaw I noticed was that the travel charger, as mentioned above, is extremely portable, but, while traveling if you want to sync your data, then you would need the cradle. This is because the supplied USB data sync cradle does not plug directly into the i930. It connects to the cradle. Since this Smartphone does not have Bluetooth, you will need the cradle or the IR connectivity if you wish to sync your device while away from your home computer.


Figure 6: The belt clip/holster is pretty solid. Given the rugged design of the i930, this clip complements it pretty well while on the go.

Now that we've checked out the included accessories, let's check out the Smartphone itself.


Figure 7: The i930 sitting proudly in the cradle.


Figure 8: The front of the i930.

Compared to the other Nextel phones I checked out at the store, I found the i930 to be pretty stylish. The black and metallic combination reminds me of GM's H2 Hummer. It's bulky, but sits comfortably in the hand. The front has the VGA (640x480) camera with flash. And notice the large external display. I will be covering the external display in detail later in the review. In short, I was very impressed. :8 For the first time, I found the external display to have some practical use, other than just displaying the clock.