A Babysitter's Dream
Written: Jun 17 '01
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Pros: Compact, can get 2 for 1 deal, two way radio, good antenna, great for babysitting
Cons: Cuts out, lots of dead spot, phone just turns off
The Bottom Line: Battery needs some work, great for babysitter/grandparents/ wide phone usage, lots of options
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| Ohara1861's Full Review: Nextel i1000 |
Back in January, we opted to get a cellular phone. We chose this particular phone because alot of my husband's friends had it and they all loved the two way feature. We were also able to get a two-for-one special so we only had to pay for 1 phone.
Our boxes for the phones came with the phone itself, a recharger, book, video tape. We were also able to get a car charger for free but were told we would have to pay for another one if we wanted it.
It took about 12 hours for the initial charge but the next day we were ready to go. After reviewing the manual, we figured out how to configure our phones for the two way feature (which is like a walkie-talkie and enables you to contact another person without having to dial their number.). This two way feature only works for the same people in your business group so you need to make sure this will work with your friends/family's system.
We could also program the phones to dial someone's telephone number automatically by scrolling through a phone book that you set up. You can enter a person's name and their number be it home phone, cell phone, work number, etc.
If you so desire, you can also have access to the internet but this is limited as to what you can see on the tiny screen. You can check the weather, news, sports scores, travel intinerary, etc. For me, this feature is only good when I was stuck in line at the bank and it gave me something to do. I recently deleted that service from my phone to save some money.
The two way feature is really nice although it is limited. We can do this with someone in Pennsylvania while the other is in New Jersey but it doesn't work when my husband was in New York or Maryland. I had to directly dial his number.
You can also have voice mail set up on this phone as well as have the capability to receive text messages that someone else can send as an email via the web. You can create a voice message, save or delete your messages and you must set up a password upon using this feature for the first time.
There are many shortcut keys but I don't know all of them. I know you can press *#1 for your phone's own number, *#2 for your phone's personal access number (used for 2 way) and somehow you can find out how many minutes you have used in a month but I can't recall that now.
The phone itself is light and tiny (about 5 inches in length). We have belt clips that the phone slides into and hooks onto your pants or belt but I just drop the thing in my purse. The antenna is remarkably durable as I can attest with a 3 year old bending it. So far it hasn't broken.
The battery is a problem. After the initial charge, it takes only about 2-3 hours to recharge it. It is recommended to use the phone until the battery level is low but not completely used. However, even with a full charge, the phone chooses random times to just shut itself off even while in the middle of a phone call.
The phone will also not work in some areas of our house but I supposed this could happen with any cell phone.
Our bill is slated at $75 a month for each phone or $150 total. Initially we had 300 minutes a month with internet usage, voice messaging and two way feature but in reality, it usually runs about $250-$300 a month.
The one really good feature is the two way especially if you are using a babysitter. We leave one phone with her and keep the other one with us. If she needs us for any questions or emergencies, all she needs to do is press the button, hold it in and talk. We immediately see my name come up on my husband's phone and know it's her. Very convenient because she doesn't have to remember another phone number.
This is a decent phone despite the battery being temperamental at times. Nextel has many plans right now so I recommend that you choose one with higher minutes than you feel you'll actually need and review your usage after a few months. You can always bump down/ or up the number of minutes you use. Be prepared to shell out some money at the beginning as you have to pay for the phones and the first month of use.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 75.00
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Epinions.com ID:
Ohara1861
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Member: Jeanne O'Pella
Location: Haddonfield, NJ
Reviews written: 255
Trusted by: 23 members
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