Nextel and Motorola today announced the Motorola i605, the first rugged Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone. The rugged Motorola i605 handset offers exclusive features, including Nextel's new Group Connect walkie-talkie service, which enables group walkie-talkie conversations nationwide, and a large screen that is optimized for outdoor usage to reduce glare from sunlight.

The Motorola i605 is designed for users in industries such as field services, construction, transportation and government segments. Its rubberized monolith design meets military specifications for resistance to dust, shock and vibration. Its large memory and maximum battery life provide the optimal operation of Java-powered business solutions, and its GPS capability enables location-based services, including fleet tracking and turn-by-turn directions.

The Nextel Group Connect service allows up to 21 participants on a group walkie-talkie call. Participants can be located virtually anywhere within Nextel’s nationwide network, and their status can be viewed on a screen on their phones, including if they are active, opted out or unavailable. Group Connect service allows users to create groups directly on the phone and instantly begin a conversation, without prior setup.

Features of the Motorola i605 handset include:

• Daylight-readable color display. The handset’s screen measures 2.2" diagonal and offers a rich 262,000-color resolution with high contrast for easy daylight viewing.
• Strong battery life. The standard battery delivers approximately 240 minutes of talk time and 290 hours of standby.
• Large memory size. With 32 MB of flash memory and 6MB of free memory for downloading applications, the i605 provides large amounts of storage for business solutions.
• Direct Send. By pressing the walkie-talkie button, contact information (names, phone numbers, email addresses) can be instantly sent to another phone. 
• Voice recorder. This feature allows the user to capture memos or incoming phone conversations for future playback. 
• 600-entry contact manager. Users can store up to eight numbers for a single name. 
• Voice-activated dialing. Keeps hands free with speak-to-dial numbers. 
• Airplane mode. The network connection can be turned off to use applications, games, voice recorder and date book while in flight (subject to FAA regulations). 
• Audio caller ID. User-assignable ring tones allow users to instantly identify important calls without having to look at the phone.

The Motorola i605 handset weighs 5.9 ounces with a high-capacity battery and measures 4.9 (H) x 2.0 (W) x 1.1 (D) inches. It is available through all Nextel distribution channels, including retail stores. The Motorola i605 handset costs $299.99 with a two-year service agreement.