Motorola i1 Now Available from Sprint

Sprint has just begun offering the Motorola i1. This ruggedized smartphone has a business focus is the first Android OS-based model with Push To Talk (PTT).

The i1 is very business-oriented, and was developed to be a phone that users can safely take onto a job site. It meets military specifications for protection against dust, shock, vibration and blowing rain.

This smartphone has a tablet shape with a 3.1-inch HVGA touchscreen.

It runs Google's Android OS, and therefore is capable of getting e-mail from a wide range of business and consumer sources, including Microsoft Exchange.

This device has a proprietary user interface layered on top of Android, but this doesn't interfere with its ability to run the thousands of third-party apps in the Android Market.

The i1 uses the iDEN network Sprint acquired with Nextel for voice and data, and also offers Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Users are able to browse the Web with the Opera Mini 5 browser over an iDEN or Wi-Fi connection, but the standard Android browser will work only over Wi-Fi. This is to compensate for iDEN's rather slow data transfer speed.

The i1 includes a 5 megapixel camera with support for both video and still images and a microSD memory card slot.

Pricing and Availability
The Motorola i1 is now available on Sprint's website.

This business-oriented smartphone is selling for $150 with two-year contract.