The words thin and light aren't usually associated with Nextel handsets. The Nextel i830, made by Motorola, fits that bill without sacrificing the features we've come to expect from a Nextel unit. Just make sure you don't keep the phone powered longer than necessary, as its standby battery life isn't the best. Nextel touts the i830 as its thinnest, lightest handset yet, measuring 3.3 by 1.8 by 0.8 inches and weighing a mere 3.6 ounces.

Despite its svelte stature (by the company's standards), the phone feels almost as sturdy as larger Nextel mobiles. Though it is undeniably different, the bronze casing wasn't to our liking--it's as if you were talking on giant penny--but the phone does come in silver as well. The exterior monochrome display is small and displays only one line of text, but the vibrant blue backlighting does make it easy to read. It shows the date, time, battery life, signal strength, and caller ID (where available).