Writing for Mobile Magazine has got its perks. I already had the chance to review the Archos 104 music player, but for the past week or so, I’ve been toying around with the Motorola i580 iDEN phone from Nextel (also offered as the i570 in Canada, through Telus Mobility). It’s one ultra rugged number with a surprising level of multimedia functionality. Check out my full review here

Put briefly, it’s bulky, heavy, and slow, but it’ll withstand the worst of environments and that’s exactly where it belongs. With military-grade resistances to dust, water, and shock (drops, bumps, and bruises), the Motorola i580 mobile phone is one tough cookie. But let’s not fool anybody… it ain’t exactly the prettiest cell phone out there, and for $220 USD with a 2-year contract, I’m quite sure you can find a more attractive handset with an equivalent (or better) feature set.

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