It's one of the first two devices (along with Nextel's higher-end i325 model) to include a true walkie-talkie in a cellular phone.
The i315 offers users three ways to connect: Nextel cellular, Nextel push-to-talk, and the new Direct Talk walkie-talkie capability, which needs no network coverage. However, this feature only works between Nextel i315 and i325 units. Direct Talk employs a 700-milliwatt radio on the 900-MHz band, the same frequency used by some cordless phones and baby monitors.
Nextel claims Direct Talk works up to a range of 2 miles. On a clear day, using one i315 and one i325 unit, we got up to miles of clear signal over water, with fringe coverage up to miles; up to miles clear signal through trees in Manhattan's Central Park, with fringe coverage to miles; and up to miles clear coverage in downtown Manhattan, with fringe coverage up to 1 mile. We expect it to have greater range in more rural areas; when we tested it in suburban Beacon, NY, we got at least miles of clear signal.
Unlike most walkie-talkies, Direct Talk also has an encrypted "private" mode that other users can't overhear. We found private calls stronger and clearer than standard calls on Direct Talk's 10 channels and 15 codes.
There is one major complication with this capability: When in Direct Talk mode, you can't receive regular phone calls or text messages—you're completely off the network. Switching modes takes about 5 seconds.
Emergency workers might also appreciate that the chunky i315 can take a beating: we dropped it onto concrete and bashed it against a wall, and the wall took more damage than the i315. The speaker and speakerphone are both loud, but the buttons are rubbery and a little tough to press.
The i315 has a bare-bones GPS that gives you latitude and longitude, and allows connection to external mapping devices via a $ serial data cable. We had more trouble locking onto satellites than we did with Magellan or Garmin dedicated GPS units, though; at times the i315 wouldn't acquire satellites even when it had a lock a few minutes previously.
If you need to talk with your team where networks don't reach—or while those networks are down—the Nextel i315 is a solid budget buy. More money will get you more range and glitz with the Nextel i325.
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