Motorola Clutch +i475 (Boost Mobile)

The $99.99 Motorola Clutch +i475 isn't so much a sequel to the $79.99 Motorola Clutch i465 as a teaser trailer for the next release. Think of it as the Clutch-and-a-half. Still, an extra $20 gets you a better screen and a bigger keyboard on top of an already capable device. So if you're looking for a cell phone to take advantage of Boost Mobile's low monthly rates, and need a device that's good for voice calls, text messaging, and push-to-talk, this will satisfy you.

Design, Keyboard, and Call Quality
The Clutch+ is attractive. Not dissimilar in look from a BlackBerry, the +i475 measures 4.2 by 2.3 by .6 inches (HWD) and weighs 4 ounces. Though it isn't built to be a rugged device, it feels plenty solid to me. The back of the phone is made of texturized soft-touch black plastic, while the front is shinier and not as soft; it looks good and feels comfortable. While the 2-inch LCD sports only 220x176-pixel resolution, I found it to look sharper than many other, similar phones. Default fonts are tiny, though they can be adjusted. My one design gripe: the screen is set asymmetrically to the right of the phone. This made me feel like the left corner of the screen was missing.

The QWERTY keyboard is one of this phone's main draws, and it worked wonderfully. While the individual keys are not particularly large, they are raised and separated in such a way that makes them easy to press. My hands are on the big side, and my fingers not so graceful, but I had no trouble typing long messages on the +i475. The selection keys are similarly useful; it was quite easy navigating my way through the phone's simple UI. The main menu is spread across multiple pages, which is annoying, but at least it's filled with big, clear icons.

The Clutch +i475 is an iDEN device with no Wi-Fi. Call quality was very good. Incoming calls sounded clear and rich, both in the phone's earpiece and over the booming speakerphone. Outgoing calls were similarly good. They sounded loud and clear, and the phone did a nice job with background noise reduction. Calls sounded great through an Aliph Jawbone Icon Bluetooth headset ($99, 4 stars) and voice dialing worked fine, once properly trained. The Clutch also supports Boost's push-to-talk network, and PTT calls sounded great. Battery life was average at 5 hours and 39 minutes.

Apps, Features, and Conclusions
Boost's $50 per month plan offers unlimited voice calls, texting, and Web access, which is a pretty fantastic value. Better yet, that $50 monthly fee is reduced by $5 for every 6 payments you make on time, until you reach $35. Unfortunately, the iDen network has very slow Internet speeds; at 24kbps, it's the slowest digital mobile network in America. The phone's Myriad Web browser did a decent job rendering basic WAP pages, but it certainly wasn't quick. You can browse the Web if you really need to, but devoted Web warriors should look elsewhere.

Motorola Clutch i465 – black (Nextel) Latest Review - Latest ...

If you like Nextel’s features, but can’t afford the services plans, you’d be wise to consider Boost Mobile. Sort of a Sprint Nextel younger brother, Boost offers similar phones and services at a cheaper price. And now with the new Motorola Clutch i465, Boost also gets its first QWERTY handset. As an iDEN device, the Clutch has a familiar look and feel and it offers push-to-talk (PTT) calling. You won’t have to sign a contract, and you can get it for just $129.99.

Design The i465 is a bit small (4.4 inches by 2.1 inches by 0.6 inch) for a QWERTY phone, but we were drawn to its candy bar design. Sure, it’s a bit boxy, but the red color is attractive and the tapered edges give it a sleek feel. It’s also lightweight (3.4 ounces), but it has a comfortable feel in the hand. The battery cover has a textured finish, and the Clutch is certified to military specifications for shock, vibration, dust, and solar radiation.

Like many Nextel phones, the 1.79-inch display doesn’t have the greatest resolution (64,000 colors; 160×128 pixels). This continues to be a sore spot for us, but on a phone that’s geared for messaging rather than gaming it’s not so bad. The multipage is also classic Nextel, but we’re not big fans of that, either. You can change the backlighting time and the text size.

The Clutch’s controls have a spacious, comfortable design. You’ll find a circular toggle with a central OK button, two soft keys, a dedicated menu control, a speakerphone key, and the Talk and End/power buttons. Though only parts of the navigation array are raised above the surface of the phone, all of the controls are intuitive and easy to use. The toggle also doubles as a shortcut to four user-defined functions.

On the right side of the display you’ll find additional shortcuts for the messaging application, the Web browser, and the camera. Though they make the phone look a tad off-center, the shortcuts are in a convenient place. On the left spine, you’ll find the rocker and PTT button. Both are spacious and tactile. Below them are a 2.5-millimeter headset jack (boo) and a standard Mini-USB charger port (yay).The camera lens rests on the rear face of the phone–there’s no flash or self-portrait mirror.

The keyboard will seem small to some users, but we found the peaked keys tactile and relatively easy to use. As with many QWERTY phones, letter keys share space with numbers and symbols, but the arrangement never felt crowded. Indeed, we were tapping long messages and dialing phone numbers easily and quickly. The space bar sits in the middle of the bottom row; near it are shift, function, symbol, return, and back keys. You’ll also find a second convenient shortcut for the messaging menu. Below the shortcut is the phone’s main speaker.

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