Nextel Cell Phones. Tips
Read these 10 Nextel Cell Phones. Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Cellphone tips and hundreds of other topics.
Make the Most of Incoming Calls" National Free Incoming Plan
The Nextel National Free Incoming plan for Nextel cell phones provides the customer with unlimited incoming calls at no additional charge. Hot tip: It doesn't matter if your boss is a Cingular customer in New York while you're in Malibu. The incoming call is free. But if you go to Cancun, you're out of luck. All calls to nextel cell phones under this plan must be received within the United States.
You might be tempted to say everything in a text message, but with the National Free Incoming Plan, you pay for Pay As You Go Text Messages. Free phone calls may not get you away from the office, but they'll make your vacation time less frustrating.
Choosing Local Instant Connect
Weighing regional cellular plan options with walkie-talkie phones? Nextel Cellular offers the Nextel Local Instant Connect Plan. This plan is for users in the same area, say Topeka or Tanzania, who do not plan to talk on many long distance calls.
The plan offers consumers unlimited Direct Connect minutes, unlimited nights and weekends, no roaming charges, and long distance at 20 cents per minute. Nextel cell phones Local Instant Connect plans begin around $35.99 per month for 0 anytime minutes to $65.99 per month for 1250 anytime minutes and unlimited walkie-talkie (Group ConneCT is 15 cents per minute) as well as call forwarding and three-way calling--just what you wanted.
Cingular's Push-To-Talk option is a sharp competitor, but Nextel often discounts its phones, and bloggers gripe about Cingular's "Push To Wait." Also, Verizon's reported two to four second delay with its Push-To-Talk feature seems balanced by the vaunted Verizon coverage.
Still, Nextel brought the Direct Connect technology to market first and is a viable plan if you just want to holler at someone in Topeka.
Sprint and Nextel, Same Great Service
Sprint and Nextel may have merged, but Nextel still has an all-digital network, provided by Sprint PCS, that covers numerous areas nationwide. They are extremely popular in the corporate world because of their push-to-talk, one-Touch capabilities walkie-talkie capabilities built into each phone.
After its merger with Sprint, Nextel still offers the Motorola iDEN technology to deliver stellar digital cellular service and Direct Connect services. Nextel offers other Motorola phones that are extremely durable and can withstand harsh weather and work environments.
New Nextel phones offer wireless data services as well. These services include wireless email, instant messaging, web access, downloads, gaming, and more. Nextel Cellular has been providing push-to-talk access for over a decade. That hasn't changed with the Sprint merger. Nextel is still a good, reliable carrier.
Nextel National Team Share Plans
Your family shares a house, a car, and bathrooms--why not minutes? The Nextel National Team Share Plan can also be used as a family plan. If you purchase two Nextel cell phones, signed up for a separate Share Plan, Mom and Dad can then share anytime minutes and Direct Connect minutes. For that matter, brother, sister, Grandma and Grandpa can share minutes depending on how many users you select.
The National Team Share Plans begin around $39.99 per month for 300 anytime minutes and 250 Direct Connect minutes and ends at around $89.99 per month for 1200 anytime minutes and 250 Direct Connect minutes. But Dad doesn't have to hog all the minutes on his phone. Dad's phone can be signed up for the plan with 0 anytime minutes while the kids' phone is signed up for a plan with anywhere from 400-1200 anytime minutes. Dad and the kids then have to share the minutes.
The plan includes all the traditional Nextel offerings, and may lose out to T-Mobile's family plan, Sprint's or Cingular's. If you buy a National Team Share Plan with Nextel phones, here's a tip: decide exactly how many minutes will be shared by whom and when.
Nextel and Blackberry
Nextel cell phones have gone BlackBerry picking. Every wireless phone provider offers BlackBerry, and no matter what Nextel plan you choose, you can always tack on a BlackBerry 5 MB or a BlackBerry Email and Web, although many plans offer instant messaging for your cell phone.
If you've gone BlackBerry bananas, you have to have Oprah's favorite phone, albeit with long distance at .20 a minute. You pay $39.99 for 5 MB of use, $49.99 for unlimited. Note that rates exclude taxes and Sprint fees after the Sprint Nextel merger. But if Nextel and BlackBerry seem like a good combo to you, you can now have both ripe for the picking.
Nextel National Power Plan for Power Meetings
Nextel cellular is now offering the Nextel National Power Plan. This plan includes unlimited Direct Connect minutes, unlimited nights and weekends, 500 to 2,000 anytime minutes, included cellular long distance, and no roaming charges.
Alas, power has its limits. You can only use Nextel cell phones unlimited Direct Connect minutes in the designated area of coverage only and do not include group connect minutes--you'll have to pay 15 cents per group minute. Note that Nextel nights begin at 9pm and end at 7am. Nextel weekends begin Fridays at 9pm and end Mondays at 7am.
Nextel Direct Connect
Is your Direct Connect plan all that it's advertised? If you own New Nextel Phones, PCWorld warns that Nextel cell phones on this plan have the most complicated options. You're not charged for walkie-talkie calls in the local network, but can be charged for out-of-network calls. PCWorld recommends getting a flat rate plan to simplify Direct Connect.
How does the service perform? Consumer reviewers report that the Direct Connect service is instant--beep beep, and you're connected. Nextel started the Direct Connect service, but has competition from Sprint and Verizon--Sprint's Ready Link service doesn't use wireless minutes, so the competition is fierce. We recommend you get two-way text messaging with Nextel's service.
Nextel National Free Incoming Plan: Worth the Calls?
Incoming! It's your mother-in-law! How much will it cost you to talk?
Nextel National Free Incoming Plans offer unlimited Direct Connect, unlimited nights and weekends, nationwide long distance, and no roaming charges. That's a bonus--and really, you like your mother-in-law.
National Free Incomimg Plan rates for your Nextel cell phones begin at around $49.99 for 300 anytime minutes and end at around $109.99 per month for 1200 minutes. Nextel cellular has additional minutes at 40 cents each. Group Direct Connect minutes are 15 cents per minute if you and your mother-in-law are at a family reunion in Florida.
But don't settle for the first deal you find. Maybe you should ask your mother-in-law about her cell phone plan. Sprint offers an incoming plan as well.
Nextel Has You Covered--Si?
Going south of the border and wondering if service from Nextel phones will go north?
Nextel cell phones have a nationwide coverage area that spans across most of the United States, some areas of Canada, and a few areas in Mexico. If you want to talk turkey burritos in Mexico, your plan may or may not include local or national walkie-talkie coverage. Heading to England? Nextel phones can be used in numerous countries throughout the world with the Direct Connect function at a per minute charge, which varies depending on where you're globe-trotting.
Whether you're buying Nextel cell phones south of the border or toting them down for the team, check your coverage map before you can say "No entiendo" (I don't understand).
Nextel Pros and Cons
Nextel offers the Fair and Flexible Plans (adjustable anytime minutes with no huge overages), solutions for small business, and uninterrupted service after its merger with Sprint. What more could you ask for? Is there a downside?
Actually, yes, according to the expert geeks at sites such as CNET. Nextel's phones, except for the compact Motorolas, are traditionally bulky and not stylish. Nextel took a while to come up with bells and whistles, such as cameras, but then, Nextel has traditionally been the phone of business executives who prefer functionality over form--although CNET reviewers warn the functionality can be spotty.
CNET warms to the newer models of Nextel, and loyalists appreciate the Nextel Cellular service. But if you want a flashier phone, look elsewhere. If you're determined to stick with th tried and true, choose the newer Nextel models.
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