Motorola Stature i9 - black (Nextel)
Manufacturer: Motorola Part number: MOTI9KIT
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Motorola i9 Stature is the sexiest Nextel phone we've seen. Apart from the disappointing camera, it offers decent features and admirable call quality.
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Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
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| ![]() | In stock w/ new 2y contract signing & MIR | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/08/2009 |
CNET editors' review
Motorola Stature i9 - black (Nextel) price range: $199.99
- Reviewed by: Kent German
- Reviewed on: 03/23/2009
- Released on: 02/17/2009
The good: The Motorola i9 Stature offers a sleek design, brilliant displays, useful features, and good call quality.
The bad: The Motorola i9's controls and keypad are flat and stiff. The camera is rather slow and photo quality is just average.
The bottom line: The Motorola i9 Stature is the sexiest Nextel phone we've seen. Apart from the disappointing camera, it offers decent features and admirable call quality.
In the back of our minds we knew that the Motorola Razr, at least in some form, would make it to Sprint Nextel. Though the original Razr V3 is more than five years old, and Motorola has pumped out dozens of revamps, it has made it to every other carrier. And even though Nextel tends to shy away from thin, flashy devices, we just couldn't believe that Moto would pass up the opportunity to make an iDEN Razr. While the cell phone in question, the Motorola i9 Stature, does not carry the Razr name, it bears all the hallmarks of the venerable handset. Its thin, boxy profile takes us back to the V3, while the glossy skin, expansive external display, touch controls, and flat keypad remind us of the Razr2 V9m series.
Remarkably, the i9's feature set doesn't improve very much upon recent Razr models, but it remains a solid midrange model for communication and multimedia. It offers push-to-talk, a 3.1-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and a music player. Call quality was decent--voices sounded a bit robotic, but we could carry on a conversation without any real problems. Besides Nextel, you also can get the i9 with Boost Mobile. The Nextel price is $199 with a contract, while contract-free Boost charges $299.
Design
As we mentioned already, the i9 is another branch of the Razr family tree. Yet, while the styling is old, the trade-off is that it is one of the most stylish Nextel phones ever. Razr fans, if there are any left, would recognize the sleek lines and trim, angular design. At 4.1 inches tall by 2.1 inches wide by 0.59 inches thick, it slips right into a pocket or bag, so it's easy to take on the go. And though it's a tad heavy at 4.7 ounces, it also has a sturdy and comfortable feel in the hand. We liked the soft touch material and the shiny front face, even if the latter shows fingerprints and smudges.
The 262,000-color external display is large and vibrant (two inches, 320x240 pixels). Colors are bright and graphics are sharp, provided you can see through the aforementioned smudges. It shows the date, time, battery life, signal strength, and numeric caller ID. It also shows photo caller ID and it works as a viewfinder for the camera lens. What's more, you can navigate through the i9s full menu structure and all applications without ever opening the phone. You can add wallpaper, but the short backlighting time isn't adjustable. You can always light it again, however, by pressing the volume rocker.
Like the V9, the i9 has touch music controls on its front face, but they're not part of the external display. Instead, they're set into the mirrored frame surrounding the display. Like most touch controls, the keys are slippery, but they're easy to use and they have vibrating feedback. Besides the play/pause, skip, and rewind buttons, you also can cycle through different player views. You even can delete music files thanks to a Trash control.
Other touch controls come into play depending on which feature you're using. For example, when in video mode, new player controls will appear on the left side of the display (or on the bottom if you're watching videos in landscape mode). And when you're snapping photos, even more touch controls appear to let you manipulate the shooter. The concept is similar to the ModeShift keypad on the Motorola Rokr E8 in that the controls appear only when you need them. Otherwise, they'll vanish to avoid a cluttered look.
As for physical exterior controls, the i9 has a few. On the left spine you'll find a volume rocker, the PTT button, a speakerphone/voice-dialing control, and the Micro-USB/charger port, while a handset locking switch, a camera shutter, and a control for activating the menu on the external display are on the right. The microSD card slot sits behind the battery cover. That's not the most convenient location, even if you don't have to remove the battery. We also didn't love the location of the camera lens and flash on the top left corner of the i9's rear face. Not only is it a natural place to rest your finger, but also it makes vanity shots difficult.
The internal display has the same size and resolution as the external display. Yet, you can change more options, including the text size and backlighting time. Three menu designs are available--list, tab and icon--but all are relatively easy to use. Our only complaint was that it takes a few too many clicks to perform such basic functions, such as shooting a picture and sending it in a multimedia message. Also, if you exit out of submenus you go back to standby mode rather than reverting one step to the main menu.
Like with most Razr phones, the i9's controls are hit and miss. Though they're spacious, they're also flush and rather stiff. Tiny silver bumps, similar to those on the Rokr E8, give the controls some tactile definition, but it's not enough to dial by feel. The navigation array consists of a four-way toggle with a central OK button, two soft keys, a dedicated menu control, the Talk and End power keys, and a Web browser shortcut. That's not a bad design, but we'd prefer a dedicated back key. In standby mode, the OK button will open the settings menu while the toggle doubles as a shortcut to four user-defined functions. The backlit keypad buttons are also spacious, but flat and stiff as well.
Features
The i9's 600-contact phone book has room in each entry for seven phone numbers, an e-mail address, and notes. You can save contacts to groups or PTT Talk Groups and you can pair them with a photo and one of 28 polyphonic ringtones. Other basic features include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, a memo pad, a speakerphone, call timers, an alarm clock, and a datebook.
The i9 also has a few higher-end features: stereo Bluetooth, voice dialing and commands, an application manager, USB mass storage, PC syncing, access to Sprint Mobile e-mail, and a voice recorder. There's also a GPS application, but it's used for finding your position by longitude and latitude rather than by mapping or directional services.
As a Nextel phone, the i9 offers all of the carrier's Direct Connect PTT services, including International Direct Connect, Group Connect (for chatting with up to 20 others via PTT at once), and Direct Talk (for out-of-network PTT-chat capabilities). You'll also find NextMail, which sends voice messages to any e-mail address, and Direct Send, which transmits your contact information to other compatible phones. And finally, there's Nextel's second-line service, which lets you add a second line to the phone with a different phone number.

The 3.1-megapixel camera takes photos in seven resolutions, from 2,048x1,536 down to 320x240. Other editing options include two quality settings, explore control, white balance, brightness, an 8x digital zoom, a self-timer, a macro mode, an autofocus, four color tones, and two shutter sounds (there's no silent option). The camcorder shoots clips in three resolutions and it offers a similar set of editing options. Clips meant for multimedia messages are capped at six seconds, but you can shoot for longer in normal mode.

Photo quality wasn't as good as we were hoping it would be. Most images were blurry and dark,with faded colors. Videos were about average--fine for a short clip, but quick movements came out choppy. We also noticed that the camera is a tad slow, and we didn't like having to save every photo we took manually. The i9 has an impressive 128MB of internal memory and the microSD slot can accommodate cards up to 8GB.
The music player has simple interface on both displays. It supports album art and you can choose between a number of themes and visualizations. Features are pretty slim: you get shuffle and repeat modes and an equalizer with nine settings. Getting music on the phone is easy through either a USB cable, Bluetooth, or a memory card.
You can personalize the i9 with a variety of clock styles and wallpapers. You can download more options and additional ringtones with the wireless Web browser. You won't find any games, but the Sprint version of the phone comes with the Nascar Sprint Cup Mobile application.
Performance
We tested the Motorola i9 Stature (iDEN 800) in San Francisco using Nextel service. Call quality was up to usual Nextel standards. The signal was clear and free of static and we had enough volume. Voices sounded natural most of the time, but there was a robotic effect at times. It wasn't enough to be distracting, but it was noticeable.
On their end, callers said we sounded good. A few couldn't even tell that we were using a cell phone. A couple people even remarked on the clarity of the call. Our friends could hear us when we were in noisy environments and we had no issues with automated calling systems. Speakerphone calls were quite satisfying, with loud and clear conversations on both ends.
The i9 has a rated battery life of three hours talk time. Our tests showed a talk time of 5 hours and 38 minutes. According to FCC radiation tests, the i9 has a digital SAR rating of 1.44 watts per kilogram.
User reviews
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Finally, a Nextel phone that is truly cool
by lovedatPTT on March 23, 2009
Pros: Size, features, multimedia, touch screen, call quality
Cons: Reception, weight, no holster
Summary: Nextel has finally got a phone that I am not embarassed to whip out. It has all the advanced features found on everyone else's phone, it doesn't look ...
Summary: Nextel has finally got a phone that I am not embarassed to whip out. It has all the advanced features found on everyone else's phone, it doesn't look like I found it on the floorboard of a tractor, and it gives me great pictures and videos, and plays my music just great from the external touch-screen. It is a little heavier than most other Nextel phones, battery life does not seem to be an issue, but I am disappointed that it doesn't come with a belt clip holster like every other Nextel phone has since it began. Nor, for that matter, I am told that Motorola is not even making one. Don't they know that if you carry a Nextel, it is because you want instant access to your customers and coworkers. And having to dig around in your purse or pocket for the phone kind of defeats the purpose. And without the stubby antenna, the reception in very outlying areas seems a little more sketchy. But that aside, I heartily recommend this device.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I like the overall appearance and feel of the phone.
by pikuchanya on September 3, 2009
Pros: Looks good, sounds good.
Cons: Pictures are dark, Can't seem to delete any of these pointless pictures of ferraris that come already loaded on the phone. It's not very clear how to access the delete options. POOR internet quality. Takes forever to load a site, not worth the effort
Summary: This is a good phone to have if you're looking to talk to people. Texting and online web browsing is tiresome and not worth the effort. If you have ...
Summary: This is a good phone to have if you're looking to talk to people. Texting and online web browsing is tiresome and not worth the effort. If you have one then you'll know what I'm talking about. No apparent delete options. Will have to keep looking for information how that is done.
Battery life is another concern. -
Calls drop constantly! Loses signal/unreliable!
by msgizroc on July 7, 2009
Pros: Cooler graphix then ic602 phone. Less bulky. Better ring tones included also.
Cons: Constantly drops calls even when sitting still. While sitting next to an i355 phone with full bars, i9 has red or no bars. Master reset didn't work while tech help worked on phone either.
Summary: This is my second i9 phone since changing from ic602 (which was becoming a problem with service) in April 2009. Tech help can't resolve problem and they say there ...
Summary: This is my second i9 phone since changing from ic602 (which was becoming a problem with service) in April 2009. Tech help can't resolve problem and they say there is no other reported problems known to them. (I guess my previously called in problems didn't matter.) Also, if you store pictures to the phone instead of a microSD (which isn't included) I couldn't figure out how to email stored picture after you intially took the picture. That is the only time I saw a send button was when I took the picture. I also could not figure out how to move pictures stored in phone over to microSD card once I installed the card.
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Nice and Thin, Battery Life is horrible.
by OrlandoSalesman on July 4, 2009
Pros: Very thin, slips into packet very nice, it is like a large Razr.
Cons: I took this phone off the charger in the morning, did nit make 1 phone call and at 9:30 it died. No holster or micro SD card, for $200 how about some accessories! I am here looking for a different phone now.
Summary: Nice phone if you do not make a lot of phone calls and want something sleek and sharp. Also for the phone having MP3 abilities I am surprised that I ...
Summary: Nice phone if you do not make a lot of phone calls and want something sleek and sharp. Also for the phone having MP3 abilities I am surprised that I can not make a MP3 my ring tone.
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Acceptable quality, but INCORRECT CNET review
by no_obama on April 12, 2009
Pros: Clearest listen/talk of any cell I've used, & volume is more than enough. Quality feel/design. Everyone is impressed when they use it. Doubles as an MP3 player with plenty of room for songs/podcasts/vids.
Cons: Exterior screen way too dark (novelty), pics & vids unacceptable - way too dark unless under bright sunlight. Battery drains too quickly, even when not in use.
Summary: First, unless Cnet has a different phone than mine, the exterior screen is NOT the same size as interior screen, nor is it anywhere near as clear or bright. Dark ...
Summary: First, unless Cnet has a different phone than mine, the exterior screen is NOT the same size as interior screen, nor is it anywhere near as clear or bright. Dark sunglass appearence. Exterior backlight stays on for only a micro-second - bothersome. Even with the cons, I'm glad I purchased it & would again if lost, broken, because I'm pleased with the call handling & clarity, which is bottom line for me.
0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Motorola
- Part number: MOTI9KIT
- Description: Combining powerful productivity and modern style, the Motorola Stature i9 is perfect for those driven to succeed. Featuring Motorola's exclusive ModeShift Morphing technology, the keys on the outside of the touch-sensitive flip morph and illuminate from one mode to another, lighting up different keys when you make a call, listen to the media player, or capture pictures or video with the 3.1-megapixel camera. Plus, the large external display with touch-sensitive media keys lets you access media, recent calls and more without even opening the flip.
General
- Product Type Cellular phone With digital camera / digital player
- Service Provider Sprint Nextel
- Width 2.1 in
- Depth 0.6 in
- Height 4.1 in
- Weight 4.7 oz
- Body Color Black
Cellular
- Technology iDEN
- Band iDEN 800/900 (Dual Band)
- Phone Design Folder type phone
- Antenna Internal
- Vibrating Alert Yes
- Polyphonic Ringer Yes
- Voice Dialing Yes
- Call Timer Yes
- Conference Call Capability Yes
- Voice Recorder Yes
- Caller ID Yes
- Speakerphone Yes
- Wireless Interface Bluetooth
- Additional Features aGPS, E-911 compliant, Push-to-talk mode, Text-to-Speech (text recognition)
Messaging & Data Services
- Short Messaging Service (SMS) Yes
- Mobile Email Yes
- Internet Browser Yes
- JAVA applications Yes
- Messaging / Data Features Text messages, Multimedia messages (MMS), E-Mail
Multimedia Features
- Playback Digital Video Formats H.264, H.263 video and AMR audio
- Downloadable Content Games, Ring tones, Wallpapers
Digital Camera
- Camera highlights With a resolution of 3.1 megapixels, this camera phone will give you better pictures than other phones.
- Sensor Resolution 3.1 megapixels
- Focus Adjustment Automatic
- Digital Zoom 8
- Camera Light Source LED light
Organizer
- Alarm Clock Yes
- Calendar Yes
- Reminder Yes
Display
- Type LCD display
- Color Support Color
- Multi-language Menu Yes
- Display Languages French, English, Spanish
Display (2nd)
- Type LCD display - Color
Digital Player (Recorder)
- Supported Digital Audio Standards AAC, AMR, MP3, WAV
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x Micro-USB
Security Features
- Keypad Lock Yes
Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Battery, Battery door, Rapid wall mount charger, 128K SIM card
Power
- Type Power adapter
Battery
- Technology - Lithium ion
- Capacity 920 mAh
- Talk Time Up to 180 min
Product series
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Motorola i9 - black (Boost Mobile)
Manufacturer: Motorola
Specs:
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Motorola Stature i9 - black (Nextel)
Manufacturer: Motorola
Specs: iDEN 800/900 (Dual Band), Up to 180 min, With digital camera / digital player, 4.7 oz
Manufacturer info
- Motorola
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Motorola products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://commerce.motorola.com/consumer
- Address:
600 N. Highway 45, Suite AS342, Libertyville, IL 60048 - Phone: 847/576-5000







