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With its crisp 1.9-inch color screen, hands-free speakerphone, and bevy of downloadable applications, the Nextel I95cl has only one drawback: the amount of time you'll need to figure out all it can do. It is, however, time well spent.

Chief among the Motorola-engineered phone's new capabilities is its support for Java applications that you can download over Nextel's data network. Examples include an e-mail manager, a personal information organizer, and fun stuff such as MIDI musical ring tones and custom display wallpapers.

In my testing of a shipping unit, I experienced no call dropouts and a surprisingly strong signal. The Direct Connect service (a walkie-talkie feature that lets you connect with other Nextel phones) worked well, as did Nextel's Mobile Messaging and e-mail services.

Though downloading a Java application took a few minutes, it was easy to do. Using my PC, I picked the applications I wanted (most are free; others cost $3 to $20). Business-specific applications and custom-built programs are available as well.

At $400 (with a service contract starting at $40 a month), the Nextel I95cl is pricey, but its abundant (and growing) feature set could make it an indispensable tool for some.

SUMMARY

Versatile color-screen cell phone handles PC-like apps with ease. List: $400 (with service contact)

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