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Sprint launches rough, tough Motorola Brute i686

Sprint announces the immediate availability of the rugged Motorola Brute i686 with Direct Connect service.

Bonnie Cha Former Editor
Bonnie Cha was a former chief correspondent for CNET Crave, covering every kind of tech toy imaginable (with a special obsession for robots and Star Wars-related stuff). When she's not scoping out stories, you can find her checking out live music or surfing in the chilly waters of Northern California.
Bonnie Cha
Motorola i686 Sprint

Previously announced in December, the rugged Motorola Brute i686 is now available from Sprint for $119.99 with a two-year contract.

The i686 is an updated version of the Brute i680 and keeps the same flip phone design but adds the ability to be immersed in a meter of water for up to 30 minutes. The handset also meets Military Specification 810G for resistance to dust, shock, vibration, extreme temperatures, low pressure, salt fog, humidity, and more.

Though Sprint will phase out Nextel's iDEN network in 2013, the i686 features Nextel's Direct Connect push-to-talk services, including Group Connect, International Direct Connect, and Direct Talk.

Other phone highlights include stereo Bluetooth, GPS, a 2-megapixel camera, a preloaded 8GB microSD card, and internal and external color displays.