Mobile phones have become an important mode of communication in our lives - ensuring we are in contact with the rest of the world at the touch of a button. Users need to select a phone that can correspond with their lifestyles, especially the nature of their work. Certain users work outdoors and are exposed to harsh conditions of the environment like those who work in the construction sites, transportation sector, utilities industry and specific sectors of the government; military. The Motorola i355 is the just the phone to meet the needs of these group of users as it comes with a rugged shell that can withstand dust, shock, drops against hard surfaces and vibration and has been made weatherproof to military conditions like Blowing Rain, Humidity and Salt Fog making this phone simply tough and durable.

Not only is this phone tough but it still performs its primary function as a mode of communication effectively and efficiently with the inclusion of an integrated speakerphone and services supported by Nextel such as the Push to Talk service that upholds features such as Direct connect, Group Direct connect and Direct Talk functions to make the lives of users a whole lot simpler taking into account the color screen and the GPS technology.

The Motorola i355 comes in a flashy black rubber plastic that resembles Batman, which serves as a protection and is categorized as large and hefty weighing at 6.88 ounces and measuring at 5.1 by 2.4 by 1.3 inches. This phone is shaped more like a tank with its pointy external antenna and since this candy bar phone is no lightweight it can't enter into a jeans pocket but will fit snuggly into a case or a tool belt which is more of a convenience for construction site users as this allows them to have easy access to the phone rather having to reach into a tight jeans pocket.

Another interesting part of the phone is that it conforms to the Military Standard 810F to withstand dust, shock, vibration, temperature extremes, low pressure and solar radiation which makes this phone simply remarkable. Therefore users need not worry that the phone will be damaged even when it is dropped on a hard surface as there will be no scratches or experience trouble like sparks or shorted out keypad if the phone is to get wet. This is because the phone's antenna, speakerphone, keys, battery door and accessory connections is protected from water by the rubber encasing which acts as an interior lining or seal.
It comes with an external display that measures at 2 inches with the support of 65,000 colors and users have the flexibility to change the font size as well as the contrast and backlighting time. The display is satisfactory as it comes with a 130 x 120 pixel resolution allowing users to view the details clearly. Below the display is the navigation array which is designed quite nicely as the keys are not crowded but are spaced quite far from each other. The navigation keys consist of a five way button in the centre that allows users to control most of the functions in the phone, followed by two soft keys, Call, End, Power and main menu keys. The keypad is also reasonably spaced and is attractive with yellow backlighting for easy dialing and messaging.