Jan 31, 2011 21:01 GMT  ·  By

Today, mobile phone carrier Sprint announced the launch of a new handset that would prove a great options for those customers working in harsh environments, the Motorola Brute i686, a device that meets Military Specification 810G for dust, shock, vibration, temperature, low pressure, solar radiation, salt fog, humidity, blowing rain and immersion.

The new device comes with all the features that Nextel customers are seeking in a mobile phone, such as best-in-class push-to-talk capabilities of Nextel Direct Connect, as well as support for business applications, and increased durability.

According to Sprint, the new handset “may be immersed into up to 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes when the battery door is attached properly, and the headset jack and micro-USB connector are properly covered and sealed.”

The device comes with a rubberized housing with a non-slip grip, being able to meet the needs of all people working in extreme conditions.

The Motorola Brute i686 sports a wide range of Nextel Direct Connect features, including instant, one-to-one push-to-talk communication, Direct Send, NextMail to send voice messages to any email address, or International Direct Connect.

The mobile phone also offers Group Connect, so that one can communicate with up to 20 other Nextel Direct Connect subscribers, as well as Group Messaging, to send a message to the entire group at the same time.

The features list of the new phone includes: - 2MP camera with video capture capabilities, flash and up to 4x zoom - Multimedia messaging (either audio, images, text, or all three in the same message) to or from email addresses and other capable users, and wirelessly store multimedia on the Sprint Web site - Supports up to 8 GB MicroSD card (not included) - GPS with GPS Tagging of photos - Pre-loaded applications: TeleNav Navigation, NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile and Sprint Football Live - Advanced Stereo Bluetooth Wireless Technology

The Motorola Brute i686 sports a clamshell form factor, with a 2.2-inch (55.9 mm) internal screen and a 1.3-inch (33 mm) external one, a Lithium-ion 1750 mAh battery that can offer up to 350 minutes of talk time, all inside a phone measuring 3.92 x 2.09 x 1.02 inches and weighing in at 5.6 ounces.