I never had Nextel. For non-Americans, this network was unique in that it had a feature to use the phone as a long distance walkie-talkie with other Nextel members (and not using your allocated call time for the month.) This was back when night and weekend minutes were still minimal and daytime minutes were for emergencies only!

I both wanted one and simultaneously hated them. It was the equivalent of someone having conversations on max volume speakerphone. The things chirped loudly and the volume and sound quality were rather obnoxious.

I remember taking tickets at my movie theater job and people would try to wrap conversations up before heading into their auditorium. It was a mindless but those Nextel people would be so freaking loud I'd have to start paying attention to my very simple task and occasionally ask them to go outside.

Did you have one? Were you a bit later when Cingular added it? Any other thoughts or memories about those phones?

Did anyone in other countries have a provider that offered that technology?