With the ongoing onslaught of music-centric handsets in slick, shiny casings, the Motorola i580 is 
quite different from the rest of the pack. Boasting military-grade resistance to water, dust, and shock, this is one rugged business-minded phone for users in less than ideal environments. I can envision a tough phone like this being deployed by site surveyors, military personnel, and construction workers. After all, a glossy iPod-esque mobile phone isn’t going to do you too much good if you’re battling out in the dusty deserts of Iraq or hammering out metal girders where there is a significant risk of damage (to yourself as well).
If you’re an urbanite or suburbanite looking for the trendiest new handset, the Motorola i580 — offered through Sprint Nextel, as well as being marketed as the i570 through Telus Mobility in Canada — is not for you. It’s a little on the bulky side, a little more on the heavy side, and the rubberized exterior isn’t going to help you win over any girls at your local nightclub.
Strangely though, this phone does come with a fair bit of multimedia functionality. The integrated 1.3 megapixel camera takes some pretty decent shots, all things considered, especially if you make use of the LED floodlight (which "pulses" when you take a picture). The camera comes with 4x digital zoom, picture size ranging from 176 x 220 (wallpaper) to 1280 x 1024 (max), self timer, and the ability to record videos (128 x 96 or 176 x 144) of up to 30 seconds in length. REVIEW: Motorola i580 iDEN clamshell