When I was asked to review Motorola’s i856, I was skeptical. I had seen the phone online and it’s “slide” feature was completely new to me. The cell phone I was using at the time flipped opened. I liked the flip as if I didn’t want to answer, I just left my trusty phone closed. And then the “slide” arrived and I learned quickly that the slide is just as trustworthy!

The “slide” feature of this phone is awesome. I am frequently working with my hands and with the slide, I don’t have to use both hands to answer my phone. It easily slides up allowing me to answer my calls, yet not so easily that I am answering every call that comes in as I had originally feared.

Speaking of work, the i856 comes with nationwide boost walkie-talkie. By using the Chirp® feature, I have instant access with just the push of a button with other Boost Mobile or Nextel® subscribers. This is fantastic for contractors and others who need constant contact with their colleagues.

The phone itself has a nice black back and silver “frame” on the front, outlining the phones features. The screen is large, and has a high resolution color display making the icons on the screen sharp and crystal clear. This is a great phone. The clock and date are on the home screen for easy convenience, as well as the main menu, your contacts and messages.

When you slide the phone screen up, you reveal a lighted standard number keypad with letters. When the phone is up, you also access the camera as the lens is hidden within the slide. It is a 1.3 megapixel camera with video capture. All the images are saved through the media center on the handset which also allows me to load them as wallpaper or attach them to multi-media messages.

It has an enhanced MP3 music player that I can use a headphone with or listen to it outright. The music files are stored directly on the phone’s memory card. I can also listen to podcasts, such as JNitty@Nite, mark them with my own highlights and even send specific clips to friends! Automatic prompts alert me when there is an incoming call. I admit, that on my old phone, it was capable of going on the internet and also texting, but I never touched those services. The second the terms came across my screen warning me that “data charges apply” I was scared off. My bill was constantly up and down as it was, the thought of making it fluctuate even more over a few minutes on the web, just didn’t fly with me.

With Boost Mobile’s $50 unlimited plan, I had the freedom to surf around my phone. To play, if you will, without worrying about a bill coming in the mail to haunt me. The phone’s screen icon choices make navigating easy. Within minutes, I was logged into my facebook page and uploading photos that I was taking in my office. I was truly amazed!

Next, I surfed the net, and read up on my favorite sites such as Car & Driver, Sports Illustrated, and ESPN. I like the convenient access – I can get the latest sports information from ESPN – and stay on top of what is going on with the Philadelphia Flyers. This is great. Now, when I am waiting for my wife while she is shopping, I can multi-task and get caught up with my reading! Works for me.

One of the great features is that this phone is GPS enabled! I can get turn-by-turn directions with details. How perfect-now I do not have to worry about keeping a GPS in my truck that could get stolen. By having GPS on my phone, the phone is always with me. I later found out that this feature now comes standard on all new Boost phones. I will say Boost has thought of everything with this.

The Motorola i856 through Boost Mobile is hands down a great phone, with great features and a great price! For $50, I can talk to whoever I want when I want, I can send as many texts as I can type, I can surf the web for as many hours as I want, I have GPS, and a fun walkie-talkie to talk instantly with others who have the same feature-fantastic! You just can’t beat it! I love fun gadgets like everyone else, but I do not want to pay a fortune for them. This phone and plan is just what I was asking for, did Boost hear me? I think so!

Shopping for cell phones is a chore, is it not? Sure, it’s fun to play with the different models, but when you get down to the fine print of how much your final bill every month is going to be, things get scary. That’s why I think you will like Boost Mobile’s Motorola’s i856 if you need a new phone that will let you text and get on the web, in addition to the standard “calling” feature that our phones were originally meant for.

For $50 a month, this great slide phone is a fantastic bargain. The phone itself is weighty, and the slide mechanism is sturdy and snappy, so there are no issues with opening the phone when not meaning to. The large screen allows for great viewing and immediately lights the display when you press any key or slide it up to display the hidden keyboard.

On the face of the phone are a contacts button and a messages button to instantly access the information you need on the fly! It also has an instant music button to play your favorite downloaded mp3’s, and a tools button to take you into the guts of your phone. The LCD display also shows you what’s in the phone-a vast array of options instantly at your disposal.

The phone comes with a 1.3 megapixel camera that allows for uploading to your favorite networking sites such as facebook. The camera has video capture that allows you to record your favorite moments. An alarm clock to make sure you get up for those moments, and a music player to set the mood. The phone has to be open to capture the photo and video, but that’s a good thing! This way, the lenses are protected while the phone is not in use, not exposed like most other phone cameras.

It doesn’t stop there. The phone also has a My Images section that stores your photos for easy retrieval, a my video section to keep them organized as well. You can surf the web, get games and apps, and use the gps built in the phone. You’ll never be lost again.

With the slide, the keyboard is hidden and compact, it’s not a QWERTY. After my 10th text, I was used to it, as the buttons are raised slightly making recognition by touch come into play pretty quickly. The keyboard lights when in use making using it in the dark easy on the eyes.

The display’s icons are crisp, clear and vivid. After all, it is high resolution and it is stunning. Their organization is seamless and flows instantly on the screen with your touch on the circular navigation dial. The i856 is unique compared to other phones. It is not just a phone, but a walkie-talkie. This is great when you have a team working together that isn’t all at the same location. With an alert option, you can instantly send a tone to the phone you are trying to contact. They can accept it and then start an instant conversation with you. It’s nice to make work fun when you can, and this feature I promise will bring out the kid in you. On a serious note, this would be fantastic in an emergency.

My favorite feature of the phone is the contacts section. I like that you can assign one person multiple phone numbers and contact information. There are not too many people today that have just one way to contact them. Think-house phone, cell phone, work phone, email address, fax, pager, and of course if they share your taste in walkie-talkie type phones with the Chirp® technology, their direct connect number. The way the phone organizes the numbers, you can scroll through them easily. Don’t forget to take a picture of your friends and family too and assign it to their contact info. Now, when they call, you will instantly see who it is before answering. Take it one step further and download some ringtones and assign them to each contact also and instantly know who is calling by which ringtone plays.

When using the mp3 music player, I noticed that I could use the phone with headphones if I wanted to listen to my music while others were around without distracting them. If they did want to listen, there are speakers. You can also listen to podcasts and the send specific clips of the podcast to friends. In other words, there is too much fun to be had with this phone!

The Motorola Debut, at $99.99 for the phone and $50 a month for unlimited phone, text and web is a fantastic deal. Boost Mobile has really gone above and beyond to keep us in the game when it comes to cutting edge technology and dealing with the recession. If the $50 unlimited plan is out of your budget right now, check out their Pay As You Go plan for 10 cents a minute for talk and 10 cents a minute to send and receive texts. This is a real bargain for job hunters who need to be instantly accessed by employers for to schedule an interview, yet are cutting back on their expenses while searching for their next position.