Profile

Sprint purchased Nextel in 2005, joining the ranks of wireless telecommunications giants AT&T and Verizon. Their clean, bright stores look and function similar to those of their competitors, complete with a small army of staffers to assist with sales, tech support, and bill payment. The signature Nextel feature, of course, is the push-to-talk network, Nextel Direct Connect, which allows users to speak with anyone in the country at the push of a button, walkie-talkie style. Also of note are the “Simply Everything” plan — with domestic unlimited “everything” (voice, data, text, e-mail, web, TV, music, GPS, and Direct Connect) — and Power Pack Plan, with unlimited mobile-to-mobile and unlimited nights and weekends starting at 7 p.m. (rather than 9). The large assortment of mobile phones sports features like web access, TV, and the capability to download music wirelessly. — Caroline Kinneberg