The folks at Boost Mobile sent me a Motorola Clutch i465 to review in time for the holiday shopping season. The verdict? It's a very nice little device, particularly for the vast number of users whose primary use for a phone is texting.

While some reviewers have complained about the phone's appearance, the rugged design ("meets military specs," according to Motorola) looks good to me, and the full QWERTY keyboard is one of the best I've seen, particularly on a phone this size. It's pleasant to use, with the rounded key surface making it surprisingly easy to type on a 2.13" wide keyboard. And at 3.7 ounces, the phone is extremely lightweight.

The full color 1.79-inch screen, while small, is bright and usable, though the resolution (128 x 160 pixels) isn't great. But for the basic functions of the phone -- texting, calling, address book, etc. -- it's more than adequate. More advanced functionality, like Web browsing, is limited by the size and resolution of the screen.

On the other hand, the camera is extremely easy to use, texting is a pleasure thanks to the keyboard, and phone calls are clear and loud. Reported battery life is approximately 100 hours of standby time, or 205 minutes of continuous usage. If you're looking for a lightweight device for messaging and calling, with an excellent QWERTY keyboard, the i465 could well be the perfect choice.

The i465 is available now from Boost Mobile for $99.99.