my family has a nextel plan with direct connect. im purchasing a new phone. does it

have to have DC on it.? my phone broke a week ago, so im purchasing a new one. my mother and father use the direct connect service, and i dont use it at all (i always call her, DC is too much of a hassle for me, because it never goes through.) does my new phone have to have the function on it? i hate the DC phones because they break easily with me, so i was wanting a sprint phone that looked more durable and would better suit my needs (i text like crazy)
so if any help could be provided i would be thankful.