Image courtesy of Motorola
Anyone who owns a Smartphone has to deal with the high maintenance that goes along with keeping it bright and shiny. I can’t even own a phone anymore that doesn’t have a screen protector and a case on it before it even leaves the store. I have to admit that a lot of the newer smartphones are built on the mediocre level. I love my Samsung Vibrant but would be first in line to trade the thin plastic housing in for something more durable and heavier. Most new phones still aren’t that bad, but often fall short of surviving the wear and tear of the normal everyday consumer. Face it, if we all still had a Nokia 1100 series (candybar), case manufacturers would all be out of business. The one I had frequently used to go swimming, get buried during bonfire parties, and had its moments skipping across the parking. There were a few shells and leather cases back then, but nothing like we have today. That phone outlasted millions of contracts all over the globe and simply would not die.
Image courtesy of Motorola
Well it’s not 2003 anymore, and we expect some major horsepower now from our smartphones. In steps the Motorola Defy. Motorola has been making some seriously rugged handsets for likes of Verizon, Nextel and Sprint for years now, but nothing quite like the Defy. The Defy brings the specs of a full feature Android Smartphone, with durability and protection making it their first “LifeProof” phone. A few months ago Motorola released the i1 and Brute, which are both Mil-Spec phones claimed to withstand the daily abuse of Dirty Jobs and Mike Rowe. The i1 is also and Android phone but the specs cannot compare to those of the Defy.
Image courtesy of Motorola
The Defy sports a beautiful edge to edge screen covered in Corning’s Gorilla Glass, a TI OMAP 800MHz cpu, 5MP camera w/ flash, WiFi b/g/n, light and proximity sensors, and comes loaded with Android 2.1 (Eclair) and Motorola’s Motoblur at its core. What really sets the Defy apart from the rest is that it’s water, dust, and scratch resistant. This is a big deal to me because it may very well be the first phone that you don’t have to worry about slapping a protective case and screen protector on. Durability is a must when it comes to phones theses days. It’s hard to find a phone to withstand outdoor and dirty jobs. For people who are big into recreation, this could be the Android device they’ve been waiting for.
Quick Specs of the Defy:
- 3.7″ high resolution 480 x 854 pixels display, w/ ambient and proximity light sensors
- 1540 mAh battery
- Bluetooth Class 2, Version 2.1 + EDR, WiFi b/g/n, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, DLNA wireless sharing
- 59 x 107 x 13.4 mm dimensions
- Android 2.1 w/ Motoblur, Flash Lite V3
- dual microphones for background noise reduction
- Ruggedized Water, Dust, and Scratch resistant
I was wondering when someone was going to make a high spec “Rugged” Android device. Being in the military for quite some time, I’ve seen some devices get completely destroyed doing normal stuff a Soldier is required to do. Most people in construction, landscaping, or just any kind of law enforcement are pretty limited to “dumbphones” that will hold up to the daily abuse that these jobs entail. The Defy does looks like it will handle all these jobs and look pretty good doing it to. I’m not the biggest fan of Motoblur, but enhancements over the past few months make it pretty tolerable and sometimes useful.
Android 2.1 is not really that big of a deal; hopefully 2.2 and beyond is in the future of this device. I really like the edge to edge Gorilla Glass, and the ruggedized exterior that withstands the elements. Since it’s coming soon to T-Mobile, I may just have to go give this a look when it hits the streets early in November at a contract price of $99. There are some rumors regarding this device’s features, but searching around tells me that WiFi calling is a go for the Defy. We’ll know more in the next 2 weeks when the Defy becomes available for purchase.
Related posts:
Motorola Announces Motorola CLIQ Android Smartphone
Motorola’s Rugged Phones take on Mike Rowe and his Dirty Jobs
U.S. Cellular Adding Two Hot New Motorola Phones This Week!
Motorola’s Super Bowl Hail Mary
Motorola CLIQ reviews rolling out
Motorola’s family gets bigger, ups the ante with the super slim “Shadow”
Samsung’s Galaxy S Rocks a Direct Sunlight Viewable Super AMOLED Screen, Coming Soon to a Carrier Near You
Smartphone Roundup Of What’s To Come In The Near Mobile Future
