Motorola Defy

The Motorola Defy is virtually unique, as it is full smartphone, which runs on Android 2.1 and is also waterproof and dust and scratch-resistant. While there have been tough phones which can resist the elements, before (such as the Sonim range), the Motorola Defy is among the first smartphones that could be described in the same way. And that makes the Motorola Defy an intriguing phone; however, can it be as good as that initial intrigue suggests?

Design - 8/10

The problem with some tough phones is that they look ugly, but what is particularly nice about the Motorola Defy is that, despite being designed as a waterproof phone, there is very little in the design that shows that. Other than a couple of exposed screws, and the battery lock cover, the Motorola Defy looks just like an everyday smartphone; that is to say, the Motorola Defy looks good, and it has to get extra marks for not looking like a tough phone!

Operating System - 9/10

The Motorola Defy uses Android 2.1, and as Android is one of the most powerful operating systems on the market, there are no worries in the software department. However, the Motorola Defy also gets extra marks for including Motorola's MOTOBLUR interface, optimised for social networking (more on that in a second). Of course, with access to the Android Market, the Motorola Defy can also be customised with new apps, and so, there is almost nothing to find fault with, here.

Hardware - 10/10

The Motorola Defy may not have the fastest processor in the world (although it does run at 800MHz, which is not slow), but that is not enough to knock any marks off. This is because what sets the Motorola Defy apart is the fact that its body is waterproof; that is a brilliant feature. The mere concept of a smartphone one could even use underwater is too impressive not to give the Motorola Defy full marks for hardware!

Camera and media - 9/10

The Motorola Defy includes a 5MP camera, which has more or less become the industry standard for smartphones. Android also brings media features to the Motorola Defy, including the ubiquitous Youtube app. However, the Motorola Defy has to get extra marks for being the first phone that could be used (as an example), if one so desired, to take photos of your fish-tank, from inside the tank. That is impressive, to say the least!

Screen - 9/10

At 3.7 inches, with a resolution of 480x854 pixels, the Motorola Defy is more or less the same as the Motorola Milestone 2. Therefore, the Motorola Defy also has the same aspect ratio as that phone, making it close enough to be 16:9 widescreen. The screen is also made of scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass, which is a particularly important feature in a tough phone. Put simply, the Motorola Defy's screen is both tough and beautiful.

Social - 9/10

With Motorola's MOTOBLUR interface installed, the Motorola Defy is a seriously social smartphone; things like Facebook or Twitter feeds are front and centre on the device, and things like friends' statuses are updated in real-time. As with the earlier DEXT, the Motorola Defy is a truly social beast.

Overall - 9/10

The Motorola Defy is a somewhat unique proposition in the world of smartphones. If it were a normal, traditional smartphone, it would be a good phone. It is reasonably powerful, if not the most powerful phone in the world, with good looks and great features. However, when you also factor in that the Motorola Defy is completely waterproof down to a depth of 1.5m, it goes from being a good phone to being a downright brilliant phone. Because of that, because it merges the world of smartphones and tough phones so seamlessly, the Motorola Defy comes highly recommended.