Smartphone review: Motorola Defy

One tough Android


Smartphone review: Motorola Defy

by Hedirman Supian
05:55 AM Jan 28, 2011

RUGGEDISED devices tend to look clunky and ugly, don't you think?

The Motorola Defy ($528) defies that stereotype by packaging a tough Android smartphone in sleek aesthetics. It feels very compact and surprisingly light in the hand.

The Defy has matte black backing and a glossy screen. Its 3.7-inch display is layered with scratch and impact resistant Corning Gorilla glass so you can throw it in your bag, along with your keys, yet not have to worry about it getting scratched.

The responsive capacitative screen is bright and sharp enough for outdoor use. Our only niggle were the touch-sensitive keys (for the standard home, search, menu and back buttons) placed below - we kept activating them by accident while using the touchscreen display.

The headphone jack and micro USB port on this dust- and water-resistant smartphone are protected by rubberised covers. We tried plonking the smartphone into a glass of water and it escaped unscathed. But we reckon it won't survive a few laps in the pool, even if you stuff it snugly into your skin-tight trunks.

The Defy has 2GB of built-in storage, while a micro SD slot is also available for storage expansion. It runs on an 800MHz processor and seems relatively snappy in day-to-day use. However, the smartphone got particularly sluggish each time we tried activating the 5-megapixel camera. Video capture was only limited to VGA quality, not the high-definition quality we're used to seeing from the latest, cutting-edge phones - but you do get the option to record videos with some funky colour effects.

The user interface feels a bit dated since it runs version 2.1 (commonly dubbed Eclair) of the Android operating system. Fortunately, an upgrade to version 2.2 will be rolled out in the second quarter of the year. We found the dedicated 3G mobile hotspot app that allows you to share your 3G connection with WiFi-enabled devices a bit spotty, refusing to share our connection at times and deactivating itself at random.

Battery life was decent, with the device surviving a normal workday with regular usage of multimedia playback, 3G and WiFi for email, Web browsing, hotspot sharing and GPS via Google Maps.

Consider the Defy if you're looking for a durable and resilient Android smartphone that won't make you cringe every time you look at it. Hedirman Supian

Source: www.todayonline.com

Motorola Defy Android Phone (T-Mobile)