Motorola Defy review
The Motorola Defy 2021 is a rugged phone that promises to withstand rough handling and harsh environments. With a durable design, IP68-rated dust and water resistance, and salt mist protection, this device is built for the adventurous type. But does its practical build come at the cost of a decent smartphone experience? We'll delve into its features, performance, and camera capabilities to find out if it's more than just a tough exterior.
Build Quality and Design
The Motorola Defy is a phone that's designed to take a beating. Its rugged build quality and durable design make it perfect for those who need a device that can withstand rough handling, exposure to the elements, or even accidents. One of the first things you'll notice about the Defy is its practical design. It doesn't have a flashy or sleek look, but rather a utilitarian approach that prioritizes functionality over aesthetics. The phone's rubber-like textured coating protects the device from scratches and bumps, while the perpendicular grooves on the back provide additional grip. The Defy's build quality is impressive, with IP68-rated dust and water resistance, salt mist protection, and the ability to survive drops onto concrete at up to 1.8 meters. It can also handle extreme temperatures and category 4 vibrations. This level of ruggedness isn't necessary for everyone, but it could be useful for those who work outdoors or have an adventurous lifestyle. The phone's design may not be the most stylish, but it's certainly manageable in hand. The chunky build is balanced by flat edges that provide plenty of grip, making it easy to hold onto. While some users may find the design a bit utilitarian, others will appreciate its practicality and ruggedness. Overall, the Motorola Defy's build quality and design make it an excellent choice for those who need a durable phone that can withstand rough handling. Its practical approach may not be for everyone, but for those who value toughness over style, this phone is definitely worth considering.
Battery Life
The Motorola Defy is a rugged phone that's designed to withstand the toughest conditions, but does it also offer great battery life? The answer is yes. With a massive 5,000 milliamp hour battery, the Moto Defy delivers an impressive endurance rating of 129 hours in our tests. This means you can use your phone for days without needing to charge it, making it perfect for outdoor enthusiasts or individuals who work in fields where charging may not be readily available. The large battery is a welcome feature, especially considering the phone's compact size. We found that the Defy could easily last two days with moderate use, and even heavy users will find it lasts around one day with some juice left over. Charging times are also relatively fast, taking just under three hours to fully charge from zero using the bundled 20-watt adapter. While it's not the fastest charging time we've seen, it's still respectable. Overall, the Motorola Defy's battery life is a major strength of this rugged phone. If you're looking for a device that can keep up with your active lifestyle without needing to be constantly recharged, the Moto Defy is definitely worth considering.
Display
The Motorola Defy's display is a mixed bag. On the one hand, it's a decent 6.5-inch IPS LCD with a 720p resolution and a standard 60Hz refresh rate. It's all protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, which should provide some protection against scratches and drops. However, the bezels are wide, and the pixel density is rather low at around 270 PPI. This results in a display that's not particularly sharp or detailed. The pixel response time isn't great either, leading to some ghosting while swiping and scrolling. The blacks on this display are pretty deep for an LCD, but colors aren't too accurate. You can choose from multiple color profiles, but they're all a bit off. Brightness is also just okay, with a maximum of around 440 nits. Overall, the display feels like it's been compromised to fit within the rugged phone's design. While not spectacular, the display gets the job done for casual use. If you're watching videos or browsing the web, you won't be blown away by its quality. However, if you're looking at this phone as a primary device, you may find yourself wishing for something better. It's worth noting that Motorola has included some features like peak display, which lights up the screen when you receive notifications. This is a nice touch, but it doesn't make up for the display's overall shortcomings. Overall, the Motorola Defy's display feels like an afterthought in this rugged phone design.
Camera
The Motorola Defy's camera setup is a quad-camera arrangement featuring a 48-megapixel primary sensor, a 2-megapixel macro lens, and a depth sensor. The primary camera delivers decent results with nice resolved detail and well-controlled noise. Colors are a bit muted, but not too bad, and the auto HDR does a good job of capturing a balanced exposure. In optimal lighting conditions, the Defy's main camera takes 12-megapixel photos that are suitable for social media sharing. The portrait mode works well, offering adequate subject separation and decent shots. Close-up photos from the macro lens are also commendable, despite the small size and limited pixel count. However, when it comes to low-light photography, the Defy struggles significantly. Main camera shots become soft and often end up out of focus, with poor dynamic range and blown-out highlights. The only redeeming factor is the presence of a night vision mode that can be enabled to help brighten up photos and fix clipped highlights and crushed shadows. Videos captured with the main camera are unimpressive, with vibrant colors but limited detail and dynamic range. Electronic image stabilization (EIS) does a good job of smoothing out shakes and bumps, but focus hunting is introduced in some cases. In conclusion, while the Motorola Defy's camera setup has its strengths, it also falls short in certain areas. The primary camera takes decent photos in optimal lighting conditions, but struggles in low light. The macro lens performs well, and portrait mode works adequately. However, the overall package is let down by poor performance in challenging lighting situations. For those who need a rugged phone with an adequate smartphone experience, the Motorola Defy's camera setup might be sufficient. Nevertheless, users seeking better camera capabilities may want to consider other options. The Defy's camera score is not spectacular, but it still manages to take decent photos – just don't expect too much from it in low-light conditions.
Price and Value
The Motorola Defy is a rugged phone that's designed to withstand rough handling and harsh environments. With its IP68-rated dust and water resistance, salt mist protection, and ability to survive drops onto concrete at up to 1.8 meters, this phone is built for those who need a reliable device in the field or for adventurous lifestyles. But does it also offer a decent smartphone experience? The answer lies in its mid-range specs and features. The phone's 6.5-inch IPS LCD display has a 720p resolution and a standard 60Hz refresh rate, protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. While not spectacular, the display is sufficient for casual use. The camera setup includes a 48-megapixel quad bay or main cam, a 2-megapixel macro camera, and a depth sensor. The 12-megapixel photos from the main camera are decent, with good detail and noise control, but colors can be muted. Portrait mode works well, and selfies from the 8-megapixel front-facing cam are okay. In terms of performance, the Motorola Defy is powered by a Snapdragon 662 chipset, which may not be the most powerful processor. However, it still manages to handle light gaming and day-to-day tasks without any issues. The Motorola Defy's price is where things get interesting. While it's priced similarly to other mid-range smartphones, its rugged design and build quality justify the cost. However, when compared to more modern smartphones with similar features, the Defy feels like a compromise on specs and performance. If you're looking for a phone that can withstand rough handling and still offer an adequate smartphone experience, the Motorola Defy is worth considering. Its price may seem steep at first glance, but its durability and reliability make it a solid value proposition for those who need a rugged device.
Performance
The Motorola Defy's performance is an area where compromises have been made to achieve its rugged credentials. Under the hood lies a Snapdragon 662 chipset built on an 11nm process, which was introduced back in 2020. This processor is not a powerhouse and lags behind similarly priced phones in benchmarks. In terms of CPU and GPU performance, the Motorola Defy ranks towards the bottom of the charts. As a result, it's not ideal for heavy gaming. However, it should still be able to handle light games and everyday tasks without any issues. One area where the Motorola Defy does excel is battery life. A large 5,000mAh battery powers this phone, and it delivers. Our endurance rating tests showed an impressive 129 hours of usage time, which is a testament to the phone's efficient design. Charging speeds are somewhat average, taking around two and a half hours to fully charge with the bundled 20W adapter. While not the fastest, it still gets the job done.
Pros
1. A rugged phone that can take a lot of punishment and keep on ticking
2. Has a practical design with a rubber-like textured coating protecting the device
3. The perpendicular grooves do look kind of neat though
4. It's manageable to hold despite being a bit chunky
5. Has IP68 rated dust and water resistance, salt mist protection too
6. Can survive drops onto concrete at up to 1.8 meters and handle extreme temperatures
7. Has great battery life with an endurance rating of 129 hours
Cons
1. The screen is a 6.5 inch IPS LCD with a 720p resolution and a standard 60hz refresh rate
2. Bezels are wide and pixel density is rather low at around 270 ppi
3. Pixel response time isn't the best, ghosting while swiping and scrolling
4. Blacks are pretty deep for an LCD but colors aren't too accurate
5. Storage is just 64GB on board with microSD expansion only
6. Interface is outdated Android 10 with some Moto features on top
7. Not ideal for heavy gaming due to the Snapdragon 662 chipset