Hardware > Phones

Sonic boon

Call quality – a feature often overlooked in modern do-it-all smartphones – is excellent. The Defy uses Motorola's CrystalTalk Plus system with two microphones for active noise cancellation, which is a combination that results in the best call quality I have encountered on an Android or iPhone handset.

Neat, nifty and takes the knocks

Verdict

Despite the bargain basement contract price and dinky size the Defy delivers a big screen, tough as old boots build quality, good battery life, excellent voice call characteristics and the largest applications storage space of any Android phone this side of a Nexus S. The only slight disappointment is the absence of Froyo but I'm prepared to take Motorola at its word that an update will arrive before June 30th. It better had do, in a rare putting-money-where-mouth-is moment, I've just bought one. ®

More Android Smartphone Reviews...
HTC Desire Z	Google Nexus S	LG Optimus One	Motorola Milestone 2

Regcast training : Hyper-V 3.0, VM high availability and disaster recovery

85%

Motorola Defy

Tough, small, light and capable Android smartphone.

Price: £320, £20pm (T-Mobile contract) RRP

More Info: Motorola's Defy page

COMMENTS

House Rules Send Corrections

All Reader Comments (44)

Highly Rated

Posted Wednesday 2nd February 2011 10:11 GMT

Anonymous Coward

MotoFail

2.1?

"Motorola says it has plans to upgrade the Defy to 2.2 in the admittedly slightly vague sounding "Q2""

"Has plans" my arse.

Until the device prompts you to download the update it's all wind and piss.

Speaking from bitter experience with Android-powered Motorola devices.

Posted Wednesday 2nd February 2011 10:13 GMT

Anonymous Coward

Motorola 'updates' again

I'm afraid it's the same old Motorola story again, ship with an ancient version of the OS and promise an update at some unspecified time in the future which never arrives.

I'm a DEXT owner you see, and that's what they did for us.

It's a nice phone to be sure, but as a Motorola owner I'd say only buy it if you're going to be happy with the OS that'll be on it at purchase because their upgrade promises aren't worth the screen pixels that make them up.

Or make it easy for yourself and buy your Android phone from someone else.

Posted Wednesday 2nd February 2011 10:11 GMT

zero273

I wouldn't hold my breath..

..for an update. Motorola builds excellent hardware, but they are either uncapable or unwilling to support their devices with software upgrades once they've sold them.

My theory is that they believe people will go and buy a new phone if they don't upgrade. Which is actually true - I will buy a new phone, just not from Motorola. Ever again.