Motorola strengthens Defy+ with JCB logo
Do ya dig it?
Motorola's Defy+ handset is already touted as a tough-as-nails smartphone, embracing the elements and surviving tumbles from great heights. However, for those who need to turn things up to 11, the company has teamed with digger maker JCB to launch an even more rugged version of the beefy blower.
The limited edition JCB Motorola Defy+ is being touted toward construction site workers. While the ability to wolf-whistle at leggy blondes might need further programming, the handset does come packed with relevant pre-loaded apps such as a spirit level, theodolite, decibel meter and directions to local DIY stores.
Speaking of hardware, the JCB-branded handset features a 1GHz processor running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a 3.7in Gorilla glass display, 2GB of internal storage, a 2GB Micro SD card and a 5Mp camera.
The JCB Defy+ hammers down in the UK soon for £260. Perhaps this time, the Defy will actually be as tough as Motorola advertises. ®
COMMENTS
Eh?
Not very 'JCB' is it?
Couldn't they have done a deal with Doc Martens?
Oi! Oi! Oi!
Erm... maybe not then.
I used to have one of the old-style JCB toughphones. Built like the proverbial brick shit-house, but the interface was like something out of the ark and the functionality equally as primitive. I replaced it with an iPhone 3GS, which lives permanently in an Otterbox Defender case. Result = Tough as old boots phone, but with all the nice modern doodads and GUI features.
I do quite like the look of that Motorola Defy though –even though I've already rolled my own "Tough-but-Smart-phone"©
We've got Samsung Solid Extremes,
used by industrial field service engineers. The phones normally have a hard life being knocked about or having tools etc dropped on them and historically were broken by the end of a 1-year contract. The Samsungs have so far lasted just over 2 years and are still going strong; not a single engineer felt like his phone needed replacement, all the batteries are still lasting well (>1 week standby) and the appearance of them is still alright, excepting a little grubbiness.
If these 'JCB' phones are as tough as that we would almost certainly order a handful, and start using them for work orders, technical information etc (the Samsungs are quite basic in functionality).
I'll be interested to see if these are actually as rugged as they're made out to be. If they are, there's probably a big market out there waiting for them.
Android 2.3?
They missed a trick there. Surely it should come with SE Android on it?
