If you saw the Defy and read its specifications, you'd think it's just another Android smartphone: it sports a 3.7'' touchscreen display with a 480 x 854 pixel resolution, an 800 MHz CPU, a 5-megapixel camera with a flash, aGPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, and a microUSB jack.
However, the Defy is resistant to dust, scratches and impact, as well as water, making it quite a different beast from most other smartphones of its ilk. Most importantly, the extra protection doesn't come at the expense of size and weight: the phone's dimensions are 59 x 107 x 13.4 mm and it weighs 118 grams. It compares favorably to iPhone 4's weight of 137 grams, although it is 4.1 mm thicker than Apple's smartphone.
On the software side, the Defy sports Motorola's social networking/email aggregator Motoblur, as well as Swype technology for faster text input. Unfortunately, the device is based on Android 2.1, which is a shame since Android 2.2 (Froyo) has been around for over three months now. You may remember another Android-based rugged smartphone from Motorola: the Motorola i1. Unfortunately, that device is based on the (now very dated) Android 1.5, which, together with the advent of Defy, means it will soon fall into oblivion.
Motorola's Defy is not the most powerful Android device out there, but it's not very far, either. If you don't mind a slightly obsolete OS and CPU (most high-end competitors nowadays have a 1 GHz CPU), and desire a smartphone that can withstand a little abuse, the Defy sounds like a solid choice.
Motorola Defy will become available in Europe in Q4 2010.
