Motorola Defy (2021)

The Motorola Defy (2021) is a rugged smartphone that can withstand sand, dirt and water. What it also is is a relatively simple phone. And so while this rugged phone may be suitable for many situations, it is not equally suitable for every situation. You can read more about that here.

Impressive appearance

But let's start with the strongest feature of the Defy (2021); its robust body. It is drop-proof up to 1.8 metres, waterproof for 35 minutes up to 1.5 metres and dust- and sand-resistant. If you drop the Defy into seawater, Motorola recommends rinsing it thoroughly to prevent rust in the USB port. Feel free to use some soap, as it is resistant to soap as well. The rubbery back offers enough grip and the front is protected by the new Gorilla Glass Victus. All around sufficient protection. The sides are straight and with 10.9 millimetres, the Defy is also relatively thick. It's just as well, because we would not trust a skinny bouncer.

Performance not bad

Behind all that protection is a Snapdragon 662 processor. That's an octa-core processor with 4GB of RAM memory. Combined with an HD+ display, that doesn't yield bad performance at all. Of course, a Full HD+ screen brings with it sharpness but that also requires more processing power. The battery measures a more than decent 5000 mAh, which makes it one of the larger batteries. There is also support for fast charging, something that is sometimes lacking. Charging can be done with a maximum of 20 Watts.

Most important Motorola Defy (2021) specifications

• 6.5 inch HD+ screen with Gorilla Glass Victus protection
• Robust MIL-SPEC 810H case is IP68 water and dust resistant
• Snapdragon 662 processor with 4GB RAM memory, 64GB storage memory
• 5000 mAh large battery with 20W TurboPower fast charging
• 48+2+2MP camera with depth and macro lens
• 8MP selfie camera in front notch
• 4G support for fast mobile internet
• Released with Android 10, promised update to 11

Triple camera, nothing special

The Defy 2021 is equipped with a so-called Quad Pixel camera system. That suggests that there are four cameras but the 'Quad' refers to something else here. The 48MP camera combines 4 pixels into 1 super-pixel. This makes photos generally sharper and with better exposure. In the case of the Defy, this is true to a certain extent. In day-light, it performs reasonably well, but in the dark it is more difficult. There is also a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth camera. So unfortunately no ultra wide angle or zoom. On the front is an 8MP shooter for selfies. Useful is also the extra button on the right side. You can programme it to open a certain app quickly.