Motorola Defy (2021) in for review

02 August 2021
Tough, rugged, reasonably priced and fairly-specced.

Sort by:

Acorns, 02 Aug 2021100% agree 👍. Why can't the people making the decision... moreYes indeed. Windows Phone OS failed and so did BB10 since all the popular apps were on the Play Store and App Store at the time and these companies wouldn't let their operating system to run those apps although they could easily have enabled the functionality. I had the BlackBerry Z10 which I used to side-load Android apps as I really liked the compact form and classy design of the phone but unfortunately that too had it's limitations and finally, I switched to Android but the Nokia was still my favourite so got a Lumia 520 to give it a try and use it as the main phone. The user interface and everything was much cleaner on Windows Phone and it was a lot smoother than the androids of the time, but it had the same problem of lack of apps and so I switched back to Android and using it to this day. Thankfully, never got an iPhone as I do not find it worth all that hype around it. The Nokia Lumia phones still for me, are one of the best looking phone designs and also the flat and edgy Omni Balance design of the Xperia phones. Even those Lumia phones that arrived afterwards which had metal frames and plastic back were still much better looking than the same that exists today. I almost got a Lumia again, a 930, cause of the fondness for Lumia design, but given the lack of apps, I had to cancel it ultimately. Used several Nokia phones to this day and even now I use this 8110 4G for it's unique design and small size. Yes, the real and once iconic Nokia should be back and create such iconic designs again and it will reach the top of the smartphone world just like it was back in the day

    • P
    • PiCosm
    • mp7
    • 02 Aug 2021

    PiCosm, 02 Aug 2021I had the original one! Fond memories of dropping it into a... moreBtw had mine in 2010! Just been viewing picture of it in glass of beer and photos taken with it.

      • P
      • PiCosm
      • mp7
      • 02 Aug 2021

      I had the original one! Fond memories of dropping it into a pint of beer and then having my mates call it. Great watching it ring and then picking it out and answering it to prove it would still work. Back then water proof phones were very rare. It had a nice compact form factor like the little Sony Xperias that were so popular back in their day. Hope the 2021 Defy has wireless charging. Will make sense for a tough phone.

        Anonymous, 02 Aug 2021I also remember how the earlier moto smartphones were desig... moreYeah the original Moto g was my first android phone when I finally had to concede defeat with my beloved Lumia 820 and I couldn't believe how awesome it was for the price ( the original pioneer to today's Poco X3 NFC) proving you could get a great phone for a fraction of the price of a flagship that did 80% of the things of phones costing double. So much fun picking out all the different parts to make the Moto X personalised too when finally upgraded the Moto g. Imagine if food took the same road as phones, we would all be eating nothing but mashed potato now!

          Anonymous, 02 Aug 2021I also remember how the earlier moto smartphones were desig... moreYeah forgot about Sony, I really like their industrial, squared off designs too especiall the old Z3 which I think was a gorgeous design and at least the large bezels had front firing stereo speakers so served a useful purpose.

            Anonymous, 02 Aug 2021Fully agree. Phones today have reached a point where one do... more100% agree 👍. Why can't the people making the decisions at these companies grasp this? Folks loved Nokia BECAUSE it was different, quirky and they didn't follow the pack when it came to design, even the windows OS wouldn't have been a bad move if developers had gotten on board and made the apps for it like android and iOS. I loved my Lumia 820 in bright yellow and even back in 2012/13 it had oled screen, wireless charging and an AOD which was awesome along with removable battery and interchangeable covers. Before that I had a Nokia N8 and before that a 'legendary' 3310! All great phones eventually let down by their operating systems not keeping up with android and iOS. Now they running android let's see some classic designs return, I'm convinced folks would love to see that happen. COME ON NOKIA, YOU CAN DO THIS!

              • ?
              • Anonymous
              • vGG
              • 02 Aug 2021

              Acorns, 02 Aug 2021You've hit the nail on the head there with what Motoro... moreI also remember how the earlier moto smartphones were designed, having owned many of these over the years. The design stood out from the sea of generic looking ones. The Moto G 1st Gen, Nexus 6, Moto X Style etc all were original looking, with curves and built out of different kinds of materials like the Moto X that actually had wood back as an option, and with the Moto Maker service, that was US only, one could also have the volume buttons and other bits of their phone in the colour of their choice. Even the plastic back phones were with textured finishes, example the Moto X Play. Those were the real Moto phones. I have at present two Moto X Force phones and the design is beautiful. The back is made of ballistic nylon that curves towards to end and frame being aluminum. Although a lot of phones today are premium looking but in some way they all look very boring. I think the only smartphone company to still exist with interesting design is Sony. Their Xperia phones still have a very pretty design without notches or cutouts and even the camera shutter button is still present

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • vGG
                • 02 Aug 2021

                Acorns, 02 Aug 2021You've hit the nail on the head there with what Motoro... moreFully agree. Phones today have reached a point where one doesn't have to spend upwards of a thousand bucks for a decent Android experience, and the ones that are that on the high-end today aren't really worth the money. Their cameras are better and the looks and build quality are a bit premium but hardly that deserves that high price when they are going to outdated just as quick as all other phones i.e a few years




                The Lumia phones, although all plastic but were really pretty looking designs. I remember the unibody design and curved edges with bright colours, coupled with the Nokia typical quality and craftsmanship, resulted into really some of the best looking phones even to this day. I would love to see such phones again, especially today when compact phones are a rarity. A phone like Lumia 720 with that unibody design would instantly become a bestseller if it arrived with Android. Nokia showed that a phone does not have to be glass or metal to be good looking. We need that Nokia again, the real Nokia

                  Anonymous, 02 Aug 2021Yep. They should stop fooling the people with these cheap r... moreYou've hit the nail on the head there with what Motorola and Nokia 'could have been'. I'd love to see a modern Nokia Lumia design in the bright colours running android or a real Moto X successor with Moto maker options to stand out in all the generic same designs we see endlessly churned out today. At least LG went down fighting trying to bring some genuine innovation to the game with its wing and I personally think much more useful 2 screen design that allowed for the best of both worlds to use as a normal phone or add another one if you needed it. I'm currently using a Poco X3 NFC which I got for under £200 and couldn't be happier with it. It really does show what you can put into a phone that doesn't cost upwards of £1000+ for everyday folks who can actually live without the whole nanosecond speed difference. If you actually stop and think about it you could buy 6 or 7 of these handsets for the price of just ONE Galaxy ultra! That's insane!

                    • H
                    • Hubbz
                    • n5u
                    • 02 Aug 2021

                    The original Motorola Defy was one of my favourite phones of time. I loved that phone....

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • vGG
                      • 02 Aug 2021

                      Acorns, 02 Aug 2021This absolutely especially at the price they charging! 1080... moreYep. They should stop fooling the people with these cheap rebranded stuff that is not even close to what real the Moto or Nokia could have been, if they two were still in the market today. I won't be surprised if some upcoming chinese company started slapping the LG or HTC or even Vertu tag on their generic phones and sell them for a premium price

                        Vishal J, 02 Aug 2021Stopped reading the moment I saw 720p displayThis absolutely especially at the price they charging! 1080p should be the industry standard in 2021 especially when the likes of Xiaomi/Poco/Redmi etc produce phones under £200 (I'm from UK) with way better specs. The 662 chip is also an old SOC now with the 720/732g or even 750g with 5g support much better performing chips. The best phone I've ever owned was the Moto X 2014 but these generic Lenovo phones aren't real Motos. I think Motorola and Nokia think they can still charge premium prices for what are basically underspecced Lenovo and hmd re brands and think folks will simply see the name and buy regardless. I would love to see Motorola and Nokia return to the smartphone big league but the phones they putting out lately are too overpriced and underspecced and please stop it with the 720p screens!

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • vGG
                          • 02 Aug 2021

                          True moto fans were expecting them to revive the Force phones but they disappointed us all with this Defy 2021 which is tbh boring

                            • ?
                            • Anonymous
                            • vGG
                            • 02 Aug 2021

                            Anonymous, 02 Aug 2021It's a shame that they removed ShatterShieldIndeed. It's a real shame they killed off the force line-up

                              ob, 02 Aug 2021Specsheet wise, yes. But I think this phone is tougher than... moreprice diffenrences? you already said it specsheet wise is yes, and nokia is giving longer support than motorola.

                                • ?
                                • Anonymous
                                • 0Cp
                                • 02 Aug 2021

                                It's a shame that they removed ShatterShield

                                  Anonymous, 02 Aug 2021And not a single picture of the display - more punch hole t... moreJust wait for the review, be patient.

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • MVm
                                    • 02 Aug 2021

                                    And not a single picture of the display - more punch hole trash most likely.

                                      • ?
                                      • Anonymous
                                      • vGG
                                      • 02 Aug 2021

                                      Anonymous, 02 Aug 2021Seems like a very good update over the old version. A 1080p... moreZenfone 8 is a great phone. Just not as rugged but very compact

                                        • ?
                                        • Anonymous
                                        • L6n
                                        • 02 Aug 2021

                                        Seems like a very good update over the old version. A 1080p display wouldn't have hurt, though. I used the original for many years, until Facebook required to much memory, and xda-devs stopped rom development for it :/ I picked it up a month ago, and a realized I really miss it. To bad I just bought a ZenFone 8.. :)

                                          3 of 4