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When we first saw it we were pleased with the original Motorola Defy, linking its toughness and it social media features. Several months on Motorola may think it has revamped the Defy well, but we aren't so sure.
The Chassis is unchanged, as is the overall size. Over the last six months handset sizes have become larger and arguably a 3.7 inch screen is borderline minimal size if you are to make the most of a smartphone.
Moreover, inside, while there have been some upgrades, much remains untouched. The Defy was wow-worthy, but the Defy+ is in many ways just more of the same.
We disliked
The camera is not a star feature, and a max video resolution of 640 x 480 is really too low to pass muster – though we did have fun with both fast and slow shooting modes.
The inability to link contacts across different social networks is an unbelievably bad error. We hope Motorola puts this feature, which was in the original Defy, back or we'll consider the Defy+ rather hampered.
The screen is a bit small for truly visually rich social media activity these days, and Motorola does itself no favours by sometimes using some truly tiny icons that are difficult to hit accurately.
We liked
The Connected Media Player continues to wow us every time we see it. It's a clever conflation of on board and online service that we really enjoy using.
An extended battery is noteworthy, though it is still only really good for a day between charges. We do like the battery management features, though.
The rugged features undoubtedly give this handset a lift, and should help it withstand bumps and knocks.
Verdict
We wanted to be very impressed by the Motorola Defy+, but in the end the update just doesn't do enough to get us going. We'd almost suggest that if you want a Defy you plump for the older model – it'll be cheaper and you won't be losing out on a great deal.
