Review: Motorola Defy on T-Mobile – rugged Android phone

by Scott Carmichael on

Back in September, we mentioned the Motorola Defy – the world’s first GSM rugged smartphone. And a little over a month later, the phone is already lined up to hit store shelves. As we promised back then, we’d get our hands on a review unit – and today we’ve got the photos and review to help keep that promise.

The Defy is Motorola’s second rugged Android smartphone, after their i1 on Sprint Nextel. The arrival of the Defy on T-Mobile means Motorola has firmly secured a top spot in the world of rugged Android phones.

First the basics – Inside the Defy is an 800MHz processor, Android 2.1, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, accelerometer, electronic compass, a 5 megapixel camera, FM radio and a MicroSD card slot. In other words – not too much astounding as this is quickly becoming the bare minimum anyone expects from an Android phone. Storage for the phone comes from 2GB of shared storage memory and 512MB of ram. Its 3.7″ 480×854 pixel screen sits behind a Gorilla Glass panel.

What makes the Defy special is that it can survive the elements – scratches, sand, snow, dust and water. This doesn’t necessarily mean the phone can come swimming with you, but as I’ll explain later, a bit of water won’t hurt this phone.

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The phone is surprisingly light – most likely because I’m used to large devices like the G2 or the Nexus One, but holding the Defy is an unexpected pleasure – despite it weighing just four ounces, the whole package feels really sturdy.

On the top is a power switch and headphone jack (with a plastic cover). On the left side is the sync/charge port, also covered by a plastic cap, and on the right side are two volume rockers.

On the rear of the Defy is its battery cover, which is locked in place by a sliding switch. The back is also where you’ll find its 5MP camera and LED flash.

Behind the cover is space for the MicroSD card (it takes cards up to 32GB), the SIM card slot and of course the battery. The entire back portion contains seals and gaskets, and the rear of the battery cover has a small amount of sealant, all designed to keep water out.

A review of a rugged phone would not be complete without putting the phone to the test with some water – I sprayed it continuously, then left it wet for ten minutes. I then sprayed it again, and turned it on. I repeated this test four times, and I’m happy to report that it survived just fine. I eventually dried it off, but there are absolutely no traces of the phone having been soaked.

Of course, there is a difference between soaked, and submerged, but “underwater” is not listed in the elements it’ll survive. It will get through a rain storm just fine, and it won’t have a problem with a day at the beach.

The front panel is made of Corning Gorilla Glass – a specially formulated glass which is much stronger than previous generations of panels. This alone makes for a much more rugged device.

There is not much I can say about the Android Operating System that hasn’t already been said. The Defy runs Android 2.1 – which is a bit of a disappointment, because it means your brand new phone already comes one version below the current one (2.2). I’m hoping this will eventually be updated.

Included on the phone is the Motorola Blur interface on top of Android – which means you get easy access to messaging and social media tools.

One pleasant surprise on the phone is the addition of T-Mobile’s Wi-Fi calling app. This new Android feature allows you to access the T-Mobile network using Wi-Fi. This is obviously fantastic for people abroad or if you have no signal. Calls are routed over Wi-Fi, and minutes come out of your regular pool.

When you go outside the country, you simply pull up a Wi-Fi connection and you’ll be able to make calls. And while this technology is not new, the Defy is one of the first to offer it on Android. You do not need to sign up for anything extra, and there is no configuration necessary – simply turn it on, and it works.

Other pre-installed apps include the T-Mobile Mobile App Pack, Audio Postcards, Blockbuster video streaming, a DLNA media streaming app, the Amazon Kindle reader, Quick Office, a task manager, Swype keyboard, Telenav GPS navigation and T-Mobile account tools. These are all of course in addition to the Moto Blur apps like Family Room.

Motorola also included a better music player than the default Android version – and this one supports the built in FM radio, streaming radio and music recognition through Soundhound.

(photo from the built in camera – hi-res versions are in the gallery)

Photos from the 5MP camera are are actually quite good – as long as there is enough light. Indoors, the camera can use its flash, but the results are hit or miss – too close and they are too bright, too far away and they are too dark. Video is only in VGA resolution, so no HD shots from this smartphone.

Final Thoughts

Putting aside the fact that I absolutely love Android – the Defy has taken me by surprise. It is light yet rugged, compact yet speedy. Not everyone will love the Moto Blur interface – but that is the nice thing about Android – if you find something you don’t like, you simply replace it with something else.

The phone survived my basic elements tests fine, call quality is good (even when on speakerphone) and the touch panel is very responsive. The screen is also quite usable in sunlight – and looked much better than my G2 or Nexus One.

Battery life is rated to be just under 7 hours of talk time and 9 days of standby – I’ve not had the phone long enough to check that claim, but as with most smartphones, anything that can last more than a day should be considered good.

Included in the box is the phone, battery, battery cover, a 2GB MicroSD card, MicroUSB cable, a charger and a headset.

The Motorola Defy on T-Mobile launches in November for $99.99 after a $50 mail in rebate, when purchased on a two-year agreement with a data plan. To learn more about the phone, or to order one when it becomes available, head on over to T-Mobile.com.

Ask Gadling: What do you do when your guidebook is wrong?

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Ever bought a guidebook and discovered when you arrived it was useless? Full of outdated maps and ho-hum restaurant picks, your guidebook is better suited for Grandma’s group tour than a grand night on the town.

Rest easy, mindful traveler. Rather than being something to worry about, discovering your guidebook is awful should actually be cause to celebrate. In fact, you might as well chuck that lousy thing out your hotel window.

Here’s the truth: for anyone looking to add a dose of spontaneity, authentic local culture and plain old randomness to their travels, going guidebook-free is a blessing in disguise. Still not convinced? In an era of ever-present Internet and cheap mobile phones, you’re never more than a step away from all the information you’ll ever need. Keep reading below for four ways to get rid of those guidebook woes, once-and-for-all.Enjoy the Randomness
Wait a second. An expert travel site is telling me to spend my hard-earned vacation wandering around aimlessly, with no plan whatsoever? Yes. Travel isn’t just about checking sights off a list. It’s about immersing yourself in an experience totally different than what you’re used to at home. The best way to do that is to lose the guidebook and get lost. Walk down a street you don’t recognize. Get on a city bus that you don’t know the destination. Talk to a random stranger. Do anything really. The point is that without a plan, you’re all the more likely to have rewarding, unexpected experiences. They might not end how you “planned” – but all the better.

Pull out your mobile phone
In an era of super-smart Internet-ready mobile phones, guidebooks aren’t just out of date: they’re downright obsolete. Whether you need the public transit schedule in San Francisco, are looking to track down some good Cuban food in Miami or want instant translations of a foreign language menu, a mobile phone with a data connection can likely find you the answer. From Augmented Reality to Location Services, mobile phones have become the new guidebook. Best of all, they’re a guidebook that fits comfortably in your pocket.

Ask a local
You won’t find the best tips for a destination in a guidebook. Instead, savvy travelers know to ask the locals. Even if you think you know your destination’s most important sites, locals will often suggest off-the-beaten activities and unexpected highlights that even the most detailed up-to-date guidebook would never find. What if you don’t know any locals in your destination? Not a problem. Either strike up a conversation when you arrive (don’t worry, they won’t bite) or use web tools like Twitter, Facebook or Couchsurfing to ask around for help. Thanks to the wonder of the Internet, you’ll have a local showing you around in no time.

Not loving your guidebook? Perhaps it’s time you gave it up. These days, with help from technology, local expertise and a little willingness to be surprised, traveling without it is easier and more enjoyable than you think.

[Photo by Flickr user Matt Murf]

Download a walking tour of the city – International travel tip

by Gadling Staff on

A great way to learn about a city before you arrive is to download a walking tour of the city to your MP3 player or smart phone.

Many destinations, particularly in Europe, offer free downloads of maps, audio tours, and podcasts through official city government and tourism websites. Self-guided sightseeing tours of cities and major attractions, such as the Louvre, may also be available through Apple’s iTunes website. Some tours may require a small fee to download, but they’re usually less than $15.

The advantage of learning about the city before your arrival is that you can maximize your time by doing those things you really want to do, rather than trying to figure out your schedule while on the ground. Also, being oriented upon arrival just makes you feel more confident and excited about your adventure.

Blog it or Facebook it or Tweet it or … – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

Let friends and family share in your road trip adventure by posting details along the way via your blog, Facebook, Twitter or other social media site. People at home are curious about your adventures, and seeing your update may trigger a memory or suggestion they have to improve your trip.

With a smartphone such as the Apple iPhone, Motorola Droid or Research in Motion’s BlackBerry, it’s a snap to post a status update of your trip or take and upload a photo or video of a roadside attraction. Smartphone Facebook apps and apps such as Bloglive make it easy to upload your content.

Of course, don’t do any of this while driving. Wait until you’re stopped, or have a passenger do the posting.

The future at the airport involves your phone, fingers and eyes

by Scott Carmichael on

The year is 2016, you wake on time and make your way to the airport in your battery powered car. At the UnitedDeltaContinental airlines desk you wave your phone in front of the check-in kiosk and a green light indicates that you are cleared to proceed to the security checkpoint.

At the checkpoint, an agent waves his rfid reader tag in front of the wallet in your pocket, and you stick your hand in a biometric ID reader. The agent stares at a hidden display for a few seconds and allows you to walk through the full body scanner. As you pass through the device, you think back to the days when you had to place your bags on that stupid conveyor belt, and how it always delayed getting to the gate on time.

At the gate, you connect your iPhone 5G with the gate information system, and you instantly receive a message about your upgrade request, sadly you’ll be stuck in coach again for this flight.

Boarding is delayed 20 minutes, once it begins, your phone begins to vibrate that your boarding group is allowed to get on the plane. At the gate, you stare into the airline iris scanner, and the gate attendant allows you to board.

A lot of what I just wrote sounds very much like science fiction, but the idea behind it is based upon developments being made in the world of aviation technology. Airlines and airports have long been very outdated places, and innovation meant investing in new equipment, which is something airlines hate doing.
Mobile boarding passes

The “swipe to board” mobile phone boarding pass may not be here just yet, but the foundations for this kind of technology are already in place. Our very own Grant Martin was one of the first people to post a real life review of using an iPhone instead of a paper boarding pass, and wrote about his experiences here.

The idea of using your phone as a boarding pass is nothing new, but now more and more phones are being sold with large high-resolution displays, airlines are beginning trials that will allow you a true paper-free experience. There are even some phones out there with the ability to “swipe and read”, like a system being offered on some Nokia phones called “Near Field Communications“

My prediction? We’ll be seeing more airlines introduce trials of mobile phone boarding passes in 2009, and by 2011 all airlines will have the equipment in place to let you board using a bar code image on your phone display.

TSA/immigration biometric ID readers

In an ideal world (in the minds of the Department of Homeland Security), we’ll all be fingerprinted, and will have our personal information stored in a massive government database.

The first steps are already being taken at the immigration checkpoint where visitors to the country are fingerprinted. The next step beings early next year, when US Permanent Residents get fingerprinted when they return to the US.

As the fingerprint database begins to grow, it probably won’t be too long until someone floats the idea (again) of a national ID with fingerprint information.

Some airports already have government backed biometric systems in place; Amsterdam Schiphol introduced the Privium system back in 2001 and London airports have been offering passengers the ability to bypass the immigration desk with their IRIS system since 2006.

The US “INSPASS” biometric immigration system was in place as early as 1993, but was abandoned in 2002. The foundations of INSPASS are now being used for border crossings between the US and Canada in the NEXUS system.

My prediction? A nationwide US biometric database won’t happen for at least 10 more years. Privacy is something far too important to allow technology to intervene with, especially when the government has a poor track record of implementing these new projects. I do forsee larger projects by the private sector allowing travelers to pass the checkpoint faster. Clear already does biometric authentication at the airport, but only at a limited number of cities.

Security checkpoint full body scanners

The full body scanner is not new, but it is needless to say that the concept of a full body x-ray doesn’t sit too well with many people. The scanners are currently being tested at 10 different US airports, but the trial only involves offering the scanner as an alternative to a pat down in a secondary security search.

The obvious question is whether the scanner can see “everything”, and the answer is yes – the full body scanner will see all your “parts”, the TSA tries to alleviate passenger concerns by moving the screener away from the machine, hidden away in a dark room. Your face is also blurred on the display, so there is no risk of TSA agents pointing at you while giggling like little school girls.

Sadly, the truth is that the full body scanner is probably here to stay, and will eventually become the way all passengers are scanned at the airport. There is no denying that the ability to see right through you and your clothes is the most effective way to scan for weapons or other unwanted items at the airport. Whether this technology will also involve you walking through with your bags is just a matter of time.

My prediction? By 2012 we’ll have full body scanners at some of the major airports in the country, and by 2015 all airports will be scanning passengers with these devices.

Gate technology improvements

A large number of passengers at the airport already walk around with a Bluetooth enabled phone in their pocket, so when you mix that technology with tracking software, you end up with something that can tell where you are, or more importantly where you are when you should be at the gate getting on your flight.

Copenhagen airport has a system in place that uses this technology to track passengers who voluntarily participate in the program.

Imagine a world where the airport announcement doesn’t just ask Mr.Jones to proceed to gate 12, but also tells him to get the hell out of the duty free store and run, because it is a 9 minute walk from where he currently is.

My prediction? Within the next couple of years, we’ll see a true “real time” boarding announcement system that can communicate with your mobile phone. It may be as simple as an email telling you to hurry up, but I have no doubts that airlines will do everything they can to speed up the boarding process, and try to get a better idea of where passengers are when they should be at the gate.