Some mobile phones are built with more ruggedized features than others, but phone manufacturers often focus on drop and impact yet ignore some main culprits threatening a phone’s integrity: moisture, dirt and screen integrity. These are the main targets for the newly unveiled Motorola DEFY+, an Android-based phone that stands up to environment.
The DEFY+ runs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), Google’s latest version of the mobile operating system. The new operating system is optimized to work smarter, faster, and offers better battery life so you can go longer without plugging in.
The features we like are the water resistant, dust proof and scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass properties of the phone. We’ve tested Corning’s Gorilla Glass, and compared to the display glass used on most phones, this new glass stands up to threats such as keys, rocks and other sharp objects. It takes quite a bit of pressure before the glass shows any signs of distress. So you can put this in your pocket and not worry if the phone’s display dances with other gear you have stored alongside it.
Motorola also worked on the integrity of the whole phone. It’s water resistant and dust proof. The phone will survive a rain storm, and does pretty well at the beach or on a hike where you might worry about sand and dirt getting into the phone’s cracks.
While Motorola is hyping the DEFY+ for more than just fitness, the phone comes pre-loaded with the CardioTrainer application. With this app the phone tracks your workout progress.
At this time Motorola has announced the phone, but there’s no U.S. launch date or carrier partner announced just yet. It may be a Google-Motorola DEFY+ by the time it becomes available.
[Via PC Magazine: Motorola Unveils Updated Defy+ Rugged Smartphone]