Motorola Defy 2 Rugged Smartphone Announced With Satellite Messaging

There are two anxieties associated when heading into the wilderness with a smartphone. The first is the battery life and the second is would be the coverage. While it is not clear if the new Motorola Defy 2 Rugged Smartphone’s 5,000 mAh battery will quell battery anxiety but one thing for sure is, it will eliminate coverage anxiety. Well, at least, on the messaging aspect.

The Motorola Defy 2 (stylized as motorola defy²) is the first rugged smartphone using the ‘Bullitt Satellite Messenger service, with advanced two-way satellite messaging technology, location sharing, and SOS assistance.

The Defy 2 along with the Motorola Defy Satellite Link are the first devices to launch on the Bullitt Satellite Connect platform unveiled at the MWC23 in Barcelona.

In addition to quelling your anxiety about coverage when out in remote locations, the Motorola Defy 2 also addressed hardware survivability in the wilderness.

While it may not quite look like it, it features an extremely robust design. It is able to survive drops and falls, and has been lab and real-world-tested to heights of up to 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) – including repeated drops onto a steel plate in every orientation.

Moreover, it has been put through rigorous MIL-SPEC 810H testing, having tests in high and low-temperature extremes, in humid environments, and in salt mist conditions, and put through vibrations and tumble tests.

It is IP68 and IP69K rated, making it impervious to dust, sand, and dirt ingress, and highly waterproof. It has been put through a submersion test to depths down to 5 meters (16 feet) and subjected to high-pressure water jets.

The Defy 2 also touts a hygiene device design. This means it can be cleaned and sanitized with soap and water, or even alcohol wipes, and it further boasts Bullitt’s Hygiene+ technology that has external surfaces manufactured with materials blended with antimicrobial, antibacterial additives.

The Motorola Defy 2 Rugged Smartphone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensisty 930 octacore 2.2 GHz processor and has 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB storage, which is further expandable with microSD cards. It is outfitted with a 120 Hz variable refresh rate 6.6” FHD+ display and a 5,000 mAh battery offering up to 2 days of power.

Speaking of battery, it has support for 15W fast charging as well as Qi wireless charging. Imaging is offered by a triple-camera setup consisting of a 50 MP main camera, an 8 MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2 MP macro camera, and there is an 8 MP front-facing camera.

Out-of-the-box, the device runs on Android 12, with the promise of two OS updates, and 5 years of security patches.

The Motorola Defy 2 will be available from Q2 2023 from select operators across North America, Latin America, and Canada with a starting price of US$599, including a 12-month SOS Assist.

Motorola Defy Satellite Link

For folks who prefer to stick with their current smartphones, there is the Motorola Defy Satellite Link. Motorola Defy Satellite Link is a Bluetooth device that provides satellite connectivity to any smartphone, iPhones included.

It brings accessible and affordable satellite messaging to everybody’s current smartphone. It has a handy attachment loop that allows any smartphone to connect to the Bullitt Satellite Messenger Service, thereby enabling two-way messaging over satellite, location sharing, and SOS assistance on the paired phone.

The device is tough, pocket-friendly, passed MIL-SPEC 810H testing and is IP68 rated. It is outfitted with a 600 mAh battery for multiple days of use. The device further features physical SOS and location ‘Check In’ buttons which allow some functionality when not near the paired smartphone.

The Motorola Defy Satellite Link will be available starting in Q2 2023 across international retailers, priced at US$99 and up device-only or bundle with 12 months sub to Essentials Messaging service plan for US$149 and up.

Images: Motorola.