The Motorola Defy is no joke: it's built to withstand being dropped, submerged in water, and is dust/scratch proof. According to This is my next, the next version of the Defy - subtly called the Defy+ - could be right around the corner and coming to an AT&T store near you.
The word on the street is that the second iteration of this durable handset is sporting 850 / 1900 / 2100 HSPA radios (hence the AT&T assumption) and is said to rock a 1GHz OMAP 3620 processor in place of the OMAP 3610 in the current version, as well as Android 2.3.3 right out of the box.
Since it's also carrying the Defy name, it's probably safe to assume that it will also have the same durability and protective features as its little brother - but only time will tell.