Motorola is making a renewed push into the flagship smartphone market with the Motorola Signature, a device aiming to compete with established players like Apple and Samsung. The phone, detailed in recent reviews, represents a significant step up from Motorola’s traditionally mid-range Moto G series, boasting high-end specifications and a focus on premium design and durability.
Durable Design and Robust Build Quality
The Motorola Signature prioritizes build quality, featuring an aluminum frame and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front. It carries both IP68 and IP69 ratings for water and dust resistance, and also meets the stringent requirements of the MIL-STD-810H military standard. This combination of certifications suggests the phone can withstand submersion in up to 1.2 meters of water for 30 minutes, as well as exposure to high-pressure water jets and a range of environmental stressors. The device measures approximately 162.1 x 76.4 x 7mm and weighs 186 grams, achieving a relatively slim profile despite its robust construction.
Immersive Display with High Refresh Rate
The Signature features a 6.8-inch LTPO AMOLED display capable of rendering over a billion colors. A dynamic refresh rate of up to 165Hz is supported, adapting to the content being displayed to optimize both visual smoothness and power consumption. The display also supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ for enhanced video playback. Its resolution is 2780 x 1264 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of approximately 446 ppi, and a peak brightness of 6200 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in bright sunlight. The LTPO technology allows the refresh rate to scale dynamically, conserving battery life when static content is displayed.
Powerful Performance with Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
Powering the Motorola Signature is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor, fabricated on a 3nm process. This is paired with the Adreno 829 GPU, positioning the phone among the most powerful Android devices currently available. The Signature is offered in configurations ranging from 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM with 256GB of UFS 4.1 storage, up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The phone runs Android 16 and Motorola promises up to seven major Android updates, ensuring long-term software support.
Versatile Quad-Camera System
The Motorola Signature incorporates a triple-camera system, each sensor boasting a resolution of 50 megapixels. The primary wide-angle camera features a f/1.6 aperture and optical image stabilization (OIS). A telephoto lens provides 3x optical zoom, also with OIS, and an ultra-wide-angle lens has a f/2.0 aperture and supports autofocus. The front-facing camera is also a 50-megapixel sensor with Dual Pixel autofocus. The device can record video at up to 8K resolution at 30 frames per second with Dolby Vision support, as well as 4K video at various frame rates up to 120fps, with electronic image stabilization and HDR10+ video capabilities.
Large Battery with Fast Charging
The Motorola Signature is equipped with a 5200mAh battery utilizing silicon-carbon battery technology. It supports 90W wired fast charging, capable of charging the phone to approximately 50% in around 15 minutes. 50W wireless charging is also supported, alongside 10W reverse wireless charging and 5W reverse wired charging, offering flexibility in power management and the ability to charge other devices.
Advanced Connectivity Features
The phone supports 5G connectivity and eSIM functionality. It includes Wi-Fi 7 tri-band, Bluetooth 6.0, and NFC. A USB-C port with USB 3.1 Gen 2 speeds and DisplayPort 1.4 support allows for connection to external displays. The device also incorporates Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology for precise device tracking.
Unboxing Experience and Accessories
The Motorola Signature is packaged in a two-piece thick cardboard box, eschewing plastic packaging in favor of environmentally friendly materials and vegetable-based inks. The European review unit did not include a charger in the box, with Motorola recommending a 90W USB-C charger for optimal fast charging. The package includes a transparent hard plastic case with a magnetic ring, a USB-C to USB-C cable, and the phone itself. The box reportedly has a subtle, pleasant scent that lingers on the phone for a few days after opening.
The Motorola Signature represents a significant attempt by Motorola to re-establish itself in the premium smartphone segment. While the specifications are undoubtedly competitive, the success of the device will likely depend on software optimization and the overall user experience, areas where Motorola has faced challenges in the past.
