Motorola Signature review: The slimline flagship

Greatest Costs Right now: Motorola Signature

Motorola has a brand new flagship telephone carrying the Signature identify and separating itself from the portfolio of Edge units that beforehand made-up Moto’s prime tier. This mannequin – simply known as “Signature” – is the primary of the Signature collection, with Motorola describing it as “a brand new extremely premium franchise”.

That pitches this mannequin excessive: in earlier years, we’ve seen Edge Extremely and Edge Professional fashions, however Signature sits above these. That’s mirrored within the spec sheet, however Signature can also be about design, however at an inexpensive value of £899. Having began the 2026 fashions with the Moto Edge 70, the Signature continues the slim development.

That results in professionals and cons and whereas Motorola is speaking about Signature as a brand new collection of telephones, there’s one thing extremely acquainted about it.

Design & Construct

• 6.99mm and 186g
• Textured end with two Pantone colors
• IP68/69, MIL-STD-810H safety

Regardless of being a ‘new’ collection of telephones, the Motorola Signature design is precisely what you’d anticipate: it has a textured end to the rear, the massive digicam array within the prime left nook and curved edges easily transitioning into the aluminium body.

The 6.99m thickness is paying homage to the Edge 70, whereas the general design appears very very like different Edge telephones from the previous yr.

In that sense, not a lot seems to have modified on the subject of the design, however the Signature slots in properly above the Edge 70, with barely higher credentials over earlier Professional and Extremely fashions.

Chris Corridor / Foundry

The slim design and people curves make this bigger telephone a bit of simpler to carry one handed, however with most units choosing a flat again and flat entrance lately, you would possibly accuse this telephone as trying barely old style. Nevertheless, when you’re a fan of Motorola design, then you definately’ll definitely discover it right here.

The textured rear is exclusive, the place most telephones on this degree are glass. It once more offers some grip, however throughout my testing time, I additionally discovered it acquired a bit grubby – it’s a bit of tougher to wipe clear than a glass sheet.

Mattias Inghe

It is available in simply two colors: Pantone Carbon (examined right here) and Pantone Martini Olive (above by way of our sister website). Each of which really feel fairly grown-up in comparison with a few of the loud colors coming from Apple, Google and others.

Regardless of the svelte strains, there’s no scarcity of safety credentials: IP68 and IP69 certification, in addition to MIL-STD-810H drop safety, whereas the display is completed with Gorilla Glass Victus 2. That ought to give some reassurance that it’s going to face up to the tough stuff.

Chris Corridor / Foundry

Whereas it’s simple to accuse this telephone of trying a bit of dated, it’s slimmer than common: the OnePlus 15 is 8.1mm thick, the Galaxy S25 Extremely is 8.2mm – so Motorola has taken almost a full millimetre off that, though there’s a compromise, as I’ll clarify beneath.

Display & Audio system

• 6.8-inch, 2780 x 1264 OLED
• 165Hz LTPO
• Stereo audio system

Motorola has thrown all the things into this show, which on paper, is among the greatest screens you’ll discover on a contemporary telephone. The 6.8-inch dimension places this in direction of the bigger finish of the spectrum, whereas the 165Hz refresh charge positively places this on the prime of the pack.

That 165Hz mode is barely obtainable when gaming and utilizing Moto’s Gametime app and even in these circumstances, I used to be nonetheless solely capable of get Name of Obligation Cellular to run at 120fps. That is an LPTO show, so will give a variable refresh charge relying on what you’re utilizing it for – all the way down to 1Hz – which is nice for effectivity.

Not solely does this telephone display have a excessive decision – with 450ppi – whereas there’s additionally a reported 6200 nits peak brightness. That’s there to drive the affect of HDR and also you gained’t get these retina-searing highs throughout the entire display on the whole use.

Chris Corridor / Foundry

That’s most noticeable within the supply of Extremely HDR content material in Google Images the place pictures look nice. This telephone additionally has a trick up its sleeve with Dolby Imaginative and prescient video seize which appears nice on the show – though whereas the highlights get to benefit from that HDR punch, Dolby Imaginative and prescient can scale back the general brightness of the image to extend the dynamic vary.

The show on the Motorola Signature is spectacular and a pleasure to make use of. I’ve discovered it detailed and vibrant, with choices to tweak the visuals to your desire.  The one criticism I’d have is that as a gamer, a flat display provides a greater expertise.

There’s Dolby Atmos labelling on the Motorola Signature with the stereo audio system trying to unfold that audio for a extra immersive expertise. The audio system have first rate quantity, however can get a bit of shrill at greater volumes, whereas there’s not an enormous quantity of bass.

Nonetheless, for advert hoc video watching and gaming, it’s superb.

Specs & Efficiency

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset
• 16GB RAM
• 512GB storage

The place the Motorola Signature steps up from the Edge 60 Professional (the earlier top-tier gadget with a MediaTek 8350) is within the chipset. Packing the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, that is flagship-level {hardware}, however a notch down from the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 discovered within the likes of the Honor Magic 8 Professional or the OnePlus 15.

That makes a minor distinction to the efficiency, however enjoying Name of Obligation Cellular and PUBG I actually didn’t discover any distinction, though the lack to hit these 165Hz body charges, which the OnePlus 15 can, is maybe indicative.

For almost all of customers, this {hardware} provides a great compromise between prime efficiency and worth for cash – and it’s one of many the explanation why this telephone is £899 quite than round £1,000.

Chris Corridor / Foundry

However Motorola has packed this telephone with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage (there are not any different fashions), so it’s properly specified and that performs out within the basic efficiency of this telephone. It feels and behaves like a flagship telephone; all the things is slick and quick.

I additionally discovered the connectivity to be good, installs and app opening to be quick, in addition to swift knowledge downloads when inside video games. There’s assist for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, so it is a telephone that gives the most recent connectivity too. I discovered calls to be clear, too.

Cameras

• 50Mp, f/1.6 foremost rear lens
• 50Mp, f/2.0 ultrawide with 120-degree subject of view
• 50Mp, f/2.4 3x telephoto
• 50Mp, f/2.0 selfie

There will not be lower than 4 50Mp cameras on the Motorola Signature and that is one space the place the telephone needs to make an announcement.

All of the cameras carry out properly, so on a floor degree, the mission has been achieved. In good mild, the Motorola Signature will produce nice photographs that look reasonable with loads of element and nice HDR outcomes.

The principle digicam has a large f/1.6 aperture to let in a variety of mild and that results in a slim depth of subject when taking photographs of issues too near the lens, so the auto change to the ultrawide lens for macro photographs is welcomed. Luckily, there’s good consistency between lenses, so when switching the colors look very a lot the identical.

Chris Corridor / Foundry

The ultrawide additionally provides good outcomes with out a lot blurring in direction of the perimeters of the body, which is a standard drawback. Not so right here – clearly there’s distortion, however typically the outcomes are nice.

There’s a 3x optical periscope telephoto supporting the opposite cameras, providing as much as 100x digital zoom, with AI used to offer some correction when you recover from about 20x zoom. There’s a distinction within the textures that may end result, however it may well make zoom photographs in the course of the vary sharper. As you attain the ends, it appears extra generative – when you don’t prefer it, you’ll be able to toggle it off within the settings. I in contrast it to the Pixel’s Tremendous Res Zoom and I feel Pixel has the sting right here.

The color tone of photographs from the Motorola Signature is mostly good – there’s a bit of extra pop than you get from a Pixel, however it doesn’t go so far as Samsung in boosting these greens and blues. Nevertheless, in order for you this, there’s the choice for “Pure” or “Signature” types, the latter providing “a singular Moto color model”.

Signature model mainly boosts the saturation throughout a picture. It doesn’t look pure, however some would possibly mild the outcomes. I discovered that it meant that Tremendous Zoom Professional doesn’t then work, so if utilizing Signature model and lengthy digital zoom, your photographs will look a bit of worse.

The Motorola Signature isn’t fairly as adept in decrease mild circumstances because the Pixel: on gloomy days, I discovered it taking darker pictures whereas shedding distinction in cloudy skies, the place the Pixel managed to spice up the darker scene whereas maintaining the distinction and texture in clouds. That factors to processing that’s not fairly as expert.

That’s true of low mild selfies, which wish to use the show flash to convey the sunshine, so the leads to low mild aren’t one of the best. Nevertheless, in good mild, the entrance digicam takes first rate photographs, with good edge detection for portrait modes. Once more, if utilizing the Signature model, I discovered it modified the color of my pores and skin, making me seem like I used to be carrying make-up.

There’s assist for 8K Dolby Imaginative and prescient video (though with 8K TV seemingly in decline, you won’t get a lot benefit from that. The outcomes look nice on a Dolby Imaginative and prescient show, though usually darker than when considered with regular HDR, as Dolby Imaginative and prescient goals to spice up the highs, so drops the brightness throughout the whole scene to spice up the dynamic vary.

Once more, it’s the kind of factor it’s essential to check to determine precisely the place your desire lies.

Battery Life & Charging

• 5200mAh silicon-carbon battery
• 90W wired charging
• 50W wi-fi charging

The compromise for having that slim design turns into obvious now we’ve landed within the battery part.

Motorola has used silicon-carbon tech, however it’s nonetheless solely a 5200mAh battery. That’s common for a flagship telephone (it’s just like the Galaxy S25 Extremely), however it’s in no way distinctive, not within the period of 7000mAh+ batteries just like the OnePlus 15.

So whereas Motorola has made a slim telephone, you get much less battery life than if it was a fats telephone. It’s a aware determination from Motorola and a little bit of a big gamble: telephone consumers persistently ask for extra battery life, so selecting design over endurance takes some guts.

The efficiency, as you’d anticipate, is fairly common. I discovered the Moto Signature to final simply by means of the day, however it gained’t provide the multi-day expertise that some telephones will now supply. The sweetener – particularly in comparison with the likes of Google and Samsung telephones – is the 90W charging assist.

Chris Corridor / Foundry

This isn’t the quickest that Motorola has provided, however it implies that the telephone could be topped up in a flash. It doesn’t include a charger, though you most likely have a high-power USB-C charger already. I related it to a 100W Anker charger and located {that a} 30 minute cost acquired it from 18% to 94% – which is a large 76% in half an hour.

The Signature additionally helps 50W wi-fi charging, though you’ll want a suitable Motorola charger to benefit from that. There’s additionally 10W reverse wi-fi charging and 5W reverse wired charging.

To handle the charging there are many choices within the software program, that means you’ll be able to scale back the growing older results of quick charging and so forth.  

Software program & Apps

• Moto Hi there UI and Moto AI
• Android 16
• 7 years of software program updates

With the launch of the Signature, Motorola made one in every of its largest commitments: it has moved to supply 7 years of assist for this telephone. That brings Moto’s place as much as match rivals like Samsung and Google.

This implies the telephone will likely be up to date till June 2032.

The telephone additionally launches on Android 16, so it’s updated, operating the Hi there UI with Moto AI. Motorola’s status in Android was cast on the again of a reasonably clutter-free interface, near inventory Android.

From the 2013 Moto G (when Motorola was owned by Google) up till 2024, Motorola provided this clear expertise. However then issues modified.

The Motorola Signature suffers the place Motorola’s 2025 fashions did. Whereas the core of Android stays, Motorola is including increasingly more litter into its units. That’s seen in a rise in pre-installed apps, a rise of pushing different apps to put in and a complicated AI providing.

The massive factor that drags this telephone away from an everyday Android expertise is plenty of modifications to the apps tray. To begin with, there’s a Newsfeed added (which is not any manner close to pretty much as good as Google Uncover), whereas looking within the apps tray can also be triggers AI looking or Google looking, relying on what you faucet. It’s messy and it’s complicated.

Whereas a lot of the bloat could be uninstalled and extraneous options turned off, the apps tray degrades the expertise. You might change the launcher, however you shouldn’t have to maneuver away from the producer’s launcher to keep away from the extras they’re piling in.

Chris Corridor / Foundry

All telephones at the moment are giving us extra AI experiences and as that is Android, Google’s Gemini is prepared and obtainable and built-in into Google apps – and provides the quickest expertise.

However Moto AI unnecessarily duplicates Gemini, providing CoPilot and Perplexity. It doesn’t appear to be a cohesive AI technique in its current type – and the software program expertise is definitely the most important draw back of this telephone.

Value & Availability

The Motorola Signature prices £899.99 within the UK and there’s just one variant, with 16GB RAM and 512GB of storage. There’s a hefty supply on it with a free Moto Watch and Moto Buds Loop price a complete of £260.98 when shopping for direct from Motorola.

The Moto Signature is at the moment not obtainable within the US.

That value brings the Signature in beneath plenty of flagship rivals just like the Pixel 10 Professional XL (£929), however it faces stiff competitors from the likes of the OnePlus 15 (£849). It’s doubtless that cheaper Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 telephones will enchantment by means of 2026.

Must you purchase the Motorola Signature?

The Motorola Signature makes a few strikes to justify its billing as Moto’s new flagship, packing in highly effective Snapdragon {hardware}, providing good efficiency and an amazing show, in a design that’s thinner than most. It’s a bit of extra inexpensive than some mainstream rivals and with 7 years of software program updates, it may well compete with one of the best for assist.

Motorola’s digicam provides a flagship expertise with a full choice of helpful lenses, giving stable outcomes, though it’s not one of the best telephone for images round this value level. However the battery is small in comparison with some rivals and the software program expertise is messy – and wishes loads of administration to show off or take away the annoying additions.

The Motorola Signature is an effective telephone, however it doesn’t fairly stand out sufficient.

Specs

• Android 16
• 6.8-inch,165Hz Excessive AMOLED show 
• Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
• 16GB RAM 
• 512GB storage 
• 50Mp, f/1.6 foremost digicam with OIS 
• 50Mp, f/2.0 ultrawide digicam 
• 50Mp, f/2.4 3x telephoto digicam
• 50Mp, f/2.0 selfie digicam 
• 5200mAh battery 
• 90W wired charging 
• 50W wi-fi charging
• Stereo audio system 
• IP69 water and dirt resistance 
• Gorilla Glass Victus 2
• 5G 
• Bluetooth 6
• 162.1 x 76.4 x 6.99mm
• 186g