Motorola returns to the premium smartphone space with the Signature, complementing the Razr lineup as a slab-styled, conventionally well-equipped phone. While not the absolute cutting edge in a segment dominated by the likes of the OnePlus 15 and iQOO 15, the Motorola Signature focuses on the idea of a well-rounded, well-built and handsomely performing pocket companion. In a class of ‘last-year’ flagships, the Signature makes impressive promises.
From design to cameras and even software support, Motorola has left no stone unturned. The brand has even gone to establish a Signature Club membership as a free service for owners, all in the hope of attracting customers from the iPhone camp. With a base price of Rs 59,999, the Signature tempts unlike any other Android premium device, or even the iPhone 16 from a year ago.
But should you buy it? Let’s find out.
Motorola Signature design and build:
The Signature sets a precedent for what Motorola’s future in the premium segment could look like – think of what the Edge series did for Motorola’s midrange segment a few years ago. The design, though, seems no different from the Edge 70, which isn’t a bad thing. Motorola’s designs have stood apart from the crowd, and the Signature does the same in its category. Look at the camera deco – even though the references have been made to the iPhone 16 Pro’s design ethos, it doesn’t appear as an outright iPhone clone.
The metal plate around the camera lenses gives this phone tonnes of appeal. The Pantone Martini Olive green colourway with an unusual texture lends a luxurious feel. The brushed metal sides and the curved edge display only add to the Signature’s desirability.
At just 6.99mm thick and 186g, the Motorola Signature feels remarkably comfortable despite its large 6.8-inch screen. When you consider the IP68 + IP69 water/dust resistance certifications, as well as MIL-STD-810H military-grade rating, along with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection, the Signature ends up being a phone that can take some beating. Motorola, unlike Apple and Samsung, also includes a 90W charger in the box but skimps on a TPU case.
Motorola Signature display:
The Signature features a 6.8-inch LTPO AMOLED panel with 1.5K resolution, a dynamic 1Hz–165Hz refresh rate (capped at 120Hz for UI, 165Hz in select games), Dolby Vision/HDR10+ support, and an eye-popping 6,200 nits peak HDR brightness. As a result, the performance is likely to be impressive. Sunlight legibility is excellent, with deep blacks, infinite contrast, and punchy colours in Vivid mode. Even the Natural colour profile with its more lifelike colour science, makes it look desirable. The tiny punch-hole and slim bezels add to an immersive experience for media viewing and gaming. The in-display fingerprint scanning is fast and reliable, too. No complaints here.
Motorola Signature performance:
To keep the pricing competitive, Motorola has settled for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 instead of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 you see on the OnePlus 15 and iQOO 15. While this may ring alarm bells for those who want the most for the least, there’s something you should know – Android’s ecosystem is yet to offer any app or video game that can tire processors from three generations old. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 used here is a tweaked version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen Elite, which is still a mighty capable processor. Hence, while you may not have the cutting-edge processing power, the Signature has enough power for everything you can throw at it, and it can chew through everything with utmost ease.
Paired with up to 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and 1TB UFS 4.1 storage (for the unit we received), the Signature delivers blazing-fast and well-optimised everyday performance. I observed sorted heavy web browsing, hours of Netflix sessions, and my usual dose of in-office gaming on the Signature. If you are into mobile gaming, the Signature can deal with long sessions of demanding games like BGMI and CarX Street Racing.
Then there’s the software experience, which Motorola has absolutely nailed. Running Android 16 with Hello UI, it ranks highly in my list of the nicest Android phones with pleasant UIs, being almost close to the Google Pixel 10. Unlike the Edge 70, there are no third-party app stores and unnecessary bloatware pre-installed. The Taboola newsfeed, which is a custom 3rd party news feed, is integrated in the app drawer, but like the Edge 70’s UI, you can switch it off. Motorola also promises 7 years of OS and security updates, which, while it sounds great on paper, requires the brand to deliver, considering its dodgy past of slow and late updates.
There’s AI integration too. A dedicated AI key triggers Moto AI features like notification summaries, image generation, transcription, and memory tools. Motorola offers integrations that include Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini, which comes in handy for getting tricky solutions.
Motorola Signature camera:
Motorola talks a great deal about the camera setup on the Signature. This is what the setup offers:
Main: Sony LYTIA 828 with OIS, 8K Dolby Vision video
Ultrawide: 50MP (112-degree FOV)
Telephoto: 50MP periscope (3x optical zoom)
Front camera: 50MP autofocus
Regardless of what the specs and Motorola’s marketing materials say, the Signature has a decently capable system. Daylight shots are vibrant and saturated, with good detail on main/telephoto lenses. The camera tends to do aggressive noise reduction and overexpose images, thus limiting dynamic range and texture. Ultrawide images also appear slightly duller with a little bit of distortion towards the edges. The colour science isn’t on point and hence, you need to rely on editing to get the best out of most photos. This is even applicable in night photos, where the clarity and exposure is nice but the camera struggles to get the colour tones right. Portraits and selfies prefer to make skin tones warm and soft. The same traits are visible on the video side as well.
Don’t take this as a negative trait, though – phones in this price bracket (except the iPhone 16) tend to struggle with the finer things of photography. For most people who don’t bother with the technicalities, the Signature’s camera will deliver pleasant results for social media purposes. Motorola needs to fine-tune the camera algorithms to get the most out of this camera setup.
Motorola Signature battery and charging:
Unlike most modern-day flagships, the Signature has a rather conservative 5,200mAh silicon-carbon battery delivering up to 5 hours of screen-on time on busy days. This may seem low, but it is usually enough for most casual days, with 25-30% charge remaining in the tank. The idle drain is minimal, thus reducing the need for overnight charge sessions. The cherry on top here is the support for 90W wired charging, which delivers hits 10–100% juice in under 50 minutes. While there’s support for Motorola’s proprietary 50W wireless charger support, it’s compatible with most desk or car charging pads, thereby adding convenience.
Motorola Signature review: Verdict
I am happy to see Motorola creating the Signature and positioning it in a space where other brands tend to leave their previous-generation phones do the business. In a company of the iPhone 16, Samsung Galaxy S25, OnePlus 13 and iQOO 13, the Signature is a brand new phone. It looks great, feels even better to hold, has a superb display, delivers a splendid Android experience and has a battery that easily lasts an entire day. The cameras are decent but we feel there’s room for improvement, something which can be addressed with a software update.
Hence, if you have a budget of less than Rs 65,000 to spend on a premium phone and you value a qualitative and classy Android experience, we recommend the Motorola Signature. Even for those considering the pricier OnePlus 15 and the likes, the Signature’s software experience and build quality are points worth pondering upon.
Pros:
– Well-built, premium design
– Great display
– Classy Android experience
– Strong performance
Cons:
– Camera tuning needs improvement