The Motorola Signature 27 is slated to be the first phone on sale in the US to feature Qualcomm’s next top-tier processor — the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. That alone would make the handset notable. But when you factor in a ton of other high-end hardware including a gorgeous tandem OLED display, a massive silicon-carbon battery and triple rear cameras with a dedicated action sensor, the Signature 27 becomes a powerhouse of a phone.
In some respects, it feels like Motorola’s design process was simply to take every fancy component it could get its hands on and shove it in the Signature 27. The phone features a big 6.8-inch Extreme AMOLED Duo display, which is based on the same tandem OLED tech Apple used in the new ProLED MacBook Pro. Unsurprisingly, it looks awesome. Colors are super saturated and it has a ridiculous peak brightness of 12,000 nits, though I couldn’t fully test that during my evening demo session. To put that number into context, the peak brightness of the Galaxy S26 Ultra is merely 2,600 nits, and that panel is still super easy to view outdoors. And then over the top of the display, Moto went with Corning’s latest Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Around back, the Signature 27’s rear cameras are based around a 50-megapixel Sony LYTIA L910 sensor for its main camera. There’s also a 50MP ultra-wide camera and a high-res 200MP telephoto camera with a 3x optical zoom. Now, those three alone would be a pretty formidable kit, and when I got a chance to take a telephoto picture of the NYC skyline at sunset, I was rather impressed at how sharp and detailed the final image looked. This is coming from someone who has often lamented Moto’s inability to keep up with Apple, Samsung and Google on previous releases. When I used the main camera to take a shot at dusk, I was really pleased with the 27’s low-light sensitivity and dynamic range.
The 27’s photo kit doesn’t stop there. There’s actually a fourth EVS sensor — which the company claims is a first in a smartphone — designed to detect pixel-level changes in light to help the phone snap extremely sharp action pics. Sadly, I didn’t get to test this feature out in-depth, but it could be a really powerful solution for capturing sports without needing to lug a proper camera around. It could also be a great tool for all the parents who can’t get their kids to sit still for a photo.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Meanwhile, on the inside, in addition to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chip, the phone also features 12GB of memory and 512GB of base storage. And if that’s not enough, Moto has included a nifty RAM boost that effectively doubles the memory to 24GB to improve things like multitasking. Furthermore, to help deliver strong sustained performance, the 27 features a large 3D vapor chamber (8,384mm²) with what Moto claims is diamond-infused thermal gel to pull heat away from its processor.
Perhaps the best upgrade on the Signature for power users is the move to a huge 7,000 mAh silicon-carbon battery, which dwarfs pretty much anything else on sale in the US right now. Naturally, its charging speeds are pretty rapid too, with up to 90 watts wired or 50 watts wirelessly. The caveat is that you’ll need to rely on one of Motorola’s proprietary TurboPower adapters. Sadly, the 27 doesn’t have built-in magnets either, so if you want support for magnetic accessories, you’ll need a case.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Really, every component on the phone is high-end in some way. That’s even true of its audio, which is composed of speakers tuned by Bang & Olufsen. I must admit, I’m pretty fond of the phone’s general design as well. In addition to your standard lock button and volume rocker, there’s a dedicated AI button that can also be customized to open an app of your choosing. The olive green model sports a nifty finish that reminds me of a mix between cloth and leather, while the coal smoke variant features a “tactical weave” reminiscent of ballistic nylon. Even its dust and water resistance is top-notch thanks to an IP69 rating that’s good enough for submersion of up to five feet for up to 30 minutes.
However, the design trait I like the most is the way the back of the phone subtly rises to meet all those rear cameras, resulting in a sloping rear panel that leaves all of its lenses basically flush against the back of the phone. There’s no big protrusion or bump for stuff to get caught on. That said, with four lenses in back plus a dedicated flash, the Signature 27 is quickly beginning to look like one of those Light L16 cameras from nearly a decade ago. At this point, I have to wonder if it might be easier, and better looking, to go with a more visor-like approach similar to what Google did on the Pixel 6.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Over the past few years, there has been demand for a proper Motorola flagship phone that can truly rival the fancy handsets from Samsung, Apple and Google. With the Signature 27, it really feels like the company took that message to heart. This phone has practically everything you could ask for in a super premium handset, and then some. The downside is that all of this comes with a similarly super premium price tag of $1,600. But if you want an absolute monster of a phone and don’t want to wait for next year when more devices get their own Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chip, keep an eye out when pre-orders go live on November 19.
