Motorola isn’t trying to win a spec-sheet war with the Signature; it’s trying to win a reaction. In a premium mid-range segment crowded with safe designs, oversized batteries, and predictable compromises, the Signature takes a different route: go thin, go bold, and trust that refinement still matters.
This is a phone that wants to be noticed first (not that it shies away from evaluation later), whether it’s lying face-down on a café table or sitting in your hand after a long day of use. On paper, it checks all the right flagship-adjacent boxes—top-tier silicon, ambitious cameras, fast charging, and long-term software support.
Motorola Signature Quick Review: Table of Contents
Motorola Signature Quick Review: Pricing & Availability
- Signature (12GB + 256GB): Rs. 54,999 (down from Rs. 49,999)
- Signature (16GB + 512GB): Rs. 59,999 (down from Rs. 64,999)
- Signature (16GB + 1TB): Rs. 64,999 (down from Rs. 69,999)
The smartphone will be available via Flipkart on January 30, 2026. The prices mentioned above include a bank offer of Rs. 5,000. Further, there’s an exchange bonus of Rs. 5,000. Those who purchase the smartphone will also get Rs. 5,000 off the new Moto Watch, which costs Rs. 6,000 on its own.
Design
With Signature, Motorola has gone all-in on the design. The screen looks like that of other modern Android smartphones, with a tiny punch-hole at the top, curved edges, and symmetrical bezels. However, it is the back panel that sets the phone apart from its competition (both in good and bad ways).
The phone is available in two finishes, and for this review, we had the Martini Olive variant. With the variant, you get a textured, fabric-like back panel that seems to be a combination of olive and mustard shades (but the former is quite predominant). At the center of the back panel is the company’s mascot.
However, it is the gigantic camera module (likely made of metal) that draws the most attention. It’s good, if you look at it from a uniqueness perspective: you should be able to recognize the phone on a table with a dozen others.
However, a couple of gazes later, the camera module starts feeling a tad too bold and out of proportion. It could have been the lack of time I spent with the phone, but there’s something about the camera module that I can’t unsee now. The other Pantone-validated finish is Carbon, and the camera module looks more stealthy on it.
Looking past the camera module, the phone feels light to hold (at 186 grams); the weight balance is really well done. Further, it is among the thinnest phones in the segment, with a side profile of just 7mm, which is quite noticeable when holding the phone, even though it has an aluminum build. Its closest competitor, the OnePlus 15R, is 8.1mm thick. That’s where the Signature truly stands out.
The top frame features the secondary speaker grill, Dolby Atmos branding, and what appears to be the secondary microphones. The right frame houses the power button and the volume rockers, while the left frame houses the AI Key. At the bottom, the phone has the SIM tray, primary microphone, the USB-C port, and the primary speaker grill.
Display
The phone features a gorgeous 6.8-inch AMOLED (FHD+, 165Hz, 6,200 nits peak brightness), which looks sharp and punchy indoors. It also supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. The curved edges also add to the smartphone’s unique look (and thankfully, they don’t appear to affect display quality).
There seems to be some confusion about whether the screen features an LTPO or an LTPS panel, but in my limited time with the device, it felt smooth and responsive. However, the device’s typical outdoor brightness didn’t impress me.
Even though the phone’s HDR peak brightness is rated at 6,200 nits, it feels like the outdoor peak brightness is capped much lower. Even with the brightness bar set at maximum, I kept wanting more.
The device features stereo speakers (top and bottom) that support Dolby Atmos output. The company also mentions that the speakers are Bose-tuned.
Performance & Software
Under its stylized hood, the Motorola Signature runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 (3nm) chipset, which has two 3.8 GHz prime cores. Further, the chipset sports the Adreno 829 GPU and is paired with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage (which is slightly faster and much more durable than the traditional UFS 4.0 standard we’ve been seeing on flagship smartphones).
Without a doubt, the phone’s overall performance was on par with modern flagships, especially when navigating the user interface, capturing pictures, switching between the three camera lenses, running multiple apps at once, and performing other regular tasks.
Now, we’ve tested the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset on the new OnePlus 15R, and even though I don’t want to draw parallels, I can’t help but use the OnePlus device for reference. So, the chipset has scored 2,818/9,178 points in the single- and multi-core Geekbench 6 CPU tests.
Now, these are excellent scores when you look at them in isolation, but they surely aren’t the absolute best in the industry. Even though it is one of Qualcomm’s latest, the company still has two chips that are more powerful than the 8 Gen 5: the 8 Elite Gen 5 and the 8 Elite. Will the difference be apparent to regular users? Probably not.
I don’t know whether the phone supports BGMI at 165Hz out of the box, but the OnePlus 15R, with the same chipset, can do so. Motorola hasn’t mentioned any specific frame rates at the launch event.
Out of the box, the device runs on Android 16, with Motorola’s Hello UI skin on top. The experience is minimal, straightforward, and familiar. The user interface is clean, stock Android, without any visible bloatware. Further, it also includes a few handy AI-based features.
What’s interesting is that the company has promised to provide seven major Android updates, matching the benchmark set by Samsung and Google. It’s a great deal for buyers who don’t want to upgrade every couple of years, mainly because there are no software updates.
Cameras
Cameras are an aspect where Motorola seems to have outdone itself. The handset features three Sony LYTIA camera sensors, including a 50MP (f/1.6, 1/1.28″) primary sensor, a 50MP (f/.2.0, 1/2.76″) ultrawide camera with autofocus, and a 50MP (1/1.95″) periscope zoom camera that provides up to 3x optical zoom and up to 100x digital zoom.
I didn’t have much time with the device at the event, so I couldn’t capture any camera samples. But in general, the cameras do well. There’s very little tuning difference between the sensors, and the switching feels smooth. The telephoto zoom camera does well at up to 7x digital zoom.
It’s also worth highlighting that the phone supports 8K30 video recording (with Dolby Vision). I’ll be able to share a detailed camera review once I spend more time with the handset.
Battery Capacity & Charging Time
The Motorola Signature, since it’s a thin phone, features a 5,200 mAh Si/C battery that should provide around five to seven hours of screen-on time (depending on usage). If you’re wondering why the battery doesn’t compare well with other modern flagships, that’s because it’s significantly thinner.
However, the phone compensates for the lack of a larger battery with 90W wired and 50W wireless charging.
Motorola Signature Quick Review: Verdict
The Motorola Signature surely has a unique place in the premium mid-range market (that’s where it truly belongs), where it stands out with its slim design, the power-packed Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip, and a triple-camera setup that’s quite capable.
For Rs. 54,999, the smartphone appeals to young buyers who want a unique yet capable handset. It could be an even better value for buyers once it gets the first wave of discounts in a couple of months.
Are there better phones on the market? That depends on what you’re looking for. The Reno 15 Pro Mini should provide a better camera and software experience if that’s what you’re after, while the OnePlus 15R offers a massive battery life, but it isn’t as thin as the Motorola Signature.
You can follow Smartprix on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Google News. Visit smartprix.com for the latest tech and auto news, reviews, and guides.
