Motorola Signature Review: Slim flagship with weaknesses

As a child of the 90s and early 2000s, Motorola phones (there were no smartphones back then) have a special place in my heart. Let me tell you, there was a time when the best mobile phones on the market were made by Motorola. Yes, that time was a long time ago. With the Motorola Signature, the company now wants to return to that golden era and deliver the first true flagship smartphone in years… Well, for the most part at least. The frontal attack on Apple, Samsung and the like is successful in many areas, even if it doesn’t reach the top everywhere, as our Motorola Signature test proves.

€ 849.00

€ 999.00

Nur noch 18 auf Lager (mehr ist unterwegs).

Technical data of the Motorola Signature

Motorola Signature Review: flagship or not? It doesn’t matter!

First of all, there is a question that many people will be interested in. Is the Motorola Signature a flagship smartphone? I could hardly be more indifferent to this question and the answer depends on how you define this device class. If, by definition, a flagship must have the latest technology, then the answer in this case is “no”. Because the Signature comes with the slimmed-down Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, which has lower clock rates and less cache compared to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 from the Galaxy S26 Ultra and almost every other Android flagship 2026.

But if a flagship phone for you includes the best cameras (of the respective manufacturer), the best possible build quality and thoroughly modern features… oh boy, then you should take a closer look at the Motorola Signature. What the manufacturer has cobbled together here is absolutely impressive. And I’m not just talking about the design, which is really something.

But let’s start where you first notice it. The Signature comes in the Pantone colors Martini Olive (a kind of yellow-green) and a navy blue carbon variant. Our test model in Martini Olive has a fabric-like back, which is not only pleasantly grained, but is also incredibly comfortable to hold and gives the smartphone a pleasant grip. Thanks to its comparatively low weight of just 186 grams, the Motorola Signature is incredibly comfortable to hold despite its 6.8-inch display. By comparison, a 6.3-inch Google Pixel 10 Pro weighs a whopping 207 grams, while the iPhone 17 Pro weighs 204 grams.

But it’s not just the weight, it’s also the dimensions. The top model from Motorola is extremely thin at 6.99 mm. The Pixel 10 Pro comes in at 8.6 mm and even the slim Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is significantly thicker at 7.9 mm. In short: the Motorola Signature is an absolute hand flatterer.

Motorola Signature: Top display does not reach the target

The Motorola Signature is equipped with a 6.8-inch LTPO AMOLED display. With a resolution of 2,780 × 1,264 pixels, the display is razor-sharp at all times and individual pixels are not visible to the naked eye. What is immediately noticeable in everyday use is that the panel is simply impressive. Colors are vibrant, the contrast is – as is usual with AMOLED displays – absolutely superb, and the sharpness is impressive in every situation. The display works with a 10-bit color depth and supports all common standards such as HDR10+, Dolby Vision and HLG. Thanks to Widevine L1 certification, nothing stands in the way of enjoying movies in full resolution on Netflix and co.

Motorola advertises a refresh rate of 165 Hz – and I have to be honest here: When moving, the screen in the system runs at a very smooth 120 Hz throughout and reliably drops down to 1 Hz when stationary. I didn’t see the advertised 165 Hz in the test. The 165 Hz mode is only available when playing games via Moto’s Gametime app. Even there, “Call of Duty Mobile” only ran at a maximum of 120 frames per second. This is not a dealbreaker, but it should be known.

The brightness looks solid, but not outstanding. In auto mode, it is around 1,880 lux. A result that is suitable for everyday use and ensures problem-free readability outdoors, but does not stand out from the competition. For comparison: The Google Pixel 10 Pro achieves 2,600 lux, the Samsung Galaxy S25 reaches 2,450 lux. The manufacturer claims a peak brightness of 6,200 nits, but this value only applies to isolated pixels with HDR content, not to the entire display.

For sensitive users, an anti-flicker mode can be activated in the settings. The color settings can be adjusted continuously, but there is no automatic adjustment to the ambient light, as with most other flagships. smartzoneBottom line: The display is one of the better in its class, especially for streaming and HDR content. Everyday use is smooth as butter. However, the 165 Hz claim is marketing, not real added value in normal operation.

Features and performance

Under the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 with up to 16 GB of RAM and up to 1 TB of UFS 4.1 storage. On paper, the Signature is well-equipped – and you’ll notice it in everyday use: apps open instantly, multitasking runs smoothly and the device even swallows demanding applications without a murmur.

But if you play a lot of games, you should take a closer look. With the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, Motorola’s top model does not have the most powerful SoC and those who frequently use the smartphone for gaming may not be happy due to the high heat development. This is a real point of criticism: The device gets noticeably warm under continuous load and performance drops cannot be ruled out. In the 3DMark stress test, the smartphone delivers a mixed result with a stability of less than 70 percent.

In the Antutu benchmark, the Signature achieved a score of 2,314,011, which is strong, but devices with the Snapdragon 8 Elite (such as the Samsung Galaxy S26 UItra) are significantly higher. For gaming enthusiasts who regularly push their device to its limits, there are stronger alternatives on the market.

On the connectivity side, Motorola leaves nothing to be desired. On board are Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC, Ultra Wideband and USB 3.1 Gen 2 with DisplayPort 1.4 support for video output. The USB-C port allows data transfers at up to 10 Gbit/s. This is a true flagship standard and a real advantage in everyday use, for example when connecting to external monitors or for fast data transfer.

There is a dedicated AI button on the left-hand side of the housing, which can be assigned a selection of different functions. An ultrasonic fingerprint sensor under the display is responsible for unlocking, which works very well and reliably. Alternatively, face unlock is available.

There is one minus point with the SIM setup: Dual SIM is only possible with eSIM. So if you want to use two physical SIM cards, you’ll have to leave the Signature behind.

Battery life of the Signature: Good, but not outstanding

The 5,200 mAh battery sounds like a lot at first and in practice it performs respectably, but without dominating the competition. In our WLAN test, the Signature managed just under 20 hours. The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra last significantly longer.
In everyday use, the device easily lasts a full day. In the battery test, the Motorola Signature proves to be an endurance runner. The battery was only empty after more than 24 hours of video streaming. This is impressive for such a slim device. However, if you are looking for ultra-endurance, it is better to look at the OnePlus 15 – which works with a battery of more than 7,000 mAh.

The compromise for the slim design can be seen in the battery. Motorola relies on silicon-carbon technology, but the battery “only” has a capacity of 5,200 mAh. On the other hand, the Signature is really strong when it comes to charging. It supports 90 W wired, 50 W wireless, 10 W reverse wireless and 5 W reverse wired. In the lab, the battery was fully charged again after just 64 minutes. The wireless charging coil can also recharge small devices thanks to reverse wireless charging if you place them on the back. This is a nice everyday advantage that you quickly learn to appreciate.

Software: Clean Android 16

The Motorola Signature runs Android 16 out of the box and receives up to seven major Android updates. This means support until around 2033, a real selling point and a clear statement in the direction of sustainability. Motorola is keeping up with Samsung and Google here. The software experience is generally positive.

Motorola relies on a largely clean Android without massive bloatware overkill, but adds its own subtle touches. Motorola’s own features (including practical gestures and customization options) are well integrated and do not get in the way. The system runs cleanly without bloatware and looks pleasantly discreet.

The AI features are critical. Certain AI functions require a Motorola account. This is an annoyance for many users that could have been avoided. If you don’t want to create accounts with every manufacturer, you’re in a bad position here.

Overall, the software experience on the Signature is good. It’s not a purist Android like Pixel smartphones, but it’s not a cluttered OS either, as you often see with many Chinese manufacturers. I like the software, even though Motorola lacks a few of its own touches here.

Motorola Signature: The cameras are impressive

However, where the Motorola Signature can play a leading role is in the camera setup, which really packs a punch. Although the manufacturer “only” uses 50 megapixel sensors (four in total), the device makes even some established flagships look pretty old. Most of the time anyway. The camera is probably the strongest argument in favor of the Motorola Signature – and not just according to the manufacturer. In the DxO benchmark, the Signature beat top smartphones such as the Google Pixel 10 Pro, putting it in the top 10 smartphones with the best cameras worldwide at the time of testing.

Main camera:

The camera setup consists of four 50 megapixel lenses: main camera with Sony LYTIA 828 sensor, f/1.6 aperture and 1/1.28″ sensor, a 50 MP ultra-wide-angle camera with 12 mm focal length and 122° field of view and a 50 MP telephoto camera with Sony LYTIA 600 sensor and 3x optical zoom. The front camera also has 50 megapixels with a Sony LYTIA 500 sensor. Three of the four cameras are therefore from Sony: a promise of quality that actually proves to be strong in everyday use.

The main camera is the clear strength of the system. The main lens takes excellent pictures in daylight: Image details are balanced, the dynamic range is very coherent. The photos show strong colors, high sharpness and good details. What I particularly appreciate: The image processing is fast, but not overly aggressive. Photos look natural, without the artificial glossy look of many competitors. The individual lenses work together very consistently, so that the color reproduction remains largely the same when switching between cameras. This is not a given in the flagship segment and makes the camera experience much more pleasant in everyday use.

Low-light:

In low light, the Signature shows what the large Sony sensor is capable of. In very low light, the Signature offers very good photo quality: subjects are properly exposed and the images show a good dynamic range. Even in the dark, the camera brightens up subjects effectively, without tormenting the viewer with excessive image noise. However, there are nuances to note compared to the Google Pixel: On cloudy days, darker images were sometimes produced, with details lost in cloudy skies. The Pixel was able to brighten up the darker image area better here without the contrast and structure in the clouds suffering too much. So if you take a lot of photos in cloudy weather, you should keep this in mind.

The ultra-wide-angle lens with 12 mm focal length and 122° field of view is one of the widest-angle lenses in its class. Ultra-wide shots impress with precise white balance accuracy and good subject exposure – details are preserved cleanly, while the noise component remains very low, especially during the day. The ultra-wide-angle camera also delivers good results without a tendency to blur at the edges of the image. Of course there is a certain amount of distortion, but overall the results are very convincing.

It is worth taking a differentiated look at the zoom setup. The camera trio delivers fast, detailed and sharp photos with quick, but not excessive post-processing. Particularly at high zoom levels, the AI helps a lot in post-processing and fills in missing details in the images – this works quite well up to 100x digital zoom and conjures up details in the images that the camera cannot actually see. Even if not always completely clean.

Between 2x and 3x zoom, however, digital zoom is applied to the main camera image, which leads to a loss of detail compared to the competition. From around 20x zoom, AI is used to correct the display. The textures change slightly, while images in the medium zoom range can appear sharper.

The Signature also comes with its own color style: Signature mode increases the color saturation in the entire image, making the images appear more vibrant. Many users will find this look attractive, even if it doesn’t really look realistic. However, if you use strong digital zoom together with the Signature color profile, you must expect a significant loss in image quality.

Video recordings are possible in up to 8K at 30 fps with Dolby Vision, as well as 4K at 60 fps. However, the practical use of 8K recordings is limited, as 8K displays are currently hardly widespread. The recordings look very good on a Dolby Vision display, but usually appear somewhat darker than normal HDR. If you have cinematic requirements and focus primarily on videos, you will find devices such as the Xiaomi 17 Ultra or the iPhone 17 Pro more powerful. However, for everyday photos, even under demanding conditions, the Motorola Signature belongs to the absolute top group. The camera system shows that good image quality and a thin smartphone body need not be a contradiction in terms. And that alone is pretty impressive.

Motorola Signature Review: Conclusion

The Motorola Signature is a strong flagship that largely lives up to its claim. The slim yet very robust body, the bright AMOLED screen and the camera setup with its four 50 MP lenses are definitely first-class. The combination of the DxO award-winning camera, 7-year update guarantee, clean Android 16 and the ultra-thin 7 mm casing is unique on the market in this form. Added to this are the impeccable workmanship and the absolutely elegant design: the Signature is incredibly comfortable to hold. And I’m not just saying that as someone who normally prefers compact smartphones due to small hands.

However, the Motorola Signature cannot keep up with the absolute flagship smartphones when it comes to the rest of the features and measurements. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 is no longer a top chip, the device gets warm under load (including throttled performance) and the battery life does not come close to the endurance champions of the competition. The lack of a physical dual SIM slot and the AI account requirement are also drawbacks, which vary in importance depending on the usage profile.

All in all, the Motorola Signature scores with many advantages, but other flagship smartphones offer more in terms of battery and processor. If you are looking for an elegant, camera-strong and future-proof flagship and don’t need a gaming powerhouse, you will get an excellent device here that is absolutely worth a look, especially at the greatly reduced price.

€ 849.00

€ 999.00

Nur noch 18 auf Lager (mehr ist unterwegs).

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