The Motorola Signature 27 is a beast

The Motorola Signature 27 is expected to be the first phone on sale in the US to feature Qualcomm’s next high-end processor, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. That alone would make the handset notable. But when you factor in a ton of other premium hardware, including a gorgeous tandem OLED display, a massive silicon-carbon battery, and three rear cameras with a dedicated action sensor, the Signature 27 becomes a powerhouse of a phone.

In some ways, it feels like Motorola’s design process was simply taking every fancy component it could get its hands on and cramming them into the Signature 27. The phone features a large 6.8-inch Extreme AMOLED Duo display, based on the same tandem OLED technology that Apple used in the new MacBook Pro ProLED. Unsurprisingly, it looks awesome. Colors are super saturated and peak brightness is a ridiculous 12,000 nits, although I wasn’t able to fully test it during my evening demo session. To put this number into context, the maximum brightness of the Galaxy S26 Ultra is simply 2,600 nits, and this panel is still very easy to view outdoors. And then above the screen, Moto has opted for Corning’s latest Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3.

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On the back, the Signature 27’s rear cameras are based on a 50-megapixel Sony LYTIA L910 sensor for its main camera. There is also a 50 MP ultra-wide camera and a 200 MP high-resolution telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. Now, these three alone would make for a pretty formidable kit, and when I had the chance to take a telephoto photo of the New York skyline at sunset, I was rather impressed with the sharpness and detail of the final image. This comes 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 photo at dusk, I was very pleased with the 27’s low-light sensitivity and dynamic range.

The 27 photo kit doesn’t stop there. There’s actually a fourth EVS sensor – which the company says is a first in a smartphone – designed to detect changes in light at the pixel level to help the phone take extremely sharp action photos. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to test this feature in depth, but it could be a very powerful solution for capturing sporting events without needing to lug around a proper camera. This could also be a great tool for any parents who can’t get their kids to sit quietly 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 has 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. Additionally, to help deliver long-lasting performance, the 27 features a large 3D vapor chamber (8,384mm²) with what Moto claims is a diamond-infused thermal gel to draw heat away from its processor.

Perhaps the Signature’s best upgrade for power users is the move to a massive 7,000 mAh silicon-carbon battery, which dwarfs just about anything else currently on sale in the United States. Naturally, its charging speeds are pretty fast too, with up to 90 watts wired or 50 watts wireless. The caveat is that you’ll have to rely on one of Motorola’s proprietary TurboPower adapters. Unfortunately, the 27 also doesn’t have built-in magnets, so if you want to support magnetic accessories, you’ll need a case.

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In fact, every component of the phone is premium in one way or another. That’s even true of its audio, comprised of speakers tuned by Bang & Olufsen. I have to admit that I also really like the overall design of the phone. 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 choice. The olive green model sports a nifty finish that reminds me of a mix between fabric and leather, while the charcoal smoke variant features a “tactical weave” reminiscent of ballistic nylon. Even its dust and water resistance are excellent thanks to an IP69 rating sufficient for submersion 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 of those rear cameras, resulting in an angled rear panel that leaves all of its lenses aligned against the back of the phone. There are no large protrusions or bumps in which objects could get caught. That said, with four lenses on the back and a dedicated flash, the Signature 27 quickly starts to look like one of those Light L16 cameras from almost a decade ago. At this point, I have to wonder if it wouldn’t be easier and better looking to take 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 a demand for a true flagship phone from Motorola, capable of truly competing with sophisticated handsets from Samsung, Apple and Google. With the Signature 27, it really feels like the company has taken this message to heart. This phone has pretty much everything you could ask for in a super premium handset, and more. The downside is that all of this comes with an equally steep price tag of $1,600. But if you want an absolute monster phone and don’t want to wait until next year when more devices receive their own Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chip, keep an eye out for pre-orders to go live on November 19.