Breaking into the high end of any industry is a tall order. Your competitors will have the advantage of consumer familiarity, plus the ability to set the standards that have to be matched or exceeded. Plus, there is the not-so-small matter of brand equity and how much worth can be attached to your name.
The Motorola Signature has IP69 water-proofing
The new Motorola Signature hopes to become the smartphone of choice for the smart set, joining the likes of Google’s Pixel 10, the Samsung Galaxy S25, OnePlus’s 14 and of course Apple’s current generation iPhone 17 in a market crowded with innovation and stuffed with superlatives; Pro, Max, Ultra, XL. Each year, the digits roll round and a new champion is crowned.
The Signature is available in Carbon and Martini Olive
It's a tough party to crash, so what does Motorola have that the others do not? On the surface, this is yet another camera-centric, AI-infused premium phone, equipped with a big screen (a 6.8-inch Extreme AMOLED) and a clutch of name partners for audio and video (Dolby Vision and Atmos, Bose-tuned audio and Sony LYTIA camera technology, along with a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor).
Next-generation Gorilla glass bolsters the Signature's durability
Up to 1TB of storage is available, along with 16GB of memory, with a promised seven years of software support. The camera stats are also comparable to those of the market leaders, with four 50MP cameras, including a Periscope Telephoto with 3x optical zoom and a 100x digital ‘Super Zoom’. Meanwhile, 8K video can be captured at 30fps, twice that for 4K, while a 5200mAh Silicon-Carbon promises more than a day’s worth of use and up to 90W wired charging with an appropriate charger (and 50W wireless).
The new Motorola Signature smartphone
So far, so good, but also so conventional. Where Motorola wants to make a mark is through the subtle but immersive deployment of AI, and the introduction of a concierge service, the Signature Club. Details are a little scant – more will be revealed in the coming months – but Motorola is promising something along the lines of offers, information and insights that can’t be found anywhere else. Whether the minutiae is farmed out to an AI or actual human input will be involved is also unclear.
The new Motorola Signature
One analogue element Motorola has got ready from the off is a colour collaboration with Pantone, resulting in two new hues, the decidedly non-smartphone Martini Olive and Carbon, which are mixed with a tactile twill finish. With its impressive spec, ultra-thin casing (6.99mm thick) and large screen, the Signature already cuts a dash, club membership or not.
The Signature is just 6.99mm thick
Motorola Signature, from £899.99, Motorola.com, @Motorola