Motorola Signature Review: Can Seven Years of Updates Justify the Price?

Motorola's Signature is not just another flagship phone. It is the company's statement piece. This device finally matches the software support commitments of Samsung and Google while delivering hardware that can genuinely compete with the best phones on the market. But here is the thing. At €999, which is roughly $1,170, it is not cheap. The question is not whether it is a good phone. It is. The real question is whether seven years of promised updates make it worth the premium when you could buy a Galaxy S25 or OnePlus 15 for similar money.

After analyzing what Motorola is actually delivering based on hands-on reviews and official specifications, the answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. This phone represents something Motorola has not done in years. It is building a premium device that does not feel like a compromise. But there is a catch, and it is a big one if you are in the United States.

Design: Premium, But Not Perfect

The Signature feels like Motorola finally decided to take design seriously. At 6.99mm thick and 186 grams, it is impressively slim without feeling fragile. The aircraft-grade aluminum frame gives it a solid, premium feel that has been missing from Motorola's recent flagships. The textured rear panel is available in Pantone Martini Olive and Pantone Carbon. It adds grip and visual interest without being gimmicky.

The phone meets MIL-STD-810H military-grade durability standards and carries both IP68 and IP69 ratings. This means it can handle dust, water submersion up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes, and high-pressure water jets. That is more protection than most phones offer, and it is genuinely useful if you use your phone in challenging environments.

Despite all this durability, the Signature does not feel bulky or overbuilt. Motorola managed to pack serious protection into a device that still feels sleek and modern. The Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front adds another layer of protection. A case is still recommended if you are particularly accident-prone.

Display: Bright, Fast, and Actually Impressive

The 6.8-inch Extreme AMOLED display is one of the Signature's strongest features. With a 165Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 6,200 nits, it is genuinely one of the best screens available on any phone. The Super HD resolution of 2780 by 1264 pixels looks sharp. The support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+ means content looks fantastic.

The 165Hz refresh rate makes everything feel incredibly smooth. This applies to scrolling through apps and playing games. It is not just a marketing number. You can actually feel the difference compared to 120Hz displays. The Pantone-validated colors mean the display is calibrated for accuracy. This matters if you do any kind of photo or video work on your phone.

Performance: More Than Enough Power

The Signature runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset. This is interesting because Motorola could have gone with the newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Elite. But here is the thing. The regular 8 Gen 5 is still incredibly powerful. Motorola says choosing it allowed them to keep the price competitive with phones like the OnePlus 15.

In real-world usage, the Signature feels fast and responsive. Apps open quickly. Multitasking is smooth. Even demanding games run without issues. The ArcticMesh Cooling System uses copper mesh liquid metal cooling and a 6,002mm² vapor chamber. This means the phone does not throttle under sustained load. This is important if you are a heavy user.

The phone comes with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage. This is more than most people will ever need. But having that headroom means the phone should feel fast years from now. This ties into Motorola's longevity promise.

Cameras: Finally, Motorola Gets It Right

This is where the Signature really stands out. Motorola has historically struggled with camera quality, but the Signature changes that. The triple 50MP rear camera setup uses Sony LYTIA sensors. These are the same ones found in the Razr Fold. The results are genuinely impressive.

The main camera uses a 50MP Sony LYTIA-828 sensor with optical image stabilization. It is paired with a 50MP ultra-wide lens and a 50MP periscope telephoto lens. The telephoto offers 3x optical zoom and up to 100x digital zoom. The front-facing camera is a 60MP sensor with autofocus.

As Android Central's hands-on review notes, "the cameras are the same as the Razr Fold, and the switch to Sony lenses should give the Signature a considerable advantage over yesteryear Motorola phones." That is putting it mildly. The camera system here is genuinely competitive with what Samsung and Google are offering. This is something Motorola has not been able to say in years.

The Photo Enhancement Engine and Moto AI features help with image processing. The results look natural without being over-processed. Low-light performance is solid. The OIS on both the main camera and telephoto lens means you can get sharp shots even when you are not perfectly still.

Battery Life: All-Day Power with Fast Charging

The 5,200mAh silicon-carbon battery is impressive, especially considering the phone's slim profile. Motorola managed to pack a large battery into a device that's only 6.99mm thick, which is no small feat.

The 90W TurboPower wired charging can get you to 50% in just 15 minutes. This is incredibly fast. The 50W wireless charging is also impressive. The phone supports both reverse wireless and reverse wired charging. This means you can use it to charge other devices.

In real-world usage, the battery easily lasts a full day of heavy use. With lighter usage, you can stretch it to two days. The silicon-carbon battery technology should also help with long-term battery health. This is important given Motorola's seven-year update commitment.

Software: The Real Differentiator

This is where the Signature sets itself apart. Motorola is promising seven years of OS updates and security patches. This matches what Samsung and Google are offering. But here is what makes it different. Motorola confirmed that this means seven Android OS updates, not just security patches.

The phone ships with Android 15 and Motorola's Hello UX. This is a relatively clean take on Android with some useful Motorola-specific features. The software experience is smooth and responsive. There is not a lot of bloatware, which is refreshing.

The seven-year commitment is significant. It means if you buy the Signature today, you could theoretically be using it in 2032 and still getting the latest Android version. That is not just marketing speak. It is a real commitment that changes the value equation for this phone.

The Value Proposition: Is It Worth It?

At €999, the Signature is not cheap. But when you compare it to what you are getting, the value proposition starts to make sense. You are getting flagship-level hardware, genuinely good cameras, a stunning display, and a seven-year software commitment that matches the best in the industry.

The problem, as TechRadar's review points out, is that "there's a clear shortage of good phones in the U.S., and given that Motorola has a strong presence in the region, the Signature would have been the ideal model to challenge Samsung's dominance."

But Motorola is not launching the Signature in the United States. The phone is going on sale in Europe, Latin America, India, and other global markets. U.S. customers are out of luck. Motorola seems to be focusing solely on Razr foldables in the high-end category in the U.S. This means American customers miss out on what could have been a compelling alternative to Samsung's Galaxy S25.

Long-Term Durability: Built to Last

The Signature's durability credentials are impressive. The MIL-STD-810H rating means it has been tested against a wide range of environmental conditions. The IP68 and IP69 ratings provide serious protection against water and dust. The Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front adds scratch and drop protection.

But durability is not just about surviving drops and water. The phone's build quality feels solid. The components are high-end. The ArcticMesh Cooling System should help prevent thermal throttling over time. The silicon-carbon battery technology should maintain capacity better than traditional lithium-ion batteries.

The Bottom Line

The Motorola Signature is a genuinely good phone. It has excellent cameras, a stunning display, solid performance, and a seven-year software commitment that matches the best in the industry. At €999, it is competitively priced with other flagships. The value proposition makes sense if you are planning to keep the phone for several years.

But there is a catch. If you are in the United States, you cannot buy it. Motorola's decision to focus on foldables in the U.S. market means American customers miss out on what could have been a compelling alternative to Samsung and Google's flagships.

For everyone else, the Signature represents Motorola finally getting serious about premium smartphones. It is not perfect. No phone is. But it is a solid choice if you want a flagship that will be supported for the long haul. The seven-year update commitment is not just marketing. It is a real differentiator that could make this phone worth the investment if you keep your devices for years rather than upgrading annually.

The question is not whether the Signature is a good phone. It is. The question is whether Motorola's software commitment justifies choosing it over a Galaxy S25 or OnePlus 15. For most people, the answer will depend on how much they value long-term software support versus other factors like brand preference, ecosystem integration, or specific features.

What is clear is that Motorola has finally built a phone that can compete with the best. The seven-year update commitment is a real selling point. Whether that is enough to justify the price depends on what you are looking for. But the Signature deserves serious consideration if you are in the market for a flagship phone that will last.