Just when we thought Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro would be the last major flagship phone to be released in 2026 in the US, Motorola decided to step in by debuting the Signature 27 on Tuesday, during Qualcomm’s annual Snapdragon Summit. Unlike the original Signature, this one will be coming to US markets, and it looks like an aggressive entry into the high-end Android flagship phone market.

Motorola’s Signature 27 will include the newly announced Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 processor, coupled with a partial list of high-end features that remind me of the recently departed OnePlus phone line. 

In addition to the early inclusion of Qualcomm’s chip, Motorola is touting a camera system that will include a 50-megapixel main camera along with a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto lens — the latter of which could be a boon for taking zoom photos from far distances, like at a concert. And there appear to be more cameras than Motorola has given details for, as the back of the phone shows four lenses, similar to Samsung’s quad-camera system on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

For gamers — another audience that OnePlus had particularly focused on — the Signature 27 includes a cooling system that Motorola calls ArcticMesh. It combines a diamond-infused thermal gel, liquid metal, copper mesh and a 3D vapor chamber that’s 40% larger than the previous Signature phone — and should help it stay cool during intensive gaming and video recording.

Motorola’s Signature 27 has four cameras on the back, but so far we only know about the 50-megapixel main camera and a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera.Motorola

The Signature 27 also matches Samsung’s Galaxy and Google’s Pixel lines with a seven-year commitment to software and security support, plus it will get an audio system developed in partnership with Bang & Olufsen. The Signature 27 is the first phone to get this audio system as part of a multiyear partnership with B&O, so it’s possible that down the road, the foldable Razr line will also benefit from this.

The Signature 27 will come in two colors with long names: “Pantone Coal Smoke in tactical weave” is a darker shade that features a woven texture for enhanced grip. “Pantone Capulet Olive in a brushed textile-inspired finish” is a green shade with a softer, tactile feel.

Motorola still has a lot of other details to unveil about the Signature 27, including its battery, charging speeds and display. But the first Signature phone the company debuted at CES 2026 in January included a 5,200-mAh silicon-carbon battery, 90-watt wired charging and a 6.8-inch display with a 165Hz refresh rate — all helpful reference points for what to expect in its successor. In Europe, the phone was priced at 999 euros (approximately $1,170 including tax) with 512GB of storage. 

Even if the Signature 27 were to recycle some of its predecessor’s specs — and somehow hold onto its pricing despite rising costs brought on by the ongoing RAM shortage — on paper, this could be a tempting draw for former OnePlus phone fans looking for a new alternative as well as a tempting rival to Samsung’s next Galaxy phone. 

We’ll find out more about the Motorola Signature 27 at a later date, with the phone set for release sometime before the end of the year.

Mike Sorrentino

Senior Editor

Mike Sorrentino is a Senior Editor for Mobile, covering phones, texting apps and smartwatches -- obsessing about how we can make the most of them. Mike also keeps an eye out on the movie and toy industry, and outside of work enjoys biking and pizza making. See full bio