Motorola to kickstart new series with Motorola Signature launch in India on January 7th [Update]

Motorola announced the launch date through posts on X and a Flipkart microsite, which also gives a first look at the phone. The Signature will feature a fabric-finished back, paired with a flat display and slim, even bezels on all sides. On the front, there’s a centred hole-punch camera, while the right side houses the power and volume buttons. There’s also an extra button on the left edge, which could double up as a camera shortcut or a custom key for quick actions, though Motorola hasn’t confirmed its purpose yet. These buttons have come in vogue ever since Apple introduced the Action button in 2023, with OnePlus even replacing their iconic Alert slider for a newer Plus Key.

Cameras seem to be a major focus. Motorola has teased the rear camera module, and the images suggest a periscope telephoto lens, suggesting that this will be a premium phone. Leaks suggest the phone will have a triple 50MP camera setup, with the main sensor said to be a Sony Lytia unit with optical image stabilisation. There are also hints of Dolby Vision support, suggesting Motorola is pushing the Signature as a strong multimedia phone.

Under the hood, the Motorola Signature has already surfaced on Geekbench. The listing revealed Qualcomm’s sub-flagship chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset, along with up to 16GB of RAM and Android 16 out of the box. The Motorola Signature scored 2,854 points in the single-core test and 9,411 points in the multi-core test as per a tipster. Compared to the only other Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 phone in the market so far, the OnePlus 15R, the scores are similar. The 15R, for context, scored 2,851 and 9,363 points in our internal Geekbench tests.

We’ve heard about this phone earlier. A device codenamed ‘Urus’ had leaked a few weeks ago but was believed to be the Motorola Edge 70 Ultra. Motorola has possibly rebranded that phone as the Signature to kick off a new premium series. Renders leaked earlier by tipster Evan Blass showed the phone in Carbon and Martini Olive finishes, with a squircle-shaped camera module housing three cameras, including the periscope lens. Other expected features include a 6.7-inch OLED display with 1.5K resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Stylus support has also been mentioned in earlier leaks, though Motorola has yet to confirm this officially.

In terms of competition, the Motorola Signature could take on the OnePlus 15R, which is expected to offer similar flagship-grade performance. Realme is also rumoured to bring a periscope camera to the upper mid-range with its upcoming Realme 16 Pro series, which we expect could get a price bump.

Based on what Motorola has teased so far, the Signature looks like it is meant to sit above the company’s current league of Edge phones. The latest Edge phone was the ultra-slim Motorola Edge 70 which launched a few days ago at Rs 29,999. The separate branding, design touches like a fabric back and a new button, and advanced camera hardware all point to Motorola trying something more premium. The benchmark leaks also hint at flagship-grade performance, so the Signature could become Motorola’s new top-tier line, or maybe a bridge between the Edge series and the Razr flagships.

For buyers, the Motorola Signature could be worth looking at if you want a phone that combines premium design, strong cameras, and flagship-like performance without going all the way into ultra-premium pricing. Much will depend on where Motorola finally sets the price, especially considering there is an upward trend persisting in the market currently.