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US — Ars Technica

Motorola's new Signature 27 has it all if you can stomach the $1,600 price tag

Devices1 min read

Motorola has launched the Signature 27, a new non-folding flagship phone for the US market. It has top-end parts and a high price of $1,600.

A new top phone from Motorola

Motorola is filling a gap in its US lineup with a regular flagship phone that does not fold. The Signature 27 is expected to arrive later this month and will cost $1,600. It is a fresh design that moves away from the older Edge phone series. It still looks like a Motorola phone because of its materials and Pantone colors.

Key specs and facts

  • Price: $1,600, arriving later this month
  • Chip: Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, Qualcomm's most powerful phone chip right now
  • Memory and storage: 12GB of memory (no upgrade option) and 512GB of storage
  • Screen: 6.8-inch OLED display, 120Hz refresh rate, 12,000 nits of brightness
  • Battery: 7,000 mAh, with 90W fast wired charging and 15W wireless charging

Why the price stands out

Phones with very strong parts usually cost more. The article says this phone is priced close to Motorola's expensive tablet-style foldable. The phone has three main cameras: a 50MP main camera, a 50MP ultrawide, and a 200MP 3x optical zoom. A fourth sensor, called an event-based vision sensor, helps with a feature called Action Shot. The back is textured plastic, and the phone comes in black or green.

Why it matters

This phone shows where Motorola wants to go in the US market: a premium phone that competes with the best from other brands. Its high price is a test. Buyers will have to decide if the strong features are worth the cost. The article notes that the price is high in the current age of AI, when powerful chips and parts cost more.

What to watch

  • Whether the phone sells well at $1,600
  • How it compares with other top phones from Samsung and others
  • Whether reviews confirm the camera and battery performance
  • Whether Motorola offers more memory options later

Glossary

Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6
Qualcomm's top phone chip; it runs the phone's apps and games.
OLED
A screen type where each pixel makes its own light, so colors look bright and deep.
Pantone
A color system used to name and match colors in design and products.

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