Motorola is gearing up to start 2026 with something a little different. The company has officially confirmed that it will launch its new premium smartphone, the Motorola Signature, in India on January 7, 2026. The announcement came through Motorola’s official social media channels along with a dedicated launch microsite on Flipkart, which strongly hints at the platform being the primary online retail partner.
This launch feels like a deliberate shift in branding strategy. Motorola appears to be stepping away from the familiar “Ultra” naming convention that defined the higher end of the Edge series. Instead, the new Signature lineup seems designed to appeal to buyers who want genuinely high-end hardware, such as a periscope telephoto lens and the latest Snapdragon chipset, but without drifting too far into ultra-premium pricing territory. At least on paper, it sits in that interesting middle ground where value and ambition overlap.
Key Takeaways
- Launch Date: Official unveiling scheduled for January 7, 2026
- Design: Fabric-finished back with a flat OLED display and slim bezels
- Performance: Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 paired with 16GB RAM
- Camera: Triple 50MP setup with a periscope telephoto lens and Sony Lytia sensor
- Software: Ships with Android 16 and Motorola’s Hello UI
Premium Design and Build Quality
From the teasers released so far, the Motorola Signature does not look like a typical glass-and-metal slab. The most noticeable change is the fabric-finished rear panel, which immediately sets it apart from the usual glossy glass or vegan leather designs flooding the market. It is an unusual choice, perhaps even a risky one, but it does suggest Motorola is trying to offer something that feels more tactile and distinctive in everyday use.
On the front, the phone features a flat 6.7-inch OLED display with a 1.5K resolution and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. The bezels appear impressively slim, giving the device a modern, clean look. There is also a new physical button positioned on the left edge. Power and volume controls remain on the right, so this extra button likely serves a secondary function. It could be a dedicated camera shutter or a shortcut for AI-based tools, not entirely unlike the Action button seen on recent iPhones. Motorola has not confirmed its exact purpose yet, though.
High Performance and Hardware
Performance is clearly one of the Signature’s main selling points. The device has already appeared on Geekbench, where it posted a single-core score of 2,854 and a multi-core score of 9,411. These figures are strikingly close to those of the OnePlus 15R, which also runs on the same Snapdragon platform.
Under the hood, the phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset. This processor includes two high-performance cores clocked at 3.80GHz and six efficiency cores running at 3.32GHz. Combined with 16GB of RAM and Android 16, the hardware setup suggests the Motorola Signature should handle heavy multitasking, demanding games, and long-term usage without much strain. At least in theory, it feels future-ready.
Advanced Camera Capabilities
Cameras seem to be where Motorola is placing a lot of emphasis this time around. The rear features a squircle-shaped camera island housing three 50MP sensors. The primary camera is said to use a Sony Lytia sensor with optical image stabilization, which should help with low-light shots and video stability.
What really stands out, though, is the inclusion of a periscope telephoto lens. This is still relatively rare outside full-fledged flagship phones, especially in this expected price range. Optical zoom without significant quality loss could be a major advantage for photography enthusiasts. On top of that, Dolby Vision support for video recording and playback adds another layer of polish, particularly for users who consume and create a lot of video content on their phones.
Market Positioning and Competition
Interestingly, the Motorola Signature is widely believed to be a rebranded version of the device previously codenamed “Urus,” which was also referred to as the Motorola Edge 70 Ultra in earlier leaks. By introducing it under the Signature name, Motorola appears to be positioning it as a step above the standard Edge 70 models, both in perception and pricing.
This strategy places the Signature in direct competition with upcoming devices like the Realme 16 Pro series and the OnePlus 15R in India. It is a crowded segment, no doubt, but Motorola seems confident that its combination of design, camera hardware, and near-flagship performance will be enough to stand out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What is the price of the Motorola Signature in India?
A1: Motorola has not officially revealed the price yet. However, considering the Motorola Edge 70 launched at Rs 29,999, the Signature is expected to cost more, likely falling somewhere between Rs 45,000 and Rs 55,000.
Q2: Does the Motorola Signature support a stylus?
A2: Early leaks hinted at possible stylus support, but Motorola has not confirmed this feature in any of its official teasers so far.
Q3: What colors will be available for the phone?
A3: According to leaked renders, the device may launch in two color options: Carbon and Martini Olive.
Q4: Which processor does the Motorola Signature use?
A4: The phone runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset. While not positioned as the absolute top-tier chip, it delivers performance that comes very close to flagship-class processors.
