Motorola has invested heavily into the Signature 27 to push this phone to that zero-compromise, ultra-flagship status. We’ve seen such flagship phones from Samsung year after year, but it’s a first for Motorola in a long time. More importantly, it has a winning feature that doesn’t show up on spec sheets, but it is one our readers love.
Our readers want GrapheneOS support
Poll
335 Votes
What's the one thing you really like about the Motorola Signature 27?
A couple of days before the phone’s official launch, a colleague of mine asked our readers, “What's the one thing you really like about the Motorola Signature 27?”
Leading the poll, 33.33% of voters (including me) chose the GrapheneOS support option. Another 32.11% voted for the 200MP telephoto camera, while some 16% liked the design best.
Pixel hardware has restricted privacy-conscious Android fans for years
If you’re just finding out about GrapheneOS, it’s an incredibly secure and private version of Android. Its countless security and privacy measures include, but are not limited to:
Sandboxing Google services, so you can use your phone without being tracked by Google in the background
Removing location-identifying tags from pictures and screenshots
Switching physical sensors on or off with toggles
A duress PIN that, when triggered, wipes the whole phone
Hardened security based on special hardware inside the phone
Unfortunately for the fans of this OS, it could only be installed on Google Pixel phones. Historically, only Pixel hardware cleared the security requirements set by devs, but it also meant that GrapheneOS users were limited by Pixel hardware.
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Motorola collaborated with GrapheneOS devs for the Signature 27, making it the first non-Pixel Android phone to support this OS.
The phone currently ships with Motorola’s version of Android, but the GrapheneOS team may also start offering this phone with GrapheneOS pre-installed.
Even without that, users will be able to install the alternative OS themselves once the team rolls out relevant resources. No such resources are available yet, but the standard GrapheneOS web installer should do the job easily with a few clicks.
Is this Motorola’s big comeback?
The Signature S27 cameras. | Image by Motorola
The triple-zoom telephoto camera on the Signature S27 has a massive 200MP sensor behind that periscope lens. Motorola is marketing it as the showstopper, and our poll shows people dig it. If GrapheneOS weren’t an option, I would have voted for the camera myself.
We’ll wait to see what kind of camera setup the Galaxy S27 comes out with, but Motorola's camera has succeeded in making a statement. It may be a part of Motorola’s game plan for a comeback because it’s also working on a Galaxy Z Fold 8 competitor called Razr Flex.
Its top-of-the-line hardware and GrapheneOS support make the Signature 27 a serious contender for the “ultra flagship” title. Motorola could become the new Blackberry, whose customers used to pay top dollar for premium hardware and secure software.
Motorola Signature 27
Display
6.8-inch . 2780x1264px
Camera
Triple camera
Battery
7000 mAh
Storage
12GB . 256GB
Hardware
Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6
OS
Android 17
Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra
Display
6.9-inch
Camera
Triple camera
Battery
5700 mAh
Storage
12GB . 256GB
Hardware
Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6
OS
Android 17
But more to the point, it just raised the bar for security and privacy options in Androidland. I hope other manufacturers take a page out of Motorola’s book and collaborate with the GrapheneOS team.
Get a free Galaxy A17 with Straight Talk. To claim this deal, you need to pair the phone with activation on a Silver Unlimited Plan or higher. This tier costs $45 per month. Offer valid through 01/10/27 while supplies last online.
Faisal Rasool has been writing about mobile tech for the past ten years. His favorite cousin used to be a mobile technician and, as a kid, Faisal learned how to repair and tweak phones in his workshop. Faisal's first phone was the Samsung Galaxy Europa (released 2010). More Android smartphones followed it, including the Samsung Galaxy S4, the Galaxy S6, Huawei P8, and currently the Galaxy A56.
He's a life-long Android guy because he loves other open-source platforms. He's been covering such platforms for websites like How-To Geek, Android Headlines, Android Police, SlashGear, and now PhoneArena.
Faisal has a bachelor's in English literature and he likes to write stories and paint in his free time.
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