CES 2026: Motorola Signature has the best cameras and software of any Moto phone, but there's a problem

While Motorola's best efforts are focused on foldable Razr models like the upcoming Razr Fold, it still has plenty to offer with regular phones. In fact, Motorola is ready to challenge the status quo, and the brand is rolling out the Signature, a new series that aims to hold up against the likes of the OnePlus 15.

I was able to use the Signature at CES 2026, and while I haven't tested Motorola phones in a few years, I don't remember the manufacturer's devices being this good. That OnePlus comparison is apt, as the Signature immediately feels like OnePlus devices of yesteryear. The sleek design with a thickness of just 6.9mm along with the rectangular camera island reminds me of the OnePlus 10 Pro, and the in-hand feel is similar as well. While it has flat sides, the subtle bevels make the phone highly comfortable to hold and use, and it just feels better than the chunkier Vivo X300 and Find X9.

Of course, that's also down to the fact that the Signature has a smaller 5,200mAh battery. Thankfully, Motorola is using silicon-carbon tech, so you get better density — leading to a thinner phone — and better durability in challenging weather conditions. I wasn't able to test that as I used the Signature in a comfortable (albeit harshly lit) briefing area in Las Vegas, but seeing as how it also has IP68 and IP69 ingress protection, it should hold up to any adverse weather just as well as other Android phones.

Motorola had the green and black models of the Signature available, and I like the green option — it just has a better presence, and the brushed metal around the camera island contrasts well with the color. The Signature gets a 6.8-inch AMOLED panel, and it comes with all the other extras that you'd normally see in a high-end phone.

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Now, what I particularly like with the Signature is the cameras; the phone gets a 50MP Sony Lytia LYT-828 main camera with OIS, alongside a 50MP Sony Lytia LYT-600 3x zoom lens (also with OIS), and a 50MP wide-angle lens. The cameras are the same as the Razr Fold, and the switch to Sony lenses should give the Signature a considerable advantage over yesteryear Motorola phones.

The Signature doesn't quite have the latest hardware, with Motorola choosing to go with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 instead of the Elite. Now, while I would normally have an issue with that, I don't think it is a big downside. The 8 Gen 5 has plenty of power in its own right, and Motorola said going with the platform allowed it to lower the cost of the phone, putting it on par with the OnePlus 15 (which does have the Elite).

Elsewhere, you get 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.1 storage, with the phone going up to 16GB/1TB should you need increased storage. The 5,200mAh battery uses Motorola's standard 90W charging tech, and the phone doesn't miss out on any of the other extras — it even gets UWB.

Motorola's software stance with the Signature is refreshing to say the least, with the phone guaranteed to get seven years of updates. I confirmed with Motorola that it means seven Android OS updates, so the phone is in line with Google and Samsung devices in this regard, and that's just great to see considering all the missteps the brand made in the past.

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If anything, using the Signature convinced me that Motorola has a great product on its hands, and it has the potential to be an alternative to the OnePlus 15 and Galaxy S25.

There's just one issue: Motorola isn't launching the Signature in the U.S. The phone is going on sale in other global markets, where prices start at €999. It is coming to Latin America, India, and other key regions where Motorola sells its devices, and I just don't get why the brand chose not to release it Stateside.

There's a clear shortage of good phones in the U.S., and given that Motorola has a strong presence in the region, the Signature would have been the ideal model to challenge Samsung's dominance. But it looks like Motorola wants to focus solely on Razr foldables in the high-end category in the U.S., and that means customers in the country miss out on a great phone — yet again.