The last slab phone I truly loved was the Moto Edge+ 2023, which made it hard for me to watch as Motorola chose not to bring any of that phone's successors to the US.The good news is that's changing this year with the Motorola Signature 27.The bad news is no one will want to buy it, for one glaring reason.
Add How-To Geek on Google Add as Preferred Source Follow on Google Discover The Motorola Signature 27 is priced at $1,600 A slab phone that's only $400 less than an iPhone Duo Close The Motorola Signature 27 is the first flagship Motorola phone to come to the US since 2023, and it defies how Americans think about Motorola.You see, while Motorola has been releasing high-end RAZR foldables every year, if you head to a Best Buy in search of a slab phone, you're most likely to see a row of Moto E's and Moto G's.The best you'll find is the mid-tier Moto Edge (notice the lack of a plus).
Motorola's US lineup has been woefully lacking.This reputation has also been earned in other ways.Motorola's RAZR phones may not be budget-oriented, but they've been priced consistently cheaper than Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip.
The company is also aggressive with sales.When I decided to ditch my Z Fold 6 for a RAZR Fold, a big part of the reason had to do with the fact that Motorola was offering an extra $400 off with any trade-in.The end result meant I spent only slightly more for a brand new RAZR Fold than I usually do buying foldables second-hand.
The Motorola Signature 27 doesn't compromise on specs, but neither do some much cheaper flagship phones.The Samsung Galaxy S26+ is $600 cheaper.You could also save $200 with the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
The Google Pixel 11 Pro is $500 cheaper, and the Pro XL is $300 cheaper.These are the phones that the Signature 27 will be put up against.The Motorola Signature 27 is a halo device This is the phone you want to buy, not the one you actually will The Motorola Signature 27 is a flagship in the truest sense of the word.
At $1600, it's more of a halo device than a phone priced to sell.That means the Signature isn't meant to become ubiquitous—it's a status symbol.It's a device meant to break the association between the words "Motorola" and "budget." I appreciate Motorola making that effort.
I'm just not sure that this is the right approach.No one who has seen my RAZR Fold in person has thought for a moment that I was holding a cheap phone.Just the opposite.
The fact that this phone folds isn't the only thing that gives everyone this vibe—the phone simply looks premium.At a time when Apple, Samsung, and Google are offering phones that feel like glass all the way around, Motorola hasn't shied away from selling phones with actual texture.Motorola can achieve the same impression just by selling slab phones with competitive specs and a sense of style.
Instead, the company has chosen to release the Lamborghini of phones, putting in higher specs than the competition but at a price so steep you won't actually see enough in the wild.Most Motorola phones you see will still be Moto G's.Motorola has long offered better value for less money The Motorola Signature 27 is decidedly off-brand Close I didn't just buy the RAZR Fold because it's cheaper.
Despite all the hype around the newer Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the iPhone Duo, I still contend that the RAZR Fold remains the best all-around book-style foldable in the US.To switch to another Android foldable would mean having less storage, a smaller battery, slower charging, lower-resolution cameras, and giving up my stylus.The RAZR Fold is more phone for less money, just like the Moto Edge+ 2023 I used to carry, which to this day still charges faster than any phone from Apple, Google, or Samsung.
There is growing space for more phones like this.After all, this was the role that OnePlus served before it pulled out of the American market.With the economy as it is, now is the time to offer people more for less in whatever way you can.
The Signature's price reflects the expensive times we're in $1600 is eye-watering, but that number doesn't come from nowhere.RAM, storage, and the best Snapdragon chips aren't cheap.In fairness, the Signature's starting price is the same as the Galaxy S26 Ultra's once you bump the latter up to a comparable 512GB of storage.
However, that's not the model most people buy, and it makes the Signature 27 a very hard sell in comparison.I understand how Motorola got to the number that it did.I just hope the company takes at least one stab at releasing a more affordable Signature phone before it decides to give up on selling flagships in the US a second time.
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