‘A Massive Step Change’: Shivam Ranjan on the Motorola Signature 27

Motorola entered 2026 with its first Signature smartphone, bringing a fresh approach to the premium flagship segment. Rather than focusing entirely on raw performance, the company wanted to strike a balance between powerful hardware, premium design, and an experience that extended beyond the phone itself.

Now, Motorola has offered a sneak peek at the upcoming Signature 27, and it's promising some significant upgrades.

At India Mobile Congress 2026, I spoke with Shivam Ranjan, Marketing Head, APAC, Motorola, about what's changing with the Signature 27, how AI is shaping its cameras, and whether the company is getting serious about mobile gaming. We also discussed India's importance to Motorola and what buyers can expect from its premium ownership experience.

The Signature 27 is about improving almost everything

When I asked Shivam about the biggest improvement over the original Signature, he couldn't pick just one.

"That's a difficult question to answer because there's an improvement in almost everything that we've done with the Signature 27. It's a massive step change that you see between the Signature 26 and 27," he explained.

Interestingly, Shivam also told us that while the original Signature was positioned in the entry-level flagship segment, Motorola has much bigger ambitions with its successor.

"The Signature, in its own right, is an incredible device in the entry-level flagship segment. But this one will be the best that exists in the flagship space as well," .

According to Shivam, Motorola learned that consumers appreciated the original Signature's balance of performance, design, and premium experiences. With the new model, the company wants to retain those qualities while taking the hardware considerably further.

The Signature 27 brings Qualcomm's new flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset, deeper Google Gemini integration, and seven years of OS upgrades. Shivam said that Motorola is working closely with Qualcomm to take advantage of the processor's capabilities, particularly as AI becomes more demanding.

Motorola is also aiming to be among the first manufacturers globally to introduce a smartphone powered by Qualcomm's latest flagship chipset.

"We are going to be one of the first to launch that globally," Shivam revealed, adding that Motorola has been working closely with Qualcomm to take advantage of the chipset's CPU, GPU, and NPU capabilities.

"It's a device not just for today," he said, explaining that the hardware needs to support technologies and experiences that will emerge over the coming years.

There's also a redesigned camera module combining ceramic and brushed aluminium, alongside audio by Bang & Olufsen. Interestingly, Shivam mentioned that the partnership isn't just about sound quality.

"Bang & Olufsen is known for luxury audio, not just for audio quality, but also for craftsmanship and design, which we believe works perfectly with what the Signature stands for,"

AI is doing almost half the work in the camera department

Cameras are another major focus for Motorola this year. The Signature 27 features a 50MP Sony LYTIA 910 primary sensor and a 200MP periscope telephoto camera that does 5x optical zoom.

But how much of the camera experience actually depends on AI?

"I would say there is an equal role to play. Almost a 50-50 percent role between hardware and software," Shivam explained.

He pointed to the phone's AI-powered Video Enhancement Engine as an example. According to Shivam, the camera begins analysing a scene as soon as you open the app, even before recording starts.

Once you're recording, it continuously adjusts colours, contrast, and details in real time, reducing the need for additional processing afterwards.

"It's happening as you shoot, and it actually starts even before you shoot," he explained.

It's an interesting approach, especially as smartphone photography increasingly depends on how well software complements the camera hardware. Of course, we'll have to see how these improvements translate into actual photos and videos.

Shivam also highlighted the original Signature's performance in DXOMARK's camera rankings, explaining that Motorola wants to take things even further this time.

"With this one, we plan to break those benchmarks and make new ones which are even higher," he said.

A gaming powerhouse, but not a gaming phone

With a powerful new Snapdragon chipset, I was also curious whether Motorola was targeting serious mobile gamers with the Signature 27.

Shivam clarified that while the phone is capable of handling demanding games, it isn't being designed specifically for gamers.

"We don't generally limit ourselves to a particular cohort, and Signature as a device is not specific to gamers. But it's a device that's very well equipped to address gaming," he added.

He highlighted the new ArcticMesh cooling technology, which combines diamond-infused thermal gel, liquid metal, copper mesh, and a larger 3D vapour chamber.

The idea is to keep temperatures under control during demanding tasks, allowing the chipset to maintain its performance. For now, Motorola appears more interested in delivering a well-rounded flagship that also happens to be a capable gaming device.

India is among Motorola's three most important markets

Beyond the device itself, I wanted to understand how important India is to Motorola's global flagship strategy.

"India is a critical market for Motorola globally. Since I take care of APAC, it is the biggest and most important market for us within APAC," Shivam highlighted.

He added that India is among Motorola's top three focus markets globally, not just for affordable devices but also for premium smartphones.

According to Shivam, devices in the Edge series and above now contribute approximately 55% of Motorola's revenue. He also highlighted India's growing appetite for premium smartphones, with consumers increasingly prioritising value and overall experience rather than simply looking at the price.

That shift helps explain Motorola's growing focus on the Signature lineup and its ambitions in the flagship segment.

What about the after-sales and other services?

One of the original Signature's more interesting offerings was its premium butler service, which provided personalised assistance beyond traditional smartphone support.

Naturally, I asked Shivam whether Signature 27 buyers could expect something similar.

While he couldn't confirm the exact benefits, he suggested Motorola wants to carry forward what consumers appreciated about the original device.

"What I can confirm is that we will definitely try and retain what consumers like and love," he said, adding that the company is also looking to improve those experiences based on feedback.

For now, we'll have to wait for the official launch to learn more about the Signature 27's after-sales benefits, pricing, and availability.

From my conversation with Shivam, one thing seems clear. Motorola isn't simply trying to make a more powerful Signature. It wants to build a flagship that brings together performance, photography, design, and a premium ownership experience.

Whether the Signature 27 delivers on all those promises is something I'm looking forward to finding out.