Motorola Signature 27 ranks second, over iPhone 18 Pro in DXOMARK camera test

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Motorola launched the Motorola Signature 27 yesterday, and its camera has already landed near the top of DXOMARK’s global rankings. The phone scored 173 points in the 6th Edition image benchmark, putting it in second place, ahead of the Apple iPhone 18 Pro, which scored 172 points. Only the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra scored higher, at 175 points.

That’s a nine-point improvement over the original Motorola Signature, which scored 164 points in the same benchmark. DXOMARK previously compared the first Signature with the iPhone 17 Pro and Vivo X300 Pro, but the new model is much closer to the top of the rankings.

The review describes the Signature 27 as a well-balanced camera phone, with reliable results in both photos and videos. Portraits are where it does particularly well. According to DXOMARK, faces come out with natural skin tones, accurate exposure, and plenty of detail. Even group shots are handled nicely, as the camera keeps people in focus when they stand at different distances from it.

Its telephoto camera is another strong part of the setup. The 3x optical zoom is said to work well for close-up shots, and image quality remains good up to around 6x.

The same consistency carries over to video recording. DXOMARK says footage generally has accurate exposure and natural-looking colours, while noise remains under control when filming static scenes.

Where the Motorola Signature 27 falls short

Per DXOMARK, there are still a few situations where the cameras struggle. Zooming in on distant subjects can result in a noticeable loss of detail, while extremely dark scenes may produce colour shifts and leave parts of the image looking less detailed. Fast-moving subjects can also appear blurry, so capturing action shots won’t always give you the result you want.

These problems extend to video as well. Recording moving subjects or scenes with plenty of activity in very dark conditions can introduce more visible noise. It’s one area where the Signature 27 could use some improvement.

Even with those limitations, a score of 173 puts Motorola’s new flagship just two points behind the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra. It also gives the phone a one-point lead over the iPhone 18 Pro in DXOMARK’s latest camera rankings.