As Motorola just launched its highly anticipated Signature 27 flagship smartphone, we’re excited to see how it measures up to the iPhone 18 Pro Max.
While we have yet to review the Motorola Signature 27, we have reviewed the iPhone 18 Pro Max and awarded Apple’s flagship with a 4.5-star rating. With this in mind, the Signature 27 has a lot to live up to.
Otherwise, we’ve compared Android vs iOS to help you decide which operating system suits you best, while our round-up of the best smartphones reveals our current favorite models.
Price and availability
Pre-sales of the Motorola Signature 27 will begin on November 16, with an RRP of $1,599.
The top-end iPhone 18 Pro Max is available to buy now, and has a starting price of £1,299 / $1,299.
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Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 vs A20 Pro
The biggest differences between the Motorola Signature 27 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max are their processors and operating systems. The Signature 27 is among the first Androids to ship Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chip, which Motorola promises will bring advanced gaming, better camera experiences and, of course, next-generation AI capabilities.
Although we are yet to review the handset, we have reviewed the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 in the RedMagic 12 Pro and were impressed with its performance. With that in mind, we expect the chip to perform well in Motorola’s flagship, attracting many of the best Android phones of 2027.
In comparison, the iPhone 18 Pro Max runs on Apple’s A20 Pro chip. During our time with the Apple handset, we concluded that the A20 Pro enabled a performance that was hard to fault, with everything from gaming and processing AI requests to multitasking via apps performing brilliantly.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max also, surprisingly, fits perfectly into Apple’s ecosystem and makes it easier to share files between other iPhones and Macs. Having an iPhone is also a necessity to operate an Apple Watch and also offers easier pairings with AirPods.
Motorola Signature 27 promises to be the “lightest” smartphone on the market
With its Extreme AMOLED Duo display built with tandem technology, and up to 12,000 nits of peak brightness, Motorola hailed the Signature 27 as the “brightest display” currently available on a smartphone.
Otherwise, we praised the 6.9-inch iPhone 18 Pro Max as “one of the best phone displays around”, because it’s not only good for content, but its Ceramic Shield 2 coating means it can tolerate drops and tumbles too.
The Motorola Signature 27 also promises to be durable, with a Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 coating, an aerospace-grade aluminum frame and both IP68 and IP69 ratings as well.
Motorola Signature 27 has a bigger battery
Apple has never been one to offer heavy batteries as many of the best Android phones tend to do, but even if the brand did not reveal the exact size of its cell, the iPhone 18 Pro Max showed a serious condition. We found during our review period that the iPhone 18 Pro Max could easily see us through a busy day at the office, with 20-30% in the tank before bedtime.
Not only that, but we even found that we could get almost two days of battery with more casual use as well. For an iPhone, that’s pretty impressive.
In comparison, the Signature 27 is equipped with a large 7000mAh cell, which Motorola promises will comfortably see you through an entire day. There’s also 90W wireless charging support, which Motorola claims gives the Signature 27 enough power to last a day in just 12 minutes.
Motorola Signature has a special EVS action camera
Motorola is making huge claims with the Signature 27’s photographic prowess, promising the handset the brand’s “most advanced camera system to date.” The Signature 27 consists of a 50MP Sony LYTIA L910 main camera, 200MP periscope telephoto with 100x super zoom, a 50MP ultrawide and the “first ever dedicated EVS action sensor on a smartphone”.
The EVS Action Sensor is designed to capture fast-moving subjects with greater clarity, as it works alongside the Action Shot feature to freeze movement while maximizing available light.
In comparison, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is equipped with three 48MP lenses – including a main, ultra-wide and telephoto. Not only that, but its main lens is equipped with variable aperture, which allows you to change the amount of light that hits the lens. It’s a first for an iPhone and while it shouldn’t be the only reason you picked up the handset, we found it worked well.
Otherwise, all three lenses are reliable shooters and are consistently good at taking crisp and detailed images without requiring too much effort from the photographers.
Early judgment
Aside from the obvious Android vs. iOS debate, how do you decide between the Motorola Signature 27 and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Note that the Motorola Signature 27 promises a powerful battery, the brand’s most advanced camera setup and also an industry-leading bright display.
In comparison, during our time with the iPhone 18 Pro Max, we were seriously impressed with its overall performance. Not only did both general apps and intensive games perform incredibly well, but its camera setup also offered consistently brilliant shots.
We will certainly update this versus when we review the Motorola Signature 27.