- GrapheneOS will work with the Motorola Signature 27
- This will be the first non-Pixel phone to support the operating system
- Some future Motorola phones are also expected to support it
It must be very difficult for a mobile operating system to entice Android or iOS users, but on a small scale, at least GrapheneOS seems to be doing just that – and it’s now a little easier to get hold of.
You see, this privacy-focused operating system built on top of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) was previously limited to Pixel phones — which is somewhat ironic, since it likely appeals to people who want to escape Google’s grip. But now it’s finally coming to a Motorola phone as well.
The device in question is the newly launched Motorola Signature 27. This is a high-end handset, powered by the brand new Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset – making it even more powerful than the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S26 series. It also has a 6.8-inch screen and four rear cameras, so this is set to compete with the absolute best Android phones.
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But unlike most of these rivals, you can install GrapheneOS on it, as confirmed by the GrapheneOS X account. In fact, you don’t even need to install it, as versions of the handset that ship with GrapheneOS pre-installed in place of Android are apparently also planned.
However, it’s unclear when that will be, or even when the Motorola Signature 27 will ship at all – although the Motorola US site says to expect it sometime in November.
Hopefully the first of many
Whenever it lands, it’s sure to be expensive (although prices haven’t been announced yet), but the GrapheneOS team has talked about bringing its operating system to some future Motorola phones, including possibly some lower-end ones.
That said, there are some issues to be resolved, with the team previously saying (via Android Police) that “it’s mainly because of how Qualcomm handles it. The latest Snapdragon flagships have the best security features. We also need Motorola to pay them for longer updates under flagships.”
So in other words, it sounds like the use of this new chipset, in addition to long-term software support, is why the operating system is brought specifically to the Motorola Signature 27.
Still, it’s nice to see that GrapheneOS is at least a little more widely available, and maybe if previous chipsets were an issue, we can start seeing it brought to other Android brands when they launch phones with Qualcomm’s new silicon.
This will probably never be a truly mainstream OS, but by combining most of the familiarity of Android (including access to the Google Play Store if you choose to install it), with increased privacy and security features – especially when it comes to what data is shared with Google and apps – it is a very promising alternative to the big names for more privacy-conscious users.
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