GrapheneOS is a privacy-focused operating system built on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). So far, it has been limited to Pixel smartphones, though we’ve known for a few weeks that Motorola’s future smartphones will support the software. However, we didn’t quite know which would be the first to get the honor. Well, that mystery has now been solved.
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An overview of this private and secure mobile operating system
The GrapheneOS account on X confirmed that the recently unveiled Signature 27 would be the first non-Pixel smartphone to support the secure operating system. In a later post, the software team said devices with the software preinstalled are being planned, but couldn’t share more details (via 9to5Google).
GrapheneOS is also expected to make it to the 2027 Razr foldables, though the Signature 27 will be the first. Motorola didn’t say much about the US launch date during the Signature 27 announcement, only saying “stay tuned.” However, the company’s North American page has since been updated to mention that it’s arriving sometime in November, though there’s still no specific date to mark on our calendars.
Similarly, the company hasn’t shared any information on the Signature 27’s price tag. But considering how almost every recent smartphone has seen a price bump due to the global memory crisis, we wouldn’t be surprised to find Motorola’s upcoming flagship appearing among the most expensive slab-style phones on the market.
Qualcomm’s flagship mobile chip is crucial in bringing GrapheneOS to the Signature 27
Credit: Motorola
In addition to the enviable partnership with GrapheneOS, Motorola is also among the first manufacturers to announce a device featuring Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 SoC. This chipset is based on TSMC’s 2nm node and reportedly delivers a 13% performance uptick over last year’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
While the GrapheneOS team has acknowledged that the 2026 Razr Ultra and Razr Fold were close to getting support, the new suite of security features implemented in the Signature 27’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chip helped make the partnership happen.
Although it looks like the secure OS is limited to premium-grade smartphones, the software team has previously said there are plans to bring it to low-end devices as well, provided some existing bottlenecks can be cleared.
“It’s mostly due to how Qualcomm handles it. The latest Snapdragon flagships have the best security features. We’ll also need Motorola to start paying them for longer updates below flagships,” the team previously said.