Samsung Galaxy A54 5G Review: Back on Track

At a look

Knowledgeable’s Score

Execs

• IP67 ranking
• Glorious display 
• Stable battery life 
• Lengthy software program assist 

Cons

• Gradual charging 
• Charger offered individually
• Rivals are cheaper 

Our Verdict

With an upgraded processor, the A54 5G is again to being among the best mid-range telephones round. It appears like a cut-down Galaxy S23, with stable specs throughout the board and little to not like.

Worth When Reviewed

$449.99

Greatest Costs At this time: Samsung Galaxy A54 5G

$449.99

Earlier Galaxy A fashions have been a number of the finest promoting smartphones globally, which places a whole lot of stress on new generations. Final yr’s A53 was a bitter disappointment however Samsung is again on observe with the A54 for 2023. 

Not a lot has truly modified year-on-year, however the A53’s sluggish processor has been given a severe improve, and this is among the keys to how the Galaxy A54 is recommendable as a high mid-ranger. 

This $449/£449 sweet bar handset has the glossy appears to be like of the flagship Galaxy S23 vary, a wonderful display with a 120Hz refresh charge, stable battery life, reliable cameras, and Samsung’s industry-leading software program assist. 

There’s little to dislike right here, even when Samsung is behind a lot of rivals on charging speeds – and the shortage of a charger within the field will irk some consumers. It has fierce competitors although, with the likes of the Google Pixel 6a and Nothing Cellphone (1) nonetheless a severe temptation for anybody not loyal to Samsung. 

Design & construct 

• S23 type 
• Plastic again 
• IP67 safety 

The Galaxy A54 is a trendy smartphone, simply one of many best-looking mid-rangers available on the market. Whereas it appears to be like just like its predecessor, small tweaks consistent with the flagship S23 vary, resembling extra rounded corners, hold issues recent and differentiate it. 

Chris Martin / Foundry

Whether or not you want the brand new digital camera association or not is private choice however I’m a fan of the port-hole styling – though it does annoy me how wobbly it makes the telephone when it’s on a flat floor (it’s virtually unusable). 

The telephone may truly move because the Galaxy S23+ from throughout the room, and the phantasm holds up till you examine the finer particulars. It’s obtained a plastic rear cowl and body, though the latter doesn’t really feel prefer it, and there’s nonetheless Gorilla Glass 5 defending the show. 

Just like the S23, it’s a slippery buyer, however construct high quality is superb and it’s one in all a choose few mid-range telephones with an IP67 mud and water-resistance ranking. 

Chris Martin / Foundry

It’s a disgrace the handset has gained a little bit of weight, up 13g on the A53 to 202g. It’s not massively heavy, however if you would like one thing lighter then the Google Pixel 6a is a way more manageable 178g. 

I’ve examined the plain Superior Black color however you will get the A54 in additional thrilling flavours of Superior White, Superior Lime and Superior Violet. Within the US, the official retailer solely has Graphite (black) and Violet – each nonetheless dubbed Superior, in fact. 

Display & audio system 

• 6.4in AMOLED 
• 120Hz refresh charge 
• Stereo audio system 

Samsung has lowered the display dimension barely to six.4in, however in any other case this packs largely the identical show specs because the Galaxy A53. The headline specs are that it’s an AMOLED panel with a Full HD+ decision and 120Hz refresh charge. 

It’s shiny sufficient for out of doors utilization in sturdy daylight and the show can be blessed with glorious colors and distinction as you’d count on from an AMOLED panel. 

Chris Martin / Foundry

At 120Hz, the A54 stays one of many smoothest mid-rangers, with an Adaptive mode on by default or the choice to cap it at 60Hz for longer battery life (although that’s largely not a priority). It’s not the one 120Hz telephone at this worth, with the likes of Xiaomi and Realme providing it too, however key rivals such because the Pixel 6a are solely 60Hz. 

The show additionally advantages from an embedded fingerprint scanner which I discovered labored higher than the one on the Galaxy S23. The facial recognition can be respectable, and you need to use both while you unlock. 

The A54 has no headphone jack however the in-built stereo audio system are fairly respectable, providing good velocity and readability. They do lack bass, although.

Specs & efficiency 

• Exynos 1380 chip 
• US choices restricted on RAM and storage
• MicroSD card slot 

A single digit change within the processor mannequin doesn’t appear very important, particularly on a mid-range telephone, however on this case it’s.

Whereas the Exynos 1280 present in final yr’s Galaxy A53 was sluggish and stuttering, the A54 is clean and dependable due to an improve to the Exynos 1380, which boasts double the variety of high-power efficiency cores as its predecessor.

Chris Martin / Foundry

I’m not saying it’s flawless, so that you may need to attend some time for a posh evening picture to course of or an enormous recreation to load, however these are cheap expectations in a telephone this worth. On the whole, day-to-day operation, the telephone can sustain simply high-quality and it might probably run video games like Asphalt 9 at prime quality settings. 

There’s disappointment for American clients as there’s solely the choice of 128GB storage and 6GB of RAM, whereas the UK and different markets go as much as 256GB storage and 8GB of reminiscence. Notice that I’m testing the UK mannequin right here, that means the US model is perhaps barely extra sluggish.  

Because the title suggests, the Galaxy A54 5G comes with 5G connectivity in addition to all the same old nuts and bolts resembling NFC, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.3.  

Some customers will discover it useful that it’s dual-SIM and there’s even a microSD card slot in a position to take as much as 1TB of storage, though it does expend one SIM spot. 

For those who’re , right here’s how the Galaxy A54 compares in our traditional set of benchmark exams. 

Cameras 

• 50Mp principal digital camera 
• 12Mp ultrawide 
• 5Mp macro 
• 32Mp selfies 

The A54 packs a reasonably typical trio of rear cameras, with a 50Mp principal lens joined by decrease decision ultrawide and macro cameras. You shouldn’t count on issues like telephoto lenses on a telephone this worth. 

Chris Martin / Foundry

The principle digital camera can snap glorious high quality footage in a variety of conditions. It’s obtained an f/1.8 aperture and advantages from optical picture stabilisation (OIS) to keep away from blur from a shaky hand.

Outcomes are detailed, vibrant and greater than acceptable for social media and even printing out. Low-light efficiency is healthier than most mid-range telephones too, though the telephone nonetheless has its limits right here – you’ll must spend extra for a flagship for actually glorious evening mode pictures.

The ultrawide is what you’d count on: good to have when you must match extra within the body, however on the apparent expense of high quality in comparison with the primary shooter.  

In the meantime, I had a whole lot of enjoyable with the macro lens which is among the finest I’ve examined on any telephone. With a hard and fast focus, you must have time and persistence, however can get some pleasing images (I’ve added the identical pictures from the primary digital camera to indicate the distinction). It’s not a must have, however provides you some enjoyable choices.

The oddity is that the macro mode is tucked away within the ‘extra’ menu although it’s a devoted lens (not that it’s solely Samsung that does this) and that is the place you’ll additionally discover different choices resembling Night time, Panorama, and even Professional mode. 

Chris Martin / Foundry

My greatest bugbear is with Samsung’s tuning, as colors aren’t completely correct between the totally different cameras. I can let that go on a mid-range telephone (it’s not too unhealthy) however I can’t stand the oversaturated – an understatement – look of the Meals mode, which makes it seem like I’ve used some nuclear elements.   

As for the entrance, the 32Mp selfie digital camera is a spotlight with baggage of high quality and choices resembling a stable portrait mode and a wider angle view for becoming extra folks or background in. 

Video recording can be superb, largely because of the OIS on the primary digital camera. By default, you’ll be recording in Full HD at 30fps however you may go as much as 4K on the similar framerate if you want. Even at 1080p, the standard is sweet with vibrant colors and clean footage even when being dragged alongside by my canine.

Battery life & charging 

• 5000mAh battery 
• 25W charging 
• No adapter included 

Charging remains to be a sore level when evaluating Samsung to the broader market, particularly when you think about the likes of Xiaomi and Oppo are hitting speeds of over 200W now. The 25W charging on the A54 isn’t notably trendy and, for higher or worse, Samsung doesn’t provide a wall adapter within the field – solely a cable.

Chris Martin / Foundry

I examined the telephone with a 67W quick charger from one other model and solely noticed it high as much as 16% in quarter-hour and 31% in 30. If speedy charging is essential to you then you definitely’ll should look elsewhere. 

Thankfully, issues get higher after we take a look at the battery life on supply. There’s a big 5000mAh cell and the telephone can comfortably final a full day of combined utilization with 4-5 hours of display time. I’m a lighter consumer than that on a standard day and might handle two days earlier than needing to cost, which is nice. 

Software program & apps 

• Android 13 
• One UI 5.1 
• 4 years of OS upgrades 

Software program is a powerful level for Samsung as a lot on mid-range telephones as it’s on flagships. Right here you’re getting the newest model of Android and the agency’s One UI pores and skin. The identical can’t be stated of some rivals which are sometimes lagging behind on Android 12. 

Stated rivals typically don’t have any official ensures of future updates both. Nonetheless, Samsung guarantees 4 years of OS upgrades, so that you’ll not solely get Android 14, however as much as no less than Android 17 on this telephone. 

Chris Martin / Foundry

I might nonetheless personally have a Pixel telephone for the pure Android expertise however One UI is completely serviceable and has so much to love. It’s simple to navigate and appears nice. Options just like the sidebar for favorite apps are helpful, although digital assistant Bixby is just not a lot. 

Samsung nonetheless insists on putting in a whole lot of apps from the off together with loads of duplicates of Google companies you’re extra doubtless to make use of. And regardless of me unticking the packing containers, the A54 rudely nonetheless put in a trio of undesirable video games. 

Different pre-loaded apps are arguably extra helpful resembling Disney+, TikTok, and OneDrive however you may no less than take away any you don’t need. 

Worth & availability 

Within the US, the Galaxy A54 is available in at $449, with just one mannequin out there on the time of writing from the official retailer, with 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM. You may also get Galaxy Buds Dwell with $100 off together with trade-in offers, plus presents resembling 3-months of Spotify Premium. Nonetheless, Amazon has cheaper costs should you simply need the telephone. 

These of you within the UK can get the telephone for £449 (£50 greater than the A53 when it arrived), with a 256GB model fetching £499. Both approach, you get 8GB of reminiscence. 

It’s out there from a variety of locations together with Amazon, John Lewis, Very, and Currys with many providing free Galaxy Buds 2 till 25 April. Samsung matches that deal but additionally has nice incentives like glorious trade-in costs in your outdated telephone. 

Discover out extra in our the place to purchase the Galaxy A54 information.

The worth places it up in opposition to some powerful competitors because the Google Pixel 6a is $449/£399 and sometimes on supply. The Nothing Cellphone (1) can be £399, however not out there within the US. Take a look at our chart of the perfect mid-range telephones for extra choices.

Verdict 

I’m relieved to report that Samsung is again on observe with the Galaxy A54 5G after a miscue final yr. 

A lot is identical, with top-notch styling, IP67 safety, among the best screens on a mid-range telephone, and a reliable set of cameras. Moreover, battery life is stable and Samsung continues to impress with its software program improve assure. 

This may have all been high-quality on the A53 had efficiency been as dependable however fortunately that’s fastened this yr with a extra highly effective Exynos processor. 

It’s not mechanically the perfect mid-range telephone you should buy, particularly with some glorious rivals at cheaper costs however it’s simple to suggest even should you’re not a Samsung loyalist. 

Nonetheless, it will be good if Sammy may set up some quicker charging and permit customers to decide on an influence brick totally free when ordering.

Specs

• Android 13 with One UI 5.1
• 6.4in AMOLED, 2340 x 1080, 120Hz, 19.5:9 ratio
• Exynos 1380 chipset
• 6/8GB RAM
• 128/256GB of storage (expandable by way of microSD)
• Cameras:
  • 50Mp f/1.8 OIS principal digital camera
  • 12Mp f/2.2 ultrawide
  • 5Mp f/2.4 macro
  • 32Mp f/2.2 selfie digital camera
• Twin-SIM/microSD
• Stereo audio system
• NFC
• GPS
• Bluetooth 5.3
• Wi-Fi 6
• Beneath-display fingerprint sensor
• 5000mAh battery
• 25W wired charging
• USB-C charging port
• 158.2 x 76.7 x 8.2mm
• 202g