Samsung’s Galaxy A54 a mid-range smartphone priced at around $327, It’s half the price of the flagship Galaxy S23. The Galaxy A54 with Super AMOLED screen and an upgraded 50-megapixel camera sensor for stunning low-light shots. Unlike the Snapdragon-powered S23, the Galaxy A54 features one of Samsung’s own Exodus chipsets, including a Super AMOLED screen and a powerful camera.
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Design
The Galaxy A54 has 6.4-inch Super AMOLED screen which offers vibrant and crisp visuals. While it may have slightly larger bezels compared to other modern smartphones but still provides a comfortable grip. Weighing 202 grams, it’s not the lightest handset, but the solid build quality gives it a premium feel. Comes in a range of attractive colors, such as Graphite, White, Lime, and Violet, with the Lime variant being a personal favorite. However, in terms of design lacks any standout elements and appears rather standard and built with Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back, ensuring durability. And Also it is IP67 water and dust resistant adding an extra layer of protection.
Software and features
The Galaxy A54 looks rather similar to the S23, and the software that Samsung has integrated here is also nearly identical. One UI 5.1 has been seamlessly incorporated on top of Android 13, presenting that distinctive Semi style, from the side scroll and abstra to the busy yet well-organized notifications panel. I must say, the One UI feels incredibly slick the animations are smooth, and everything flows beautifully.
During my week with the Galaxy A54, I did encounter a few minor bugs. There were a couple of instances when the phone spontaneously rebooted, seemingly deciding it couldn’t be bothered with life anymore (I can relate, A54). Additionally, for a few hours one day, the Google Discover feed simply refused to show up, no matter how much I swiped. On the plus side, this mid-ranger is expected to last for several years, as Samsung has promised four Android OS updates and five years of security updates. I also appreciate some of Samsung’s additions such as the routines, the always-on display and the gaming modes.
The Samsung Galaxy A54 model I reviewed is the 128GB version, which is the base model priced at 7. If you want to double the storage, you can opt for the 256GB version, which will cost an additional . This is still a much more reasonable price than upgrading an iPhone for more storage. Furthermore, it includes a microSD card slot allowing for expandable storage and also supports eSIMs along with physical SIMs. In terms of connectivity, you have 5G on top of Wi-Fi 6, Galaxy A54 packed with impressive features and functionality, making it an excellent choice at this price point.
Display and Audio
The Galaxy A54’s 6.4-inch Super AMOLED screen is one of the at this price point, the visuals are vibrant, crisp, and poppy thanks to the full HD Plus resolution. You also get support for HDR10 and HDR10+, just like the S23 flagships. Which means it can deliver more vibrant pictures and videos as well as beautifully lifelike images when streaming content from platforms like Netflix. I’ve streamed a lot of video over the past week, and I have absolutely no complaints. The auto-brightness feature works nicely, and at maximum brightness, it reaches a thousand nits, which is brighter than last year’s model. Therefore, outdoor visibility is not an issue. Additionally, offers a refresh rate of 120Hz.
I’ve watched many episodes of Finland Saga on Galaxy A54 while doing tasks like washing dishes and cooking curries, I did not have to resort to using headphones. And supports full Dolby Atmos, including Dolby Atmos for gaming. However, both of these features are switched off by default, so you’ll need to go into the audio settings and enable them if you want to experience, natural sound quality. Unfortunately, the Galaxy A54 does not have a headphone jack. It’s a feature that Samsung decided to scrap from the previous generation, which is quite annoying. However, the Bluetooth 5.3 streaming on this device was absolutely perfect throughout my usage. It offers the usual solid codec support.
Read Also: Google Pixel 7a Review
Performance
One of the most intriguing aspects of the Galaxy A54 is its brain, namely Samsung’s very own Exynos 1380 chipset, making its debut appearance. The downfall of last year’s Galaxy A53 was its underwhelming Exynos performance. Therefore, I was slightly concerned that this year’s handset would be a repeat mistake, resulting in another jittery and problematic device. However, I’m happy that my concerns were unfounded because the Galaxy A54 can handle any app you open even in split-screen mode, without any performance issues.
Gamers should also be pleased as demanding titles like Fairlight and Genshin Impact can be played on medium to high graphic settings with a stable frame rate. Additionally, it doesn’t heat up to a troublesome degree even during extended gaming sessions. However, similar to Google’s Pixel phones, which also use a chipset core design by Samsung, I did notice that it could get slightly warm at times even during general everyday use. There didn’t seem to be any specific reason for it. I would simply be browsing the web innocently, slip the phone back into my pocket, and suddenly feel a slight warmth on my thigh.
As for Samsung’s gaming mode, which I mentioned earlier, it is relatively basic compared to what you’ll find on Xiaomi or Realme phones. However, it does offer the ability to block notifications and other distractions making it worth checking out if you plan to indulge in some gaming on the go.
Battery Life
And as for the battery life, well, this is another area where the Galaxy A54 delivers with gusto. Samsung has crammed a 5,000 milliamp-hour capacity cell into that lovely lime frame, and I found that it always lasted me a full day, even when I was making liberal use of cameras, doing video calls Skype, or zoom meeting etc, Generally, I get around five to six hours of screen-on time, and I still have at least 15 to 20 hours left. However, it’s not all smooth sailing because the wireless charger only tops off at 25 watts, which feels rather lethargic compared to the likes of Xiaomi’s recent Redmi Note smartphones. On top of that, you don’t actually get an adapter bundled in the box with the phone, and there’s no wireless charging support either.
Camera Test
Now, the final upgrade for the year is samsung’s all-new 50-megapixel camera sensor with optical image stabilization, now bigger than ever for improved low-light performance, allegedly. Unfortunately, my test of the Galaxy A54’s optics didn’t get off to the most illustrious of starts as I realized that the shutter speed wasn’t particularly swift. So, if you’re attempting to shoot a living subject that does not obey your orders, then expect lots of blurry snaps of them just as they’re turning away right off. But still, if you do actually manage to time it right, you’ll often get a great-looking portrait snap with the added bonus that you can piddle about with that background blurriness after you’ve hit the shutter button.
While colors aren’t always naturally captured, I’ve got to give props to the A54 because my test photos were quite pleasing to the eye, even though they were shot with less than ideal lighting. And if you’re dealing with harsh contrast, it’s rare to see any oversaturation here. The A54 produces well-balanced pictures even in the face of bright lighting, and in more ambient light, things don’t get too soft. It’s not until evening time that you’ll get noise creeping in, although Samsung’s night mode can help to brighten and sharpen things up a little. However, you will struggle with moving subjects, ending up with blurry or distorted pictures.
In addition to the 50-megapixel sensor, the A54 also offers a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle shooter that’s basic but not particularly bad, and it comes in handy if you want a different vibe or you’re just trying to capture something absolutely massive. And that third lens is a 5-megapixel macro shooter if you fancy a bit of extreme close-up action. As always with Samsung smartphones, you’ve got a plethora of bonus camera modes, including the obligatory food mode if you like to snap pictures of your dinner and post them online before cramming it into your face. And it certainly makes edible stuff look even tastier by boosting the tones and textures. There’s also my own personal favorite, the fun mode, which is just so much fun.
Samsung phones are usually reliable enough for your horror movies as well, and if you switch to video mode, you can shoot up to 4K Ultra HD footage at 30 frames per second. I was certainly happy enough again at this sort of mid-range price point. It does a great job with crisp visuals, clear audio pickup, and respectable stabilization. And lastly, there’s that 32-megapixel selfie shooter, which, like the rear camera, does a decent job in all kinds of lighting, complete with a screen flash feature for low light that mostly just blinds you. And if you want to shoot some video using the front-facing selfie camera, well, again, this tops off at 4K resolution, which is still surprisingly rare for a mid-range mobile. Many of them do top off at full HD. Again, the audio pickup is satisfactory, and I had no troubles using the A54 for Skype, Zoom, and all that online video shenanigans.
Final Thought
The 2023 update of the Galaxy A54 smartphone addresses the disappointments of its predecessor, the A53, with the introduction of a redesigned Exynos 1380 chipset. This improvement is evident in the device’s performance while playing Genshin Impact, as it remains stable even at medium detail settings, with only occasional drops in frame rate.
The battery is commendable providing over six hours of screen-on time per charge, even during heavy audio streaming in the background. However, it’s worth noting that the device only supports wired charging up to 25W, and wireless charging is not available (unless you consider the Nothing Phone 1, which offers this feature). The camera impresses with its primary 50MP sensor, capturing great shots in most lighting conditions. However, capturing moving subjects may present a challenge due to the slightly slower shutter speed. Nevertheless, the device performs well in low-light situations, producing sharp and bright photos.
Overall, the Galaxy A54 is a notable improvement over its predecessor, offering enhanced performance, reliable battery life, and impressive camera capabilities, despite some minor limitations.
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Design8
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One Ui 5.1 and Features8
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Display and Audio9
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Performance9
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Battery Life8
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Camera9
