Samsung set a high bar in the mid-range market a few years ago with the Samsung Galaxy A54, and they’ve been improving it each year to stay ahead of the competition.
This is Samsung’s latest mid-range smartphone, the Galaxy A54 5G. It’s been a while since I’ve been truly excited to review a mid-range phone from Samsung. The Galaxy A54 5G offers a similar design and feel to the more expensive Galaxy S23. It also boasts a 50-megapixel triple camera setup, a 6.4-inch Full HD AMOLED display, and a massive battery that Samsung claims can last up to two days.
I’ve had the Galaxy A54 5G for over a week now, and it’s exceeding my expectations. The Galaxy A54 still delivers a well-rounded experience without breaking the bank, but there are a few areas where I wish Samsung had made different choices. The Galaxy A54 has undergone several improvements that are generally beneficial, making it a simple choice if you’re overwhelmed by options and looking for a smartphone under PHP 25k.
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G Specs
- 6.4″ FHD+ @ 1080×2340 pixels, Super AMOLED, 120Hz
- Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- Samsung Exynos 1380 octa-core chip
- 4x Cortex-A78 2.4GHz + 4x Cortex-A55 2.0GHz
- Mali-G68 MP5
- 8GB RAM
- 128GB, 256GB internal storage
- Up to 1TB via microSD
- 50MP f/1.8 OIS main camera
- 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide
- 5MP f/2.4 macro
- 4K @ 30fps, 1080p @ 60fps
- 32MP f/2.2 front camera
- 4K @ 30fps, 1080p @ 60fps
- Dual SIM 5G, 4G/LTE
- WiFi-6
- Bluetooth 5.3
- GPS with A-GPS support
- IP67 dust and water resistance
- Dolby Atmos
- 5000mAh Li-Po battery, 25W Fast Charging
- OneUI 5.1 (Android 13)
- Dimensions: 76.7 x 158.2 x 8.2 mm
- Weight: 202 grams
Design and Build
A flagship-level design
The design is the first key area where the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G significantly differs from its predecessor. From the back, the new phone now resembles Samsung’s latest Galaxy S23 range. Additionally, the company ditched the camera island from the Galaxy A53 in favor of a simpler design with three distinct lenses protruding from the back. Samsung seems to be aiming for a more unified design, and with its new back, the Galaxy A54 unmistakably appears to belong to the Galaxy S23 lineup.
Furthermore, the front and rear of the Galaxy A54 now sport Gorilla Glass 5. This results in increased durability and a more premium feel in the hand. Overall, the Galaxy A54 has a pleasing fit and finish, and the combination of a glossy back and a matte frame evokes an iPhone-like sense of luxury. Additionally, the Galaxy A54 boasts an IP67 certification, which means it can withstand brief water splashes. While it may even survive submersion for around 30 minutes in shallow water, we certainly don’t recommend doing so.
Display
It’s colorful and vivid
The 6.4-inch AMOLED display of the Galaxy A54 boasts a 120Hz refresh rate. While maintaining the same 1080p resolution as its predecessor, the new screen delivers significantly increased brightness. One of the most common complaints regarding the Galaxy A53 was its poor outdoor visibility. Thankfully, Samsung addresses this issue by boosting the maximum brightness from 800 nits to 1,000 nits. For context, the Galaxy A54’s 6.4-inch panel falls in size between the 6.1-inch and 6.6-inch displays found on the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+, respectively.
Overall, the display offers rich and vibrant colors, while the 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth and fluid visuals. Additionally, the phone features an in-display fingerprint scanner for quick and convenient authentication. While slightly slower compared to the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy S23, it remains sufficiently fast for everyday use.
As expected, there’s a small punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera. The bezels surrounding the display are slightly larger than those seen on flagship models, but neither of these aspects are significant drawbacks.
Performance
Smooth like Butter!
Samsung returns to an Exynos processor with the Exynos 1380, an upgrade from the Exynos 1280 found in the Galaxy A53. This 5nm octa-core chipset features four Cortex-A78 cores and four Cortex-A55 cores. This variant boasts 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM.
I saw minimal performance differences compared to the Galaxy S23, which speaks to Samsung’s excellent optimization of the One UI software. High-intensity games also ran admirably, and the snappy 120Hz display made for smooth browsing and navigation.
However, multitasking can lead to occasional lag with the Exynos 1380. Consider utilizing the RAM Plus feature, which adds virtual RAM up to 6GB using your storage space, beneficial for managing multiple open apps.
Overall, the Galaxy A54 5G performs well, offering a significant improvement over the Exynos 1280 in the Galaxy A53. Below are the results of our synthetic benchmark tests using AnTuTu and PCMark.
One of the highlights is the Galaxy A54 coming pre-installed with the same software as the Galaxy S23 series. This means One UI 5.1, an Android 13-based interface, offering an experience comparable to high-end Samsung flagships.
Furthermore, similar to those flagships, the Galaxy A54 will receive four years of Android OS updates and five years of security updates, a significant advantage for users who tend to keep their mid-range phones for extended periods.
Battery
It gets the job done!
The Galaxy A54 retains the dependable 5,000mAh battery from Samsung, which can last up to two days, depending on your usage. Fortunately, the Galaxy A54 5G boasts excellent battery life, meaning you won’t frequently need to connect it to a charger and wait for a full charge.
While Samsung hasn’t increased charging speed, the Galaxy A54 still supports up to 25W wired charging. It took me roughly two hours to fully charge the phone, which is not a major inconvenience.
The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G features excellent battery life, a vivid and colorful AMOLED screen, and an impressive camera that performs well even in low light. Right now, it’s the top smartphone under PHP 25,000.
Editor’s View
Even with the refresh rate set at 120Hz, I was still able to get well over a day’s worth of use out of this phone. As a moderate user who doesn’t game often, I typically ended each day with around 50% battery remaining. Of course, your mileage may vary depending on your usage patterns, but overall, you can expect good battery life from this device.
Camera
Impressive imaging for a mid-range price
The Galaxy A54 boasts a different camera setup compared to its predecessor, the A53. It features a triple-lens system, consisting of a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide sensor, and a 5MP macro sensor. The primary camera benefits from a larger sensor with increased pixel size (from 0.8 microns to 1.0 microns), promising improved low-light performance – a welcome change. Notably, Samsung has removed the 5MP depth sensor, which proved unnecessary in our testing.
In good lighting conditions, the A54 captures stunning pictures with vibrant colors. Both the ultrawide and macro cameras deliver decent results under bright light.
However, low-light performance suffers, particularly for ultrawide photos. Thankfully, the dedicated night mode allows you to capture impressive “Nightography” shots even in dim environments.
Here are some samples:
A decent vlogging phone too!
This phone’s video recording capabilities are limited to 4K at 30 frames per second, and you can only choose between 30 and 60 frames per second in 1080p resolution. The selfie camera’s maximum resolution is also 4K at 30 frames per second.
Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G?
Samsung has done a good job with the Galaxy A54 5G. It stands out from the competition in the mid-range market and, dare I say, edges toward flagship territory. As I previously mentioned, the design is starting to grow on me, and I appreciate Samsung’s attempt to set its phone apart from rivals with a unified aesthetic.
For a starting price of PHP 24,990, the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G offers an excellent display, a respectable selection of cameras, and reliable performance for everyday use. While I would have preferred a telephoto lens instead of the macro lens or even better camera capabilities overall, it’s important to remember that even the Galaxy S23 has a maximum charging power of 25W, making faster charging on the A54 seem like wishful thinking at this price point.
Overall, we really like the Galaxy A54. It represents an improvement, a step in the right direction, and is a solid mid-range phone.
Pricing and Availability
The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is available for a starting price of PHP 24,990 for the 8GB+128GB model and PHP 26,990 for the 8GB+256GB model. Lime, Violet, and Graphite are the three colors that are offered for this device.
So what do you think of the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
