The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, the Galaxy A53, within the esteemed Samsung A series lineup. This smartphone represents a premium mid-range option, featuring a design reminiscent of the flagship S23. The phone shows improved features with an extremely premium design. While the camera performs extremely well, the phone is prone to heating. The phone costs Rs, 56,999 for its 8+128GB variant and Rs 59,999 for its 8+256GB. Well, wait no longer, here we will do the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G long-term review because we believe every experience matters.
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G Long Term Review:
Design and Build
Upon first encountering the Galaxy A54 5G, I was instantly captivated by its design. While the A53 certainly didn’t disappoint in terms of build quality, the A54 elevates it to new heights. Notably, Gorilla Glass 5 now envelopes both the front and back of the phone, a noticeable departure from the previous year’s model. What’s more, Samsung has dispensed with the camera hump, aligning the A54 with its refreshed design language, reminiscent of the standalone camera lenses featured in the S23 series.
The Galaxy A54 incorporates a matte plastic frame that, despite its plastic composition, imparts a reassuring sense of sturdiness when held. At the top of the device, you’ll encounter the SIM card/microSD card slot along with a microphone. On the left side of the device, there’s a clean and minimalist profile, with no notable features. Meanwhile, the right side plays host to the volume rocker and power button, ensuring easy accessibility for these essential controls.
Talking about the buttons, Samsung made them better this time. When you press them, they don’t feel mushy like they did on the A53. On the bottom of the A54, you’ll find the USB-C port, the main speaker tuned by Dolby Atmos, and two microphones. But just like last year, there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack.
The A54’s speakers sound really good, and I’m not sure if it’s because of the Dolby Atmos tuning, but they’re impressive. Both the main speaker and the earpiece speaker can get loud, and they produce clear and rich sound even when you turn up the volume. The bonus is that the speakerphone quality is better than average too. Making phone calls on the A54 sounds clear, whether I use the main speaker or the earpiece.
The A54 has a simple and elegant flat-back design with three rear cameras, and the LED flash is smoothly integrated with the back glass. One more thing to note is that the A54 is water and dust-resistant with an IP67 rating, which is a nice addition to durability.
Display
- 6.4 inches, Super AMOLED,
- 120Hz Refresh Rate, HDR10+, 1000 nits (HBM)
- 82.9% Screen-to-body ratio
Samsung’s reputation for producing exceptional OLED displays is well-deserved, and the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G further exemplifies this trend. The device boasts an exquisite 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with a rapid 120Hz refresh rate. Despite its 1080p resolution, this panel delivers an outstanding visual experience. While the display on the previous model was certainly commendable, the A54’s screen elevates the viewing experience by enhancing color vibrancy and depth.
Speaking of colors, Samsung has pushed the saturation levels to the maximum on the A54. This departure from the slightly dialed-down approach seen in the S23 Ultra is reminiscent of the vivid and punchy hues found in the S21 Ultra and this year’s OnePlus 11. Moreover, when streaming movies on platforms like Netflix, the display’s sharp contrast capabilities effectively maintain the ambiance of darker scenes, contributing to an immersive viewing experience.
With its brightness peaking at 1000 nits, the display of the Galaxy A54 achieves remarkable brightness levels, ensuring effortless visibility even in direct sunlight. This represents a significant improvement over the previous year’s model, as the A54’s screen exudes a notable radiance. Despite having noticeable bezels, accounting for an 82.9% screen-to-body ratio, I personally didn’t find them to be a source of distraction or discomfort. In essence, the A54’s display presents a quality that rivals flagship-grade panels, and I couldn’t help but appreciate its visual splendor each time I unlocked the device.
Performance and Storage
- Exynos 1380 (5 nm) chipset
- 8GB RAM + 128/256GB Storage
In terms of performance, the A54 5G showcases the return of Samsung’s Exynos SoC, more specifically, the Exynos 1380. This system-on-chip, built on a cutting-edge 5-nanometer process, boasts an octa-core configuration comprising four Cortex A78 cores for high-performance tasks and four Cortex A55 cores for power efficiency.
A closer look at benchmarking results further emphasizes this discrepancy, with an Antutu V9 score of 511,440 and a Geekbench 6 multi-core score of 2,692. Additionally, concerns arise from the CPU Throttle test, revealing that the device reduces its peak performance by 24 percent.
I put the Galaxy A54 5G to the test with a selection of popular games. Starting with the highly popular games like PUBG, and COD, I found that it ran somewhat better than anticipated. However, I had to stick to the low graphics setting to avoid encountering performance issues. When attempting to increase the graphics quality, I received an overclocking warning and observed gameplay slowdowns. Nevertheless, even with these occasional slowdowns, the game remained playable.
OS and UI
- OS: Android 13
- UI: OneUI 5.1
Running on the Galaxy A54, you’ll encounter OneUI 5.1, a software iteration built upon the foundations of Android 13. What’s noteworthy is that the software experience on this mid-range device closely mirrors that of Samsung’s flagship, the Galaxy S23. Save for one exception – the DeX functionality, a premium feature exclusive to Samsung’s top-tier offerings – the A54 delivers a similarly refined and user-friendly interface. However, one aspect that stands out as a potential area for improvement is the navigation method for accessing apps on the home screen. Unlike the approach employed by virtually every other Android OEM, Samsung opts for vertical scrolling to access apps, eschewing the more familiar app drawer method that many users have grown accustomed to.
Yet, amidst this interface consistency, there’s room for customization within OneUI, a trend that’s worth appreciating. Samsung has made strides in opening up the system for users to tailor their experience, allowing for personalization that extends beyond the surface. Beyond the cosmetic adjustments, Samsung takes a commendable step in the direction of user security by committing to offer up to five years of security updates for the A54. This pledge reflects Samsung’s dedication to ensuring the longevity of the device and safeguarding user data over an extended period, a reassuring prospect for those invested in the Galaxy A54.
Cameras
- Rear Camera:
- 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), PDAF, OIS
- 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1.12µm
- 5 MP, f/2.4, (macro)
- Front Camera: 32 MP, f/2.2, (wide)
The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G boasts a versatile camera setup comprising three rear-facing lenses: a 50MP primary sensor equipped with optical image stabilization (OIS), a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 5MP macro lens. Interestingly, the A53’s 5MP depth sensor is notably absent in this model. However, there’s no reason to lament this omission, considering the capable 32MP front camera that adeptly handles selfies.
In an overall assessment of the camera system, the A54 offers a satisfying experience. Photos captured in favorable lighting conditions exhibit sharpness, vibrant color reproduction, and rich contrasts. The standout feature is the primary sensor’s ability to capture intricate details in images, even under direct sunlight, without overexposing or washing out the visuals.
Surprisingly, the A54’s 32MP front camera delivers remarkably crisp and detailed selfies. Furthermore, the device’s portrait mode impresses both the front and rear cameras. It processes images swiftly and exhibits reasonably accurate edge detection, resulting in pleasingly blurred backgrounds that enhance the subject’s prominence in the frame.
If we explore the camera system on the Galaxy A54 for potential areas of improvement, it becomes evident that night photography maybe its weak point. In low-light conditions, the photos tend to exhibit noise, and while with a few attempts, you can achieve moderately acceptable images, scrutinizing them for intricate details is not advised.
As anticipated, there is a noticeable decline in image quality when transitioning between the 50MP primary sensor and the 12MP ultrawide lens. The added versatility of the ultrawide lens is appreciated, but it’s essential to brace for images that are somewhat softer and darker in comparison. Conversely, it’s prudent to acknowledge that the macro lens’s contributions may not meet expectations, yielding grainy results reminiscent of an older-generation camera.
The front camera on this phone performs admirably, producing natural-looking photos with excellent detail, particularly in well-lit conditions. It also excels at capturing videos, offering enhanced detail in your recordings. However, during testing, I encountered a slight challenge in achieving precise focus on objects, even when attempting to tap on the screen to set the focus point.
The Galaxy A54 offers video recording capabilities at resolutions up to 4K30. During my testing, I managed to record uninterrupted footage for over 10 minutes without encountering any system overheating warnings or app crashes. While the phone did exhibit a slight increase in temperature after approximately six minutes of recording, it remained well within acceptable limits, causing no cause for concern. Notably, the video stabilization feature performed admirably, even when recording at the demanding 4K30 resolution.
Battery and Charging
- 5000 mAh battery
- 25W charging capacity
The Galaxy A54 is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery, which maintains the same capacity as its predecessor, but it exhibits slightly improved performance. During my usage, I consistently achieved between 6 to 6.5 hours of screen-on time with the A54. It’s noteworthy that I maintained the display brightness at around 90% and didn’t employ extensive power-saving measures. Despite this, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the A54 could comfortably last an entire day on a single charge.
However, it’s important to mention that charging speeds are capped at 25W, meaning quick top-ups are not a feasible option. I found that I could charge the device from 20% to a full 100% in just under two hours. It’s worth noting that, despite the upgrade to a glass back, the A54 does not support wireless charging, which may be a disappointment for users who prefer this convenient charging method.
Other Features (Security, Audio, Connectivity)
- In-display fingerprint
- Stereo speakers
A prominent additional feature available on this phone is referred to as “Panels,” which proves to be highly convenient for swiftly accessing my frequently used apps, ultimately saving valuable time. This feature can be customized to display navigation options, capture various types of screenshots, record videos, control music playback, and perform several other tasks. Personally, I primarily utilized it for seamless music control and effortless navigation assistance.
To secure the device, we have the choice of using the in-display fingerprint sensor, which provides a high level of security. While it may not be the quickest option available in the market, it effectively accomplishes its purpose. Additionally, in conjunction with the in-display fingerprint sensor, users can access features such as face scanning, as well as opt for alternative security measures like PINs, patterns, and passwords.
The Galaxy A54 comes equipped with stereo speakers that offer the flexibility of enabling or disabling Dolby Atmos through the command center with ease. Stereo speakers not only provide an immersive surround sound experience but also prove valuable in tracking elements like bullets and footsteps in FPS games when you need that tactical edge.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| The design and feel are premium | No charger inside the box and 25W charging limit |
| Outstanding display quality | OIS only works at 1080p video |
| Impressive battery capacity | Gaming doesn’t satisfy performance |
| Cameras and photo quality are good | The phone is prone to heating |
Verdict
If you’re a devoted Samsung enthusiast who would rather endure a marathon of less-than-stellar movies then the Galaxy A54 is an excellent choice for you. This year’s model brings some exciting improvements, including a brighter display, significantly enhanced performance, and a premium build. In my view, OneUI 5.1 remains a top-notch software experience, and the A54 runs it seamlessly.
However, if you don’t have a strong brand preference or can exercise some patience, it might be worthwhile to see what the upcoming Pixel 7a has to offer. Regardless of your choice, you’re in for a treat, as we’re finally witnessing the mid-range showdown between Samsung and Google that many of us were eager to see last year. While the A53 was somewhat underwhelming, the Galaxy A54 stepped up to the plate admirably, delivering more than enough value to justify its price tag.
