Samsung Galaxy A54 5G evaluation: Flagship appears, mid-range value

• Design
• Show and software program
• Efficiency and battery
• Cameras
• Verdict

It is protected to say that – greater than every other interval in smartphone historical past – the previous 2-3 years has seen smaller, extra incremental updates. The gaps between new telephone generations and the earlier fashions are shrinking. And it is not just the flagships, the identical is true in the mid-range market too.

Visually, there’s fairly a giant distinction between the A54 and its predecessor, in order that’s one thing. It additionally has brighter, higher show, however does it transfer the needle sufficient, or is that this only a makeover for a reasonably common mid-ranger?

Design

• 158.2 x 76.7 x 8.2mm – 202g
• Plastic body, glass back and front – IP67 water/mud resistant
• Lime, graphite, violet and white colors

The design has been utterly revamped for the brand new A54. The slim, plastic-backed A53 has been changed with a barely wider, glass-backed A54. The place the mannequin from 2022 has an oblong square-ish look, the A54 is much more spherical, that includes extra clearly rounded corners with a bezel across the show designed to match and beneficiant rounding on the plastic edges.

It’s totally a lot a Galaxy S23 -lite by way of styling. It options that very same triple digital camera system on the again organized in a neat line of particular person protrusions, somewhat than have a set of lenses on a raised island. It is a bit much less refined than the flagship mannequin, however the general method is there.

It is a marked enchancment on the 2022 mannequin, and truly appears good. It is fairly plain in white, however there are different colors too just like the a lot nicer trying lavender purple and lime inexperienced choices. They’re great-looking telephones.

It is a fairly sturdy-feeling machine too, regardless of the plastic framing. And – similar to its predecessor – it contains a excessive water and mud resistance score. Particularly, that’s IP67, and means it may comfortably get by means of your each day accidents – whether or not that be getting caught within the rain, dropped in a sink filled with water or being left on the toilet shelf when you’re showering.

Galaxy S23 (L) and Galaxy A54 (R) 

It is fairly a giant machine too. It is extensive and tall, and is simply on the unsuitable aspect of the 200g level, so it is not tremendous light-weight. The shiny glass on the again additionally has a little bit of a behavior of slipping from tender furnishings.

Show and software program

• 6.4-inch AMOLED show – 1080 x 2340 decision – As much as 120Hz refresh
• 1000 nits brightness – HDR10+ help
• One UI 5.1 primarily based on Android 13

It is protected to say the A54 has some lofty ambitions, and that – of all the person parts of the telephone – it is the show that stands out. Samsung has elevated the brightness from the final mannequin, and delivered a giant, vibrant and colour-rich panel that takes up quite a lot of house on the entrance of the telephone. It is saturated and shines in just about any situation.

The truth is, it is shiny sufficient and has sufficient dynamic vary that it has been licensed for HDR10+ content. It is greater than sharp sufficient too, with a pixel density over 400ppi on its full HD+ 1080 x 2340 panel. It means particulars are sharp and clear at arm’s size. Peer carefully and you may even see the tiniest roughness in comparison with a Quad HD+ decision display screen, but it surely’s actually not all that noticeable.

These qualities – and its sheer scale at 6.4-inches – imply it is a perfect panel for gaming and media consumption. It is shiny sufficient you can – for essentially the most half – see it clearly exterior in daylight, and it is vivid sufficient that motion pictures and TV reveals actually ‘pop’ on the display screen.

Our solely actual criticism – which is admittedly fairly nitpicky – is that the colors can typically push barely too far into over-saturated. Even with it set to its extra muted ‘pure’ mode, oranges and reds can find yourself blowing out a bit and shedding element.

It is also outfitted with excessive refresh capabilities as much as 120Hz. Though – being a mid-range machine – you aren’t getting the tremendous responsive adaptive capabilities which might permit it to regulate this primarily based on the kind of content material on show. As a substitute, it principally jumps between 60Hz and 120Hz – however we’ll communicate extra on efficiency in a second although.

Software program is close to sufficient similar to what you may discover on every other Samsung smartphone this 12 months, and we have lined that greater than sufficient in our Galaxy S23 Ultra review. It is a absolutely featured software program expertise with loads of further nuggets that make it the most effective variations of Android you may discover.

It’s – nonetheless – not with out its points. It is loaded with bloat, and nonetheless would not appear to be all that properly optimised to ship a constantly quick and easy expertise on the lesser-powered smartphones just like the A-series gadgets.

Efficiency and battery

• Exynos 1380 (5nm) processor – 8GB/128GB or 8GB/256GB
• 5000mAh battery – 25W wired charging most

It might not have a flagship stage Snapdragon chipset inside, however the mid-tier Exynos processor in right here is greater than able to dealing with most individuals’s calls for. It will run video games easily, and – whereas decision drops slightly on a number of the extra intense video games to protect smoothness – for essentially the most half, we have now no complaints in any respect. We turned in an excellent period of time on Mario Kart Tour Cell, and it ran just about flawlessly.

One of many tell-tale indicators that this can be a mid-range machine is that loading apps and video games would not really feel on the spot, but it surely by no means left us ready to the purpose of frustration. The truth is, for those who’ve by no means used a top-level Android telephone you possible will not even discover.

That is to not say your entire telephone expertise was zippy and quick at all times.

As we have seen in quite a few latest A-series (and a few S-series) telephones over the previous couple of years, there are occasions when stutter and lag can creep in. Often, it is when swiping out of an app to return to the house display screen, or scrolling up and down inside a third-party app. It simply leaves a sense of not being fairly speedy, fluid and responsive sufficient. And that is not simply evaluating to way more costly flagship telephones.

If you evaluate that aspect of issues with competitors from the likes of Poco with its competitive F-series models, or the OnePlus Nord models which delight themselves on having that responsive, easy person interface, there is a noticeable distinction right here. It is actually an space the place Samsung might enhance.

Battery life – nonetheless – could be very sturdy. Samsung’s advertising and marketing talks up a “two day battery” and – in our expertise – it possible will not be a full 48 hours between costs, but it surely’s not miles off. Our personal typical utilization, which normally consisted of round 3 hours of blended utilization throughout the day – normally break up between gaming, social media, net searching and listening to music – would depart us with round 40-50 per cent over on the finish of a day. This was with taking the telephone off cost round 8am and going to mattress and inserting it on cost at round 11pm/midnight.

Cameras

• Foremost: 50MP, f/1.8, OIS
• Ultrawide: 12MP, f/2.2
• Macro: 5MP, f/2.4
• Entrance: 32MP, f/2.2

Identical to its dearer S-branded siblings, the A53 contains a neat trio of cameras on the again. Solely two of these are actually helpful cameras, nonetheless, with the third being a 5-megapixel macro.

It does allow you to allow a macro mode within the digital camera app, after which get actually near small objects, focus and take an image from just a few centimetres away however the outcomes depart so much to be desired. Images from the macro digital camera are simply tough trying, due to the decrease decision sensor there is a lack of element, particularly when in comparison with the opposite two cameras.

So actually, you’ve two cameras to play with – or not less than – two that you’re going to spend essentially the most time utilizing.

On the entire, the pictures delivered from the A54 are sturdy for the market they’re in. In that basic Samsung fashion, in shiny daylight you may get pictures which can be very vibrant and contrast-rich. Even with Samsung’s aggressive ‘Scene Optimiser’ disabled you may get actually saturated colors.

There is not any doubt in our minds – having examined the digital camera – that the first lens is the strongest of the three. It copes so much higher with contrasting highlights and shadows than the ultrawide lens does. It is a good digital camera, that focuses and processes pictures shortly. Photos from it are sharp and color wealthy.

Major digital camera

If we have now any criticism it is that Samsung’s processing on the A54 appears to introduce a bit an excessive amount of distinction. Even delicate shadows change into darkish, whereas darker components of backgrounds change into so crushed at instances they lose texture. This appeared to principally occur when there was a very shiny spot within the picture, nearly as if – in its try to cut back the highlights to retain element – it is dropped the brightness and publicity ranges an excessive amount of all over the place else. It would not appear to wish to elevate the shadows and scale back highlights on the identical time.

The ultrawide lens – by comparability – appears to battle slightly, and infrequently over-exposes the photographs in order that brighter components of the photographs blow out and lose their element. Indoors, away from shiny lighting, the extra distinction we present in most pictures made shadows and darker areas fairly grainy and noisy.

Selfie digital camera – common (L) and extensive (R) 

On the video aspect, there’s loads right here to supply an excellent expertise too. Primarily, having the ability to shoot in 4K, but additionally having a stabilising characteristic constructed into the software program you can simply toggle on. With it switched on video turns into a lot smoother (though slightly grainier).

Verdict

We have come away from our time with the Galaxy A54 in a little bit of a conundrum. On the one hand, we have now a tool with a fantastic, large, vibrant show and good battery life. It has sturdy cameras too – to an extent. However at its value vary, it has quite a lot of competitors.

Have a look at the Pixel vary from Google, and you may both spend related cash (or slightly extra if there is no sale) and get the Pixel 7 which has glorious cameras and affords a clear, fluid, bloat-free software program expertise. Or you possibly can spend much less and get the Pixel 6a.

We might argue the Galaxy A54 has a stronger show and battery than both Pixel, however Google’s telephones are extra competitively priced given the remainder of their strengths (notably digital camera and software program expertise).

Likewise, there are the likes of the OnePlus Nord 2T and Poco F4 which supply quicker, extra responsive, smoother experiences for much less cash than the Galaxy A54.

Samsung’s newest A50-series remains to be the telephone to get if you’d like a long-lasting telephone, that you simply principally use for consuming media. That shiny, giant show actually sells it. With a extra restrained method to software program and extra constantly easy person interface expertise, it may very well be an unimaginable mid-range machine.