The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G was launched in Malaysia recently alongside the Galaxy A34 5G.
With a recommend retail price of RM1,899, it is largely unchanged on paper when compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy A53, save for a new Exynos processor and some minor changes. But, don’t fix what is not broken right? So let’s take a look at how the Galaxy A54 5G stacks up against the competition in 2023.
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G Specifications
| Model | Samsung Galaxy A54 5G |
| Dimensions | 158.2 x 76.7 x 8.2mm |
| Weight | 202g |
| Processor | CPU: Exynos 1380 (5 nm) GPU: Mali-G68 MP5 |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | 256GB (expandable via Micro SD) |
| Display | 6.4″ Super AMOLED 1080 x 2340 pixels 120Hz 1000 nits (HBM) |
| Camera (Front) | 32 MP, f/2.2 |
| Camera (Rear) | Main Camera: 50 MP, f/1.8, PDAF, OIS Ultrawide Camera: 12 MP, f/2.2 Macro Camera: 5 MP, f/2.4 |
| Operating System | One UI 5.1, Android 13 |
| Battery and Charging | 5,000 mAh 25W wired charging |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6 Bluetooth 5.3 NFC GPS |
| Biometrics | Under display fingerprint reader Face unlock |
What’s In The Box?
Just like other Samsung smartphones, the Galaxy A54 5G has minimal packaging, only packing the essentials and nothing more:
- Galaxy A54 5G smartphone
- USB Type-C to Type-C cable
- SIM tray remover
- Documentation
Design
The design of the Galaxy A54 5G is largely unchanged from its predecessor. It is available in four colour options: Awesome Lime, Awesome Violet, Awesome Graphite, and Awesome White. Our review sample is in Awesome Lime, which has a colour tone between yellow and green.
At the back, you get a familiar looking triple camera system, which protrudes at the back individually. I’m starting to notice a “family face” here since the Galaxy S22 series. You get a 50MP main shooter, which has less megapixels than the 64MP main shooter found on the Galaxy A53, but I would not consider that a downgrade since sensor quality matters more to me. The ultrawide and macro cameras remain unchanged, however Samsung has omitted the depth sensor this time.
The back uses a gloss plastic material that is reasonably resistant to fingerprints and smudges. The edges are chamfered in a matte finish.
At the front, you are greeted by a 6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display with rounded corners. A punch-hole styled 32MP selfie camera is located near the ear piece.
The SIM tray is located at the top, while the bottom houses the charging/data port and speaker grille. The power button and volume rockers are located on the right side.
Display
As with other Samsung phones that use a Super AMOLED display, the contrast ratio on the Galaxy A54 5G is excellent, displaying true blacks for an immersive viewing experience. The 1080 x 2340 pixels resolution is good enough for this screen size and the 120Hz refresh rate makes the device feel smooth and fluid.
Colour wise, you get to choose between vivid (more saturated) and natural screen modes. Personally I prefer natural for a more true to life look. Sunlight legibility is decent too, as I am able to see what is on the screen most of the time.
Camera
The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G uses a 50MP sensor with a sensor size of 1/1.56-inch, which has the same specifications as what you would find on the Galaxy S23. However, Samsung has not made known whether it is the exact same sensor. It takes pleasant photos with good colour accuracy under well-lit conditions. Under low-light, the pictures still captures sharp images at the cost of some noise.
Turning on night mode allows better noise suppression and exposure, but you do lose out on some finer details. Portrait mode is excellent too, despite the lack of a depth sensor. I can even select the bokeh level and have it shown on screen before I take the shot.
However, the ultrawide and macro cameras are fixed focus. This is not an issue with the ultrawide as most of the subjects are within focus distance. On the other hand, the macro camera’s focus range is limited to around 4cm.
The selfie camera takes decent photos too, with good subject separation and dynamic range.
The Galaxy A54 5G offers up to 4K30 video recording, however if you want to use Super Steady, you are limited to 1080p 30fps. Video quality is good with plenty of detail at 4K, but dropping down to 1080p also yielded good results.
User Interface
The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G runs on One UI 5.1 which is based on Android 13. Like other Samsung phones, it offers a polished Android UI/UX experience, albeit with some bloatware installed. Most of the bloat comes from Samsung’s own suite of apps, such as AR Zone, Galaxy Shop, and Galaxy Wearable. Fortunately most of these apps can be uninstalled for a cleaner UI/UX.
Samsung also promised to support the device with four major OS upgrades over their lifetime and five years of security patches, which is great for the longevity of the device.
Performance
The Galaxy A54 5G uses Samsung’s own Exynos 1380 chipset, which delivers decent performance for day to day use. Working in tandem is 8GB of RAM which is more than enough for most users.
On Geekbench 6, the device scored 1,006 points for single core, edging the Snapdragon 695 slightly. On multi-core, it gets a decent score of 2,667. PCMark’s Work 3.0 benchmark yielded decent results too, with the device managing a score of 12,838.
In terms of real world performance, the phone felt smooth and I did not encounter any stuttering or lag during my day to day use. With RAM Plus enabled, you can also get virtual memory of up to 8GB for better performance. I find it unnecessary unless you are a power user who needs lots of memory to run intensive apps.
Gaming
Gaming performance is decent across the board. The Mali-G68 MP5 GPU is a decent performer for most game titles. It managed 2,824 points on 3DMark’s Wild Life benchmark, and 5,673 points on Sling Shot.
On Genshin Impact it easily managed 60fps on medium settings with motion blur turned off. And gameplay felt smooth in PUBG Mobile on balanced settings.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G’s battery life is decent, but not stellar. The smartphone is equipped with a now industry-standard 5,000mAh battery. It managed 14 hours and 14 minutes on Work 3.0 battery life test. In terms of real world performance, I could use the phone for more than a day before needing to re-charge.
However, charging speed isn’t great. While other brands such as Redmi have implemented far faster charging speeds for mid-range phones, the Galaxy A54 5G still lags behind the competition with 25W charging.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is an incremental improvement over the predecessor. It is still a fast smartphone on par with the competition today. While it does not excel in any particular category, the smartphone offers a versatile package with decent performance across the board.
However, Samsung is one of the few brands (looking at you, Apple) that lag behind the competition when it comes to charging speed. It also faces stiff competition in this price segment, such as the recently launched Redmi Note 12 Pro+ and the realme 10 Pro+.
All things considered, I still like the Galaxy A54, mainly because of how polished One UI 5.1 is. While the RRP of RM1,899 is a tad high, resellers often sell below that price, and you might be able to score some good deals.
To learn more about the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G, please visit the official product page.
