Samsung Galaxy A54 5G review – a premium experience at an affordable price

• Samsung recently launched two new devices in the Galaxy A series, including the Galaxy A54 5G.
• The Galaxy A54 5G is priced starting at ₹38,999 in India and is available in two variants.
• Here’s my review of the Galaxy A54 5G that will help you decide whether to buy the device or not.

South Korean smartphone manufacturer Samsung recently launched the Galaxy A45 5G and Galaxy A34 5G smartphones in India, its latest offering in the mid-range Galaxy A series.

Samsung hasn’t launched a FE (Fan Edition) since the launch of the Galaxy S21 FE, and the Galaxy A54 5G fills the void of a premium smartphone at an affordable price. The company has equipped the Galaxy A54 5G with a glass back, making it the first Galaxy A series smartphone to come with a glass back.

I have been using the Galaxy A54 5G smartphone for a few weeks now, and here is my detailed review of the latest mid-range offering from the Korean smartphone maker.

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G price and availability

The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is priced at ₹38,999 for the 8GB RAM with 128GB internal storage variant and ₹40,999 for the 8GB RAM with 256GB internal storage variant. It comes in Awesome Lime, Awesome Graphite, and Awesome Violet colour options. The device is available from Amazon, Flipkart, Samsung online store, Samsung exclusive store, and partner stores from across the country.

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G specifications

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G pros and cons

Pros

• Premium design with a glass back.
• Bright and vibrant display.

Cons

• Average cameras.
• Slow charging.

Design and display

The Galaxy A54 5G is similar to the Galaxy S23 series in terms of design. The device comes with three separate camera cutouts, similar to the company’s flagship smartphones.

The biggest change is that Samsung has opted for a glass back, making it the first device in the Galaxy A series to come with a glass back. It comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection at the back. The glass back gives it a premium look and feels good to hold in hand.

As the camera protrudes, the device wobbles when placed on a flat surface. You will have to use a case with the device if you want to use it on a flat surface, such as a table.

Apart from the camera, the device has a minimalist design. It comes with Samsung branding at the bottom.

Samsung has used a plastic frame for the device, and it comes with rounded corners. The phone weighs 202 grams, and I found it easy to use even with one hand. The slightly smaller display makes it a good option for people with small hands.

Coming to the sides, Samsung has placed the volume rockers and the power button on the right side to make one-handed usage easier. The buttons are easy to click, and the power button allows you to trigger Bixby, the company’s assistant. The left side is empty.

At the top, you can see the SIM tray and the microphone. At the bottom, you have another microphone, a Type-C port, and the speaker griller.

Coming to the display, the Galaxy A54 5G features a 6.4-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection.

The display is slightly smaller than the Galaxy A34, which features a 6.6-inch panel. It offers pp to 1000 nits brightness, which allows you to view the display clearly even in direct sunlight.

Software and performance

The Galaxy A54 5G runs on Android 13 out of the box with the company’s OneUI 5.1 skin on top. The company has promised to provide four years of OS and five years of security updates with the device, making it a good option for people who use it for a few years before upgrading.

The user experience hasn’t changed when compared to other Samsung devices. It does come with some bloatware in the form of pre-installed applications, but these can be uninstalled easily.

Coming to the performance, the Galaxy A54 5G is equipped with the company’s own Exynos 1380 chipset. The device is offered in two variants – 8GB RAM + 128GB internal storage and 8GB RAM + 256GB internal storage. I tested the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant.

While the device can handle day-to-day tasks, there are occasional stutters while multitasking. I did notice any issues in normal usage

I tried popular titles such as Call of Duty: Mobile and Asphalt 9 on the device. The device offers a good gaming experience, even with Full HD graphics. The performance deteriorates slightly after extended gaming periods as the device gets slightly hot after gaming for a while.

The Galaxy A54 5G is powered by a 5,000mAh battery and offers 25W charging. Despite its competition offering much fast charging, Samsung continues to offer slow charging with its devices.

The 5,000mAh battery lasts more than a day on a single charge and takes around an hour to be charged.

Camera

The Galaxy A54 5G features a triple camera setup at the back, consisting of a 50MP primary camera with f/1.8 aperture and OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, and a 5MP depth sensor.

The images captured using the main sensor turned out well, capturing good details and colour reproduction in daylight conditions. Optical image stabilization (OIS) ensures the camera gets good details even when your hands are shaky.

The portrait mode also works well, with good edge detection, and the background has a good bokeh effect.

The camera slightly struggles when it comes to night photography but can capture decent images. The night mode automatically kicks in when you try to capture an image in low-light conditions.

The macro sensor, however, is average, and you shouldn’t expect much from it. The images captured using the macro sensor lacked details, and I had to spend some time capturing a proper image.

The device offers 4K recording at 30 FPS and 1080p at 60 FPS. If you often record videos, you can depend on the Galaxy A54 5G for capturing good-quality videos.

The device sports a 32MP selfie camera with f/2.2 aperture on the front. The selfie camera performs well and can capture good images in situations with good light. The images turn out decently in low light conditions, but the camera sometimes struggles with details.

Verdict

The Galaxy A54 5G is a good smartphone with a minimalistic design and ticks many boxes. If you are a Samsung fan looking for a device that offers a clutter-free experience at an affordable price, the device is worth considering.

The software experience, the display, and the design are the strongest points of the device. The camera can capture decent images and is a good option for people who capture images regularly.

While the battery lasts long, the slow charging may disappoint many. At this price point, the device competes with the OnePlus 11R and the Pixel 6a.

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