Introduction
If compared to the Galaxy A53 5G from the previous year, the new Galaxy A54 5G has a quicker CPU, a fresh design, and an enhanced camera system. But are these improvements significant enough? Should you switch to the A54 5G, then?
Even though the new Galaxy A54 5G is not the most technologically advanced phone available, it’s a very important launch for Samsung because the Galaxy A series is the go-to budget phone series not just for Samsung but for Android in general. In particular, the Galaxy A5X models have been the best sellers.
This year, Samsung has staked its claim on a quicker CPU, a more upscale design, and improved cameras as its primary new features. But, the phone also boasts a little bigger battery, a variant with additional RAM and storage, and maintains the microSD card slot. Let’s investigate all of these variations and more!
*This article’s research on the Galaxy A54 5G is based on unconfirmed, preliminary data. On March 15th, when the phone is anticipated to be unveiled, we will update the page with the precise and official specifications.
Galaxy A54 5G vs A53 5G Briefly stated:
- 50% faster multi-core and 20% faster GPU on a much faster chip
- improved camera system
- Compared to the previous model, the rear is made of glass.
- same charging rates, no wireless charging
- The price of A54 5G is somewhat higher
Quality of Design and Display
Glass is used for the back and front of the Galaxy A54 5G in place of the A53 5G’s all-plastic construction, however, plastic is still thought to be used for the mid-frame. We also appreciate the new camera design, which is reminiscent of the Galaxy S flagship series in that each lens has its own cage.
They are around the same size, with the newer A54 5G being somewhat more compact, although the difference is very small.
We like that even after they are less expensive phones, the A54 5G and A53 5G both have the same IP67 water and dust protection certification and compatibility with an increasingly uncommon microSD card slot for expanded storage.
Both of them have flat displays, albeit the A54 5G’s screen is somewhat smaller than the previous model’s at 6.4 inches as opposed to 6.5 inches. That’s one sacrifice.
Super AMOLED, 1080p Full HD+ quality, and compatibility with a 120Hz rapid refresh rate for better scrolling are all excellent features of the panels themselves. Keep checking back to this page for additional details, as we will be providing you with further in-depth testing of the color accuracy and brightness level differential in the near future.
In terms of biometrics, nothing seems to have changed. Both primarily rely on an integrated fingerprint reader that is optical in nature rather than ultrasonic like the flagship series. But, it performed admirably on the A53, and we anticipate that the A54 5G will function similarly.
Both phones provide 2D picture scanning for facial recognition. Although it’s not quite as safe as a fingerprint scanner, this can still be useful, so we’re delighted it’s enabled.
Software and Performance
The new processor that was used to make the Galaxy A54 5G is really one of the device’s biggest advancements. Exynos 1380, a 5nm CPU, which is an improvement over Exynos 1280 utilized in the A53, is what you get. The change in single-core CPU performance is negligible, but when you measure multi-core speeds, you observe a tremendous gain of around 50%. Also, we anticipate a 20% increase in GPU performance.
This should lessen the sporadic stutter we experienced on the A53 5G and make using the new A54 5G more enjoyable and suitable for gamers. One UI 5 is installed on top of Android 13 on the A54 5G at launch, while the Galaxy A53 received an upgrade to the exact same version only a few weeks before the A54’s introduction.
Although Samsung offers four years of significant software update support, you must wait a very long time to receive those upgrades because they were released months after the Pixel series. This puts Samsung above other Android phone manufacturers.
Camera
There are significantly fewer cameras on the newer phone when comparing the A54 5G with the A53 5G side by side. Well, Samsung does abandon the depth sensor it utilized on the A53 5G, but don’t be sad about it because it barely improved the experience.
The remaining camera configuration is as follows: a 50MP primary camera with OIS (instead of a 64MP older sensor on the previous model), an 8MP ultra-wide camera (instead of a 12MP older sensor previously), and a 5MP macro camera (similar on both).
Samsung has previously hinted that this new camera technology performs better at night, so we may anticipate significant advancements in both photographs and films. When we get much more information regarding the real camera performance in a few weeks, check back here.
High-quality audio and haptics
Both phones have a very basic audio design, with a primary speaker that faces downward and a secondary speaker that is housed in the earpiece.
For the price, we thought the A53 5G’s speakers were adequate. The lowest volume levels had clearer sound, but the lower frequencies were absent, so overall there was space for development. There was distortion at the loudest volume levels. Please come back in a few weeks when we evaluate the Galaxy A54 5G’s loudspeakers and provide an update on their performance.
The A53 5G’s rather unclear haptic feedback was one drawback. It did not compare well to the accurate and incisive response provided by the Taptic Engine on newer OnePlus phones or iPhones. Although we haven’t tested the A54 5G haptic motor to see if it’s better, we haven’t heard of any future advancements.
Charging and Battery Life
For the Galaxy A54 5G, Samsung increases the battery capacity from 5,000mAh to 5,100mAh, which is a modest but welcome improvement. We have witnessed the Galaxy S23 series achieve significant battery life improvements, so we are eager to test the A54 as well. But, as of this writing, we are still lacking more information on the A54’s real battery life.
Keep an eye out for the findings of our battery test, which we will provide in this area in a few weeks. In terms of charging, both phones support the same 25-watt charging speed, which is disappointingly the sad trend these days. Moreover, neither phone comes with a charger in the package.
Since several competitors like OnePlus and Asus provide significantly quicker charging, others like the Pixel 6a actually charge slower, Samsung is unquestionably playing it safe here. Unfortunately, neither the A54 5G nor the A53 5G supports wireless charging.
Specifications Comparison
Below are the main differences between the A54 5G and the A53 5G’s specifications:
| BODY | Dimensions | – | 159.6 x 74.8 x 8.1 mm (6.28 x 2.94 x 0.32 in) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | – | 189 g (6.67 oz) | ||
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic frame, plastic back | |||
| SIM | Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | ||
| IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min) | IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min) |
| DISPLAY | Type | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 800 nits (HBM) | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 800 nits (HBM) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.4 inches, 98.9 cm2 | 6.5 inches, 102.0 cm2 (~85.4% screen-to-body ratio) | ||
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~411 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~405 ppi density) | ||
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| PLATFORM | OS | Android 13, One UI 5 | Android 12, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5.1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Exynos 1380 (5 nm) | Exynos 1280 (5 nm) | ||
| CPU | Octa-core (4×2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (2×2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) | ||
| GPU | Mali-G68 MP5 | Mali-G68 |
| MEMORY | Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| MAIN CAMERA | Modules | 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1.12µm 5 MP, f/2.4, (macro) | 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7X”, 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1.12µm 5 MP, f/2.4, (macro) 5 MP, f/2.4, (depth) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, panorama, HDR | LED flash, panorama, HDR | ||
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps; gyro-EIS | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps; gyro-EIS |
| SELFIE CAMERA | Modules | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8″, 0.8µm | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8″, 0.8µm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR | ||
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps |
| SOUND | Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| COMMS | WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE | 5.1, A2DP, LE | ||
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | ||
| NFC | Yes (market/region dependent) | Yes (market/region dependent) | ||
| Infrared port | No | No | ||
| Radio | No | No | ||
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
| FEATURES | Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass, barometer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual proximity sensing | Virtual proximity sensing |
| BATTERY | Type | Li-Po 5000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 5000 mAh, non-removable | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired | 25W wired | ||
| Stand-by | ||||
| Talk time |
| MISC | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black; other colors | Black, White, Blue, Peach | |
| SAR | 0.75 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body) | ||
| SAR EU | 0.89 W/kg (head) 1.60 W/kg (body) | ||
| Models | SM-A546V, SM-A546U, SM-A546B | SM-A536B, SM-A536B/DS, SM-A536U, SM-A536U1, SM-A5360, SM-A536E, SM-A536E/DS, SM-A536V, SM-A536W, SM-A536N, SM-S536DL | |
Conclusion and Recommendation
Samsung has stepped it up with the Galaxy A54 5G, indicating that it is aware that competition has arrived for its golden child in the mid-range, the Galaxy A5X series.
It performs better than its occasionally stuttering predecessor thanks to its considerably quicker chip, enhanced camera system, which is better suited to compete with the highly competent Pixel A series camera, and even longer battery life than its rivals. A microSD card slot is also included, which is a desirable feature.
This, in our opinion, is one of the Galaxy A series’ more significant changes, but sadly it also costs a little more. Although we don’t see many reasons for A53 5G customers to upgrade, the Galaxy A54 5G is a good option if you have an older phone and are looking for something modern and reasonably priced.
