Samsung Galaxy A54 review

Introduction

Same, but different (but mostly same) - the Galaxy A54 is proof that you don't make changes to a winning formula. Or that's how Samsung sees it, at least. Whether we're entirely on board with that - you'll need to give the following pages a read to find out.

Right off the bat, the A54's MSRP of roughly €500 is sure to raise a few eyebrows. But don't get all riled up just yet - the A53 5G's launch pricing was, in fact, fairly similar to the A54's, but the numbers do tend to drop sharply in just a month or two, so we'll be somewhat inclined to treat them with more of an open mind.

Examining the specsheet to find the differences in the substance, we're noticing there's more of it - the new model has passed the 200g weight threshold, if only just. The slightly reduced screen diagonal makes that all the more surprising, particularly since battery capacity has remained the same.

The chipset is new; that much is clear. The extra 100 in this Exynos 1380 means two additional powerful cores in the CPU and an extra GPU core compared to the 1280 in the old model. That is shaping up to be the most significant hardware improvement this year and may very well be worth a few grams.

Gone is the depth sensor (unlikely to be missed), and the triple camera setup on the back is now headlined by a 50MP unit in place of the 64MP one of the A53 5G. The nominal decrease in resolution doesn't mean much, so we're not looking at it as a downgrade going into this. The ultrawide and the macro camera appear unchanged, as does the selfie camera.

No change can be a good thing too, of course. Take for example the IP67 rating - Galaxy A-series midrangers have offered dust and water resistance for a few generations now, and the A54 continues along that path. You also get stereo speakers as before, and the microSD slot survives for yet another year.

Samsung Galaxy A54 specs at a glance:

• Body: 158.2x76.7x8.2mm, 202g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic frame; IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min).
• Display: 6.40" Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 1000 nits (HBM), 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 403ppi.
• Chipset: Exynos 1380 (5 nm): Octa-core (4x2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G68 MP5.
• Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
• OS/Software: Android 13, One UI 5.1.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚, 1.12µm; Macro: 5 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@480fps; Front camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps.
• Battery: 5000mAh; 25W wired.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers; Virtual proximity sensing.

Samsung Galaxy A54 unboxing

The A54's retail package is barebones as last year - the A52(s) were the last ones to include a power adapter in the box. The accessories you get with the A54 are limited to a SIM eject tool and a USB-C cable (a white one).

For what it's worth, the fact that you still have a cable in the box means you can 'save' on buying one when getting a charger - that's as close as we'll get to a silver lining.