The newly launched Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is something else. It looks and feels like a premium flagship as opposed to a mid-range smartphone. When I held the Galaxy A54 in my hand, I thought I’m holding the Galaxy S23 Ultra that I have for review as well. That is how brilliant it is. As for last years’ Galaxy A53 which has a plastic back panel, it doesn’t feel good in my hands anymore.
Sorry A53, while you are superbly good in terms of performance and camera features, the A54 is now the flagship of all mid-rangers.
Not a Flagship, But Looks Like One
The new Galaxy A54 may be heavier and thicker than the A53 but everything else screams premium. It comes with a glass front display as well as glass back panel. The camera module does not have a bump this time but instead it simply protrudes right from the back panel, exactly like its “big brother”, the Galaxy S23 series. I guess the overall aesthetic look from Samsung’s flagship has rubbed off on the A series this year. And this isn’t bad at all.
It is a step upward for the A series, paving its way into being the best and most premium mid-range smartphone out there. Along with Samsung’s own upgraded Exynos 1380 chipset that powers the new Galaxy A54, the camera sensors have been upgraded as well. Although it has a lower megapixel count of 50MP (down from 64MP on A53), it now has a larger on board camera sensor that is able to absorb more light for a brighter, clearer picture.
The display is smaller at 6.4” but I feel that the screen looks so much better on the Galaxy A54, all thanks to the HDR10+ feature. It now comes with up to 1000 nits brightness at its highest compared to only 800 nits on its predecessor. It is protected by Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and the back panel. Although it is using glass as the back panel, I don’t seem to leave as much fingerprint smudges on the surface. But it does add class and elegance to the A series this time.
As for the triple camera setup around the back, the larger sensor does play a role in capturing better night shots. When the light is low, it is able to focus slightly quicker and absorb more light that results in more vibrant details and lesser noise in dark areas. I do notice that the camera is able to absorb more light when using video mode as well. I am not too sure about this so I will gather more details regarding this in my full review.
As for now, the new Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is on my good side. I love the not-so-big size and the slight thickness (and weight too) because it feels solid and sturdy. Just holding it in one hand feels good to me. The whole aesthetic and size is just my type. There are few other features that I have not tested yet. Or perhaps some flaws that I haven’t come across. But that will be told in my upcoming full review.
See you in the next one.
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G Specifications
- SoC: Exynos 1380 (5 nm), Octa-core (4×2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55)
- GPU: Mali-G68 MP5
- OS: Android 13, One UI 5.1
- Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM
- Display:
Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1000 nits (HBM)
6.4 inches, 100.5 cm2 (~82.9% screen-to-body ratio)
1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) - Battery: Li-Po 5000 mAh
- Camera:
50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS
12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1.12µm
5 MP, f/2.4, (macro) - Selfie Camera: 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8″, 0.8µm
- Sensors: Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass, barometer
- Colours: Lime, Graphite, Violet, White
