Samsung expanded its Galaxy A series with the release of the Galaxy A54 5G. The phone falls under the premium mid-range category, boasting a 120Hz Super AMOLED display, a 50MP triple camera system with OIS, and a 5G-ready Exynos 1380 chipset.
The specs look good on paper, but how does it perform in real life? And is it worth buying? Let’s find out in this review.
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G Specs
| Display | 6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate |
| Processor | Exynos 1380 |
| RAM/Storage | 8GB+128GB 8GB+256GB |
| Rear Camera | 50MP main, OIS 12MP ultra-wide 5MP macro |
| Front Camera | 32MP |
| Network | 5G, 4G LTE, dual SIM |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS |
| Others | In-display fingerprint scanner, USB-C, Dolby Atmos, stereo speakers, glass back panel |
| OS | One UI 5.1, Android 13 |
| Colors | Awesome Lime, Awesome Violet, Awesome Graphite |
| Battery | 5000mAh battery, 25W Fast Charging |
Display & Design
The Galaxy A54 5G sports a 6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display with a 2340×1080 pixel resolution and a 403 ppi pixel density. The display is HDR10+ compatible and can reach a peak brightness of 1000 nits. It also has a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, which makes the screen look vivid, crisp, and fluid.
Whether you’re watching videos, playing games, or browsing the web, you’ll enjoy the immersive and smooth viewing experience. The display also has a small hole-punch cutout for the front-facing camera and an under-screen fingerprint scanner.
The phone has a sleek and simple design, with a glass front and back (both covered by Gorilla Glass 5), and a plastic frame. It has a minimalist and elegant look that I find very attractive, and it will appeal to those who prefer a straightforward and no-frills device.
The phone is available in three colors in the Philippines: Awesome Lime, Awesome Violet, and Awesome Graphite. We got the latter color for our review unit.
The back panel features a sleek camera layout with three lenses that jut out prominently along with an LED flash. The cameras are quite noticeable and feel a bit sharp when you run your fingers on them. They might also catch on your pockets when you slide the phone in or out. This is not a major issue, but something to keep in mind.
The phone also boasts an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, which means it can withstand being submerged in up to 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes.
The Galaxy A54 5G measures 158.2 x 76.7 x 8.2 mm and weighs 202 g, making it comfortable to hold and use with one hand. It has a USB Type-C port at the bottom, along with a speaker grill and a microphone. The top edge has another microphone and a SIM card tray that can accommodate either two nano-SIM cards or one nano-SIM card and one microSD card (up to 1TB).
The right side has the power button and the volume rocker, while the left side is bare. The phone does not have a 3.5mm headphone jack, which may disappoint some users. It does have stereo speakers, which sound okay.
Cameras
The Galaxy A54 5G boasts a triple camera setup on the back, consisting of a 50MP main camera with f/1.8 aperture, PDAF, and OIS; a 12MP ultrawide camera with f/2.2 aperture and 123-degree field of view; and a 5MP macro camera with f/2.4 aperture.
The main camera captures sharp and vibrant photos in well-lit scenarios, with reliable exposure and white balance. The OIS ensures stable and blur-free shots when shooting handheld or in low-light conditions. The ultrawide camera provides a broader perspective, but it may suffer from some distortion and noise at the edges. The macro camera enables you to take close-up shots of small objects, but you may face some challenges with focus and detail in some situations.
Overall, I find that the phone delivers satisfactory photos, but not outstanding ones.
The Galaxy A54 5G can also record videos at up to 4K resolution at 30fps with the main camera and the selfie camera. The videos are smooth and stable thanks to the VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilization) and the wider OIS angle.
At the front, the phone has a 32MP selfie camera with f/2.2 aperture. It can take pleasant shots with vibrant colors and clear focus. It also supports HDR, Night mode, Photo Remaster, Object Eraser, and video recording at up to 4K resolution at 30fps.
Sample Photos
Performance
The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is powered by an Exynos 1380 chipset with a Mali-G68 MP5 GPU. It comes with 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD card). It runs on Android 13 OS with One UI 5.1 interface, offering a seamless and customizable user experience.
Samsung’s One UI interface is one of the best custom skins for Android, in my opinion. It’s clean, user-friendly, intuitive, and customizable while adding more features and tweaks to the Android OS.
The Exynos 1380 chipset is a new midrange processor from Samsung that supports both sub-6GHz and mmWave bands for 5G connectivity. It provides improved performance and efficiency compared to its predecessor, the Exynos 1080. It also supports Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and GPS.
During the review, I found the Galaxy A54 5G to be more than sufficient as a daily driver, able to handle multitasking, browsing, streaming, and other tasks smoothly and without lag or stuttering.
As for gaming, the phone is decent and can handle most titles without issue. However, I recommend lowering the graphics settings for heavier games to get the best possible experience.
For those who like benchmark scores, here they are:
- AnTuTu Benchmark V9.6.0: 507,878
CPU: 151,963
GPU: 148,612
MEM: 80,975
UX: 126,328 - 3DMark Wild Life: 2,841
Ave. FPS: 17 - Geekbench 6: 1,005 (single-core); 2,810 (multi-core)
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G has a 5,000mAh battery and supports 25W wired fast charging. It does not support wireless charging or reverse wireless charging.
With the large battery, the phone can last a full day with heavy usage of YouTube, some light casual gaming, web browsing, more YouTube, and Netflix. At the end of the day, we had less than 10 percent left. No doubt it can last for longer in light to moderate usage.
Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is a solid mid-range smartphone that offers a good mix of features for a reasonable price. It may not stand out in any specific aspect, but it does well in most areas that matter for a satisfying smartphone experience.
It has a stunning display, a flexible camera system, a dependable performance, and a long-lasting battery life, that make using the device enjoyable and smooth.
Also read: vivo V27 5G review: Stylish, powerful, and competitive
However, the phone also has some limitations that may matter to some users. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is a solid all-rounder in the mid-range market (even Bing AI agrees). But if you are looking for more power or better photography, you may want to consider other options.
Price
The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is available in two variants, 8GB+126GB and 8GB+256GB, priced at ₱24,990 and ₱26,990, respectively.
