8.0 Samsung Galaxy A54 5G You’re receiving worth alerts for Samsung Galaxy A54 5G Like
Big, vibrant display
Expandable storage
Affordable worth
Don’t like
Processor and digital camera efficiency lags behind cheaper Pixel 6A
Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S23 Ultra packs a few of the most potent specs and highly effective cameras round. But it additionally comes with a whopping worth $1,200 (£1,249, AU$1,949) tag that is merely out of the query for many people. Looking decrease down the vary doesn’t suggest struggling with sluggish, irritating {hardware}. As Samsung’s new $450 (£499, AU$699) Galaxy A54 5G proves, you will get a telephone with stable efficiency for a really cheap worth. The Galaxy A54 packs a 6.4-inch show, an octa-core processor that gives sufficient energy for day by day necessities (together with mild gaming) and a digital camera that does a good job of dealing with your out-and-about snaps. I even just like the design, significantly the lime inexperienced model I reviewed. Its 128GB of storage will probably be sufficient for most individuals, and those that want extra space can broaden it with microSD playing cards as much as 1TB in measurement. It’s obtained quite a bit going for it contemplating its cheap $450 price ticket, nevertheless it’s usually on sale for even much less, with costs of $375 seen on Best Buy and Amazon throughout my writing of this assessment, though sadly not on the level of publishing. Even with that potential low cost, Google’s price range telephones outshine Samsung in key areas — significantly the digital camera. The 6.4-inch show is shiny and vibrant. Andrew Lanxon/CNETGalaxy A54 or Pixel 6A?Even on the Galaxy A54’s aggressive worth, the competitors is fierce, with Google’s very good $349 Pixel 6A and the most recent Pixel 7A priced at $499 — simply $50 greater than the A54’s typical retail worth. We gave the Pixel 6A a CNET Editors’ Choice award for its mixture of stable all-round efficiency and reasonably priced worth, with it remaining among the best price range telephones cash should purchase. The new Pixel 7A additionally impressed us with its nice digital camera and easy efficiency, pushing CNET to suggest it over the Pixel 7 because it’s $100 cheaper. Up towards the A54 5G, the Pixel 6A remains to be the telephone to go for. Its efficiency is a bit higher, its digital camera takes nicer photographs and Google’s plain model of Android is usually nicer to make use of than Samsung’s One UI pores and skin. If you are prepared to pay $50 extra, the Pixel 7A additionally provides higher digital camera efficiency and wi-fi charging, which is lacking from the Galaxy A54 5G. Still, the A54 is barely bigger and provides microSD card storage growth, so it is not a complete victory for the Pixel. Here’s what it’s best to know in regards to the telephone. Galaxy A54: Fun design, vibrant showThe lime inexperienced model of my A54 5G is basically fairly fairly with its shiny glass again and metallic-looking edging (that is truly plastic). It feels good sufficient to carry, though it lacks the extra stable really feel of the Pixel 6A or 7A. It’s IP67 rated for water resistance (as are the Pixel 6A and 7A) which can hold it protected throughout telephone calls within the rain or round clumsy mates carrying beer. A fingerprint scanner is constructed into the show. Andrew Lanxon/CNETAt 6.4 inches, the show is bigger than the Pixel 6A’s 6.1-inch display, which is price retaining in thoughts should you spend plenty of time taking part in cellular video games or watching movies and would profit from a bigger display. The Galaxy A54’s vibrant display is kind of a bit brighter than the Pixel 6A’s and 7A’s, making it extra simply readable outside beneath direct sunshine. Galaxy A54: Processor, software program and batteryThe Galaxy A54 runs on an Exynos 1380 processor, backed up by 6GB of RAM. It produced honest scores on benchmark checks contemplating its low worth, coming in a bit under the Pixel 6A. Still, there’s sufficient energy to make on a regular basis internet shopping, WhatsApp texting and emailing really feel swift. I managed to play each Genshin Impact and Asphalt 9: Legends at default settings with pretty easy gameplay.Galaxy A54 vs. Pixel 6A vs. Pixel 7A efficiency comparability Galaxy A54 1,006 2,780 812Pixel 6A 1,449 3,486 1,746Pixel 7A 1,342 3,042 1,728
Geekbench 6 (single core)
Geekbench 6 (multi core)
3D Mark Wild Life Extreme
Note: Longer bars equal higher efficiency
It runs on Android 13 at its core, over which Samsung has slapped its One UI software program. While I benefit from the general look of this pores and skin, I do not like how a lot litter Samsung preloads onto the telephone. Apps like Disney Plus, Bolt, TikTok and Booking.com got here already put in, together with a plethora of Samsung’s personal apps (together with its personal app retailer, a Galaxy Shop app, SmartThings, Messages and numerous TV and media apps). There’s additionally a bunch of preinstalled Microsoft apps like Linkedin and OneNote. I purchased the telephone unlocked, instantly from Samsung within the UK, so chances are you’ll discover completely different apps on yours — probably much more carrier-specific apps should you purchased it from a community. I just like the One UI interface, however I do not like all of the preinstalled apps. Andrew Lanxon/CNETWhile you possibly can uninstall many of those, the extraneous apps make the telephone really feel messy as quickly as you flip it on. By distinction, the Pixel 6A’s default interface is neat, clutter-free and has solely the essential Google necessities like Chrome, Gmail and Drive put in as commonplace, with no third get together providers compelled on you from day one. Both Samsung and Google promise safety updates 5 years from launch with the intention to hold them safer to make use of for longer. However that does imply that the Pixel 6A, having been launched final yr, is assured to obtain help till 2027, whereas the A54 ought to proceed to obtain updates till 2028. Samsung additionally provides an extra era of Android OS updates in comparison with Google. It’s not an enormous distinction, however price retaining in thoughts if you wish to squeeze each ounce of helpful life out of your gadget. The A54 is powered by a 5,000mAh battery which is bigger than the 4,410mAh battery within the Pixel 6A. Perhaps because of the bigger display although, battery life was just about the identical on each telephones throughout my YouTube streaming drain take a look at and generally use all through the day. With cautious use it’s best to get a full time out of both telephone, however both telephone will nonetheless want a full recharge in a single day. It runs Android 13 at its core, with 4 years of Android era updates promised by Samsung. Andrew Lanxon/CNETThe base Galaxy A54 has 128GB of storage, nevertheless it’s one of many final remaining telephones to help expandable storage through microSD playing cards as much as 1TB in measurement. That’s an enormous tick in its favor because it means you possibly can safely go for the bottom storage mannequin and easily purchase an inexpensive 128GB card to double the storage, offering a great deal of room for pictures, music or apps. Galaxy A54: Three cameras for vibrant snapsOn the again of the telephone are three cameras; a 50 megapixel principal digital camera, 12 megapixel ultrawide and 5 megapixel macro digital camera. I discovered photographs from the principle digital camera to be typically first rate, though the software program optimizations usually end in fairly oversaturated pictures which look fairly unnatural to my eye. Images look crisp nevertheless and the 2x preset digital zoom (there isn’t any optical zoom right here) delivered sharp pictures. Taken with the principle lens, the digital camera has completed a great job of balancing the intense sky and the extra shadowy buildings. Andrew Lanxon/CNET Colors are vibrant right here, however a bit chilly. Andrew Lanxon/CNET Switching to the ultra-wide lens, the shot appears to be like quite a bit hotter, which I desire. Andrew Lanxon/CNETThe tremendous vast lens labored nicely, too, with first rate exposures and loads of element. I did usually discover fairly a noticeable shade shift between the principle and vast lenses. The vast lens sometimes produces barely hotter colours, which I largely desire towards the customarily cool-looking pictures the principle digital camera captured. Taken from the A54’s principal digital camera, this outside shot is nicely uncovered, however the colors are so over-saturated that they appear fairly unnatural. Andrew Lanxon/CNET The Pixel 6A’s shot has colours which are way more true-to-life. Andrew Lanxon/CNETLow mild pictures are first rate, with the principle lens capturing shiny, sharp photographs which are roughly on par with what we discovered from the Pixel 6A. The 5-megapixel macro lens permits you focus shut up in your topic. But as with most macro lenses on telephones we have seen earlier than from OnePlus and Samsung, it is fairly disappointing. The focus is typically off, and colours look extra drab in comparison with pictures taken with the principle digital camera. Personally, I’d desire it had Samsung not tried to squeeze an additional digital camera in right here and easily lopped slightly further off the asking worth. The macro lens helps you to get shut up in your topic, however the outcomes typically aren’t nice and I do discover the lens a little bit of a pointless addition. Andrew Lanxon/CNET There’s a 32-megapixel selfie digital camera that does a great job of capturing detailed, well-exposed selfies. Andrew Lanxon/CNETWhile the A54’s digital camera setup will not attraction to photographers amongst you who need true-to-life pictures, it’s going to do the job nicely should you simply need vibrant photographs of your youngsters in your subsequent seashore trip. But I do desire photographs from each the Pixel 6A and 7A, which produce much less over-saturated pictures with spot-on publicity. Should you purchase the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G?The A54’s mixture of first rate efficiency, enjoyable design, vibrant cameras and low worth make it a probably nice price range choice. Its shiny display, expandable storage and longer software program help are ticks in its favor over Google’s Pixel 6A, however the Pixel 6A wins in nearly each different respect. The software program is nicer to make use of, the cameras are higher and it is even cheaper. Between the 2, my cash would go on the Pixel 6A.