Home ›› 02 Apr 2023 ›› Tech
Samsung is the true undisputed king of providing smartphone options at every price point. Though this South Korea-based tech conglomerate works in diverse industries, the smartphone lineups brought them an immense reputation. They bring a mix of the latest specs and features in a value-for-money package. And it especially holds true for their premium mid-range devices, the A series smartphones. The latest in the lineup, the Samsung A54 5G was globally released on 24th March. Here’s a detailed take on the device.
Design and Build Quality
The design of the A54 is reminiscent of its predecessor the A34. Samsung doesn’t really bring many cosmetic changes in their mid-range devices as the A series has had a consistent design for quite a few years now. The most prominent change is on the front display with the A54 comes with a punch-hole panel instead of the waterdrop notch found on the A34. Other than that, the back is the same with a glossy finish and a triple vertical camera sensor.
The aluminum body is sandwiched between glass panels. This year, the IP rating is at 67 meaning the device isn’t completely waterproof, but rather dust and water-resistant. Though Samsung claims that the device will be fine for 30 minutes to under 1 meter of water.
The ports and button selection are as usual. The power and volume buttons are strategically positioned on the right. The sim slot is on the left. Samsung has opted for a hybrid sim slot where users will be able to swap the second sim for a micro SDXC.
Weighing 202g its dimensions are 158.2 by 76.7 by 8.2 mm. This device might feel heavy to handle with one hand.
Rest everything is what’s expected from Samsung. A solid-built device that justifies the price.
The Display
The display is mostly the same as last year. Samsung has opted for a 6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate. It offers 1080 by 2340 pixels of resolution featuring a 19.5:9 ratio and about 403 ppi density. Furthermore, the display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
The display is a tad smaller than the last generation which might not sound like an ideal choice. But given the pixel concentration and the overall smaller footprint of the A54, this move seems to have played in Samsung’s favor. The PPI has gone up and the chin bezels are even thinner, giving the device an almost uniform bezel design.
Moving onto the display itself, the typical Samsung magic is evident from the get-go. The display is crisp and bright with some tight viewing angles. Samsung has been a market leader in panels and it’s easy to say that the display on the A54 is the best in its price category. This year Samsung has also bumped up the HBM to 1000 nits making it even more legible under direct sunlight.
Overall the panel will make for an impressive device interaction no matter what it is used for.
The Camera
The camera sensor has been updated for the new model. Usually, the main sensor is the one that gets updated in incremental releases. But for the A54, Samsung has updated both the main and the ultrawide sensor to 50 MP and 12 MP respectively. The 5 MP macro sensor remains the same.
Speaking of quality, it’s pretty similar to last year. Samsung has significantly upped its post-processing algorithm. Pictures look sharp and contrasty with decent dynamic range in each shot. One way to summarize would be that there are no bad shots with the A54, it consistently delivers similar results.
The videography is rated at 4K at 30 fps max. 4K won’t rival the big brother S23 but it produces a semi-decent result. Additionally, there’s a 32 MP front-facing camera as well. And as typical of Samsung, it produces decent wide-angle shots. Though the photos might feel overprocessed in dimly lit conditions.
Processor and Performance
The processor on the A54 is Samsung’s very own Exynos 1380 based on the 5 Nm architecture. The processor has a 4 2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 and 4 2.0 GHz Cortex-A55 chip design with Mali-G68 MP5 GPU.
Exynos processors used to get a bad name on the higher-end S models previously. So much so that Samsung has scrapped Exynos processors on the S23 series altogether. But for mid-range devices, Exynos has actually been a reliable performer.
The software and hardware integration work seamlessly to make the device feel buttery smooth. And thanks to the updated One UI 5.1 on top of Android 13, using a Samsung skin feels much more like a utilitarian version of stock Android rather than the bloatware nightmare that it was a few years back.
Moving on to performance, the A54 would pleasantly surprise anybody. The device can run all the leading titles like PUBG, Asphalt 9, and COD without any issues. The performance also doesn’t throttle during long gaming hours. But it does heat up the device with some minor battery drain issues.
Beyond that, the A54 is a solid performance-packed daily driver device. It’ll equally cater to the needs of moderate and heavy users alike.
Battery and Charge Time
The battery on the Samsung Galaxy A54 is 5000 mAh. 5000 mAh is a standard at this point for most mid-range devices. Needless to say, the display is the prime power consumption of the A54, but users wouldstill be able to churn out around 5 to 6 hours of continued use. Combine that with the 25W fast charging support, the A54 sits in a pretty sweet spot charge-wise.
Price
In India, the 8/128GB variant of Galaxy A54 5G costs about 38,999 Rs. That roughly amounts to around 49,821 BDT (1 INR = 1.28 BDT). Of course, the price of the Samsung Galaxy A54 in Bangladesh is subject to change based on several factors when the device officially launches.
Final Words
The A54 is a true mid-ranger in the sense that it trickles down the best of what Samsung has to offer in a price-limiting form factor. For those who can’t afford the flagships or simply don’t want to invest an eyewatering amount on a Samsung flagship, the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G can be a great place to get into the Samsung eco-system. While the device isn’t overtly perfect, it easily gets the vote for being the best mid-ranger out in the market right now.
