What Are The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G's Main Features? What To Know Before You Buy

If you're in the market for a budget Android phone with a stable operating system, a decent camera, and a modern design, the Galaxy A54 5G could be the right pick for you. However, before you make the purchase, there are a few things that you should know about its features, what it offers, and where you can buy it.

The Korean tech giant Samsung released the Galaxy A54 5G in March 2023 (along with the Galaxy A34 5G). Compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy A54 5G offers a brighter display, more advanced cameras, and a longer battery life, according to Samsung in its official press release. It has been a year since the handset came out, and since then, Samsung has released the Galaxy A55 5G. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the A55 5G didn't make it to the United States, which brings us to an important question — should you purchase the Galaxy A54 5G in 2024?

To kick things off, the Galaxy A54 5G comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth v5.3 for connectivity, and a massive 5,000 mAh battery (with support for 25W wired charging) that can easily last an entire day. Here, we'll focus on the three main features that typically matter the most to users: screen, chipset, and cameras.

The Galaxy A54 5G ships with a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED 1080 x 2340 (FHD+) screen that supports 120Hz refresh rate and 1,000 nits of peak brightness (200 nits brighter than its predecessor). Yes, it's a tad smaller than the 6.5-inch screen on the Galaxy A53 5G, but you'll only notice the difference if you hold both phones side by side. Moreover, the brighter display is easier to use, even under direct sunlight, and produces punchy colors and deep blacks. To complement what you see on the screen, Samsung has also equipped the handset with Dolby Atmos-tuned speakers.

In terms of design, the Galaxy A54 5G carries the same look as Samsung's flagship Galaxy S23 series. However, it has slightly thicker bezel and a plastic frame. You do get Corning's Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and rear, preventing scratches. Furthermore, the smartphone shares the same IP67 water- and dust-resistance rating as the Galaxy A53 5G. Given that Samsung's AMOLED screens are among the best in the market and that the Galaxy A54 5G has a similar design as the company's flagship Galaxy S23, the 2023 smartphone still has a market in 2024, especially for budget buyers in the United States.

Another primary feature of the Galaxy A54 5G is its processor — the Samsung Exynos 1380 SoC (5nm). On paper, the chipset features four Cortex-A78 cores clocked at 2.4GHz and four Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 2.0GHz. The smartphone pairs the chipset with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

In his review of the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G, SlashGear's Steve Smith says that "playing games, multitasking, and web surfing performed very well in everyday usage." However, Smith also adds that the handset's Geekbench 6 scores fall short of the Pixel 6a with the first-generation Tensor SoC (and that of the newer Pixel 7a that launched afterward with the Tensor G2). Clearly, the phone offers midrange performance, but considering its current price, the performance gap isn't a dealbreaker.

On the positive side, Samsung has promised to provide up to four generations of One UI and five years of security updates with the Galaxy A54 5G. Taking that into consideration, you can still get around three to four years of usage, which is excellent for a phone that costs around $350. The only model that comes close is the Google Pixel 7a which was recently available for as low as $249 with carrier activation.

Like other models in the segment, the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G ships with a multi-camera setup. Leading the pack is a 50MP (f/1.8) primary sensor, which might seem like a downgrade over the 64MP (f/1.8) main camera on the Galaxy A53 5G, but the A54 takes crisp, vibrant images in well-lit surroundings. Then there's a 12MP (f/2.2, 123-degrees) ultra-wide sensor and a 5MP (f/2.4) macro lens, both of which are similar to its predecessor. To click selfies and attend video calls, you get a 32MP (f/2.2) sensor on the front, also borrowed from the A53 5G.

The primary camera does get optical image stabilization (OIS) for pictures and digital image stabilization for videos. You also get a dedicated Night mode for taking photos in areas with poor lighting and an editing tool that can remove unwanted shadows and reflections from pictures. However, that is the extent of camera-related features the Galaxy A54 5G offers. It's not the best in class, but it surely won't disappoint regular users who only click a few pictures every day for posting on social media platforms or storing them as memories.

Finally, let's discuss the handset's pricing and availability. Currently, the handset's unlocked version with 128GB storage is available at Best Buy for $374.99. If you're willing to activate the device with Verizon or AT&T at Best Buy, you can get it for $274.99. However, you can get a brand-new Galaxy A54 5G direct from Verizon for $5 a month for 36 months for a total of $180 with a new line. At this price, the smartphone is a no-brainer for almost everyone. On Amazon, you can find the Galaxy A54 5G with 256GB storage for around $380. The higher storage adds more value to the smartphone. 

To sum up, the A54 5G is one of the most balanced smartphones on the market, and it doesn't fail to justify its price, even when compared to the smartphones released in 2024. So, if you've been using a two- or three-year-old midrange smartphone that doesn't hold up well in 2024, or you want a secondary handset for work or other purposes, the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is the way to go. If you're not quite convinced, and you'd like to view more options before spending your money, be sure to check out SlashGear's article on eight cheap Android phones worth owning in 2024, which also includes the Galaxy A54 5G.