Samsung Galaxy A54 review: A premium mid-range smartphone, done right

In my opinion, the Galaxy A54 is perfectly sized for both large-screen and small-screen smartphone users. Despite being more compact than most mid-range smartphones with 6.5-inch or larger screens, it offers a balance between compactness and practicality.

The subtle Samsung logo at the back with a flat glass sandwich design makes the Galaxy A54 look clean and minimalistic (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar / Indian Express)

When I held the Awesome Violet Galaxy A54 in my hand, it reminded me of the purple iPhone 12 but with a curved frame. The slightly curved edges make it comfortable to hold when compared to the iPhone 12 (review). Although its plastic frame doesn’t affect its overall appearance, it can make the phone feel cheap psychologically – especially given its Rs 40,000 price range.

If you can overlook its plastic frame, then you’ll find that with an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance – along with trendy colour options. Overall, the Galaxy A54 is an attractive compact smartphone.

A bright and colour-accurate 6.4-inch FHD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate with a slightly thicker chin (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar / Indian Express)

Display

Samsung is renowned for its display technology and the Galaxy A54’s screen doesn’t disappoint. My only complaint is its thicker bottom bezel – especially since its predecessor had a much thinner one. Otherwise, the Galaxy A54’s display performs well and even supports HDR video playback on YouTube (but not Netflix).

With 1,000 nits of peak brightness, the screen is visible even under direct sunlight. Its flat design also eliminates ghost touches. However, a curved display like that of the Realme 10 Pro+ (review) would have given it a more premium look.

A 50MP primary camera with OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide angle lens, and a 5MP macro lens (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar / Indian Express)

Cameras

The Samsung Galaxy A54 features a triple camera setup with a 50MP primary wide-angle camera, 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and 5MP macro lens. It also has a 32MP selfie camera. Overall, the Galaxy A54’s camera performance is above average and can capture good shots in various lighting conditions. Here are some unedited camera samples from the Samsung Galaxy A54.

The white flower is clearly in focus while the background is beautifully blurred (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar / Indian Express)

One of the portrait effects on the Galaxy A54, where, the subject retains the full colour while the background turns into monochrome (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar / Indian Express)

A red scooter shot in portrait mode with excellent edge detection (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar / Indian Express)

A staple south Indian breakfast (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar / Indian Express)

Picture of a narrow street with a lot of details (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar / Indian Express)

Selfies on the Galaxy A54 can retain natural colour tone (Vivek Umashankar / Indian Express)

Galaxy A54 can handle any app or game without any issue (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar / Indian Express)

Everyday usage and performance

While not slow per se, the Galaxy A54 lags behind devices like the OnePlus 11R and iQOO Neo 7 in terms of benchmark numbers. Powered by an Exynos 1380 processor with 8GB RAM, it scores over 500,000 on AnTuTu and has an 86% stability score on CPU throttle tests – making it capable of handling everyday tasks without issue.

You can play demanding games like COD: Mobile and Asphalt 8 smoothly but expect some heat around the camera area. So while performance isn’t its strongest suit, the Samsung Galaxy A54 still holds its own.

The software experience of the Galaxy A54 is as good as the Galaxy S23 Ultra (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar / Indian Express)

Software experience

The Galaxy A54’s software experience is impressive. It comes with Android 13 OS and OneUI 5.1 – packed with features. In fact, its overall software experience rivals that of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (review), my previous daily driver. The only noticeable difference is that its fingerprint sensor is slightly slower when unlocking as it uses an optical sensor.

Another advantage of the Galaxy A54 is Samsung’s promise to deliver four major Android upgrades and five years of security updates – ensuring it stays relevant and up-to-date for years to come. While it does come with some bloatware, most can be uninstalled.

The Galaxy A54 can support both Airtel and Jio 5G networks with excellent cellular reception (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar / Indian Express)

Connectivity and battery life

The Samsung Galaxy A54 is 5G-enabled and I was able to get a signal indoors using the Jio network. It also supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3, with no issues in voice call quality.

Its 5,000 mAh battery delivers over 7 hours of screen-on-time and can last over a day for most users (though heavy gamers may have different results). It supports 25W fast charging but doesn’t come with a charger in the box – unlike most phones in its price range that ships with 80/100/120W fast chargers.

A mid-tier Android phone with excellent user experience (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar / Indian Express)

Verdict: Go for the experience

If you’re a heavy smartphone gamer or prioritize performance above all else, then we don’t recommend the Galaxy A54 – instead, consider options like iQOO Neo 7 or OnePlus 11R. However, if you value overall user experience over benchmark numbers, then the Galaxy A54 is worth considering.

With its smooth and stable software experience, IP67 rating, 4 years of promised Android updates and compact form factor – the Galaxy A54 offers more than just a plain specs sheet.