It is surprising when any phone at a $699 price point poses better value-for-money than a company’s flagship; however, in my opinion, this is absolutely the case for Samsung’s Galaxy A54. Across almost all areas, the Galaxy A54 put up a strong performance with its intelligent design immediately evident.
The clean, minimalist, chic design and glass finish of the A54 is a refreshing look which I thoroughly enjoyed, contrasting with the increasingly crowded back designs of many phones today. This complemented the phone’s impressive Full HD+ screen, with slim bezels and a 120Hz refresh rate which made day-to-day use of this phone a dream. There is little to fault with this phone when scrolling social-media or watching TV besides occasional dips in the refresh rate when using particularly resource-intensive apps, or several apps at once. Moreover, I found this phone’s display to perform well in all settings, with sunlight rarely posing an issue to visibility.
Although I don’t often push my phone to its limits through app use, l spend long periods without access to a charger. Thus, I was particularly pleased by the A54’s 5000mAH battery which towers over many higher-end phones today. Although not capable of wireless charging, I did not find this to be a hindrance, making it most days without even considering a second charge.
A surprising strength of the A54 was its IP67 rating which made beach trips and listening to music in the shower a stress-free experience. This, combined with the phone’s strong 5-year support policy, renders it a viable and strong option for any potential long-term owners. However, for such owners, the A54’s plastic frame should be a consideration. Although I enjoyed the phone’s lightweight nature, I did at times worry about its durability as a plastic and glass design.
Despite its many strengths, where this phone falls short, I believe, is in aspects of its camera capabilities. As with most mid-range phones, performance in good lighting was strong, with the 50-megapixel F/1.8 main, 12 megapixel ultra wide, and 5-megapixel macro rear cameras producing high-quality photos with particularly vibrant colors – an effect of Samsung’s processing which I found enhanced most photos. However, taking high quality photos in dimmer lighting was at times a challenge, with the phone’s night-mode being effective only when the subject was entirely still for several seconds. The Galaxy A54 has an acceptable 32-megapixel front camera which neither impressed nor disappointed, as well as adequate video capabilities with recording available up to 4K/30p, although this too struggled in dim-lighting at times. If I were to summarize camera performance, it is by no means poor for the phone’s price point, however simply isn’t as impressive as other aspects of the A54’s design.
It appeals to me that for anyone considering a mid-range phone, the A54 should be amongst the front runners. If display quality, battery life, aesthetic design, and functionality are a priority, it is a no-brainer. For those who prefer to focus on a phone’s camera capabilities, the A54 may not be out of the running, but is by no means as competitive as in these other areas. What is entirely clear to me, is that the A54 far exceeded any expectations that I had for a phone at this price, and that it is amongst the best value-for-money phones out today.
The Galaxy A54 5G (RRP $699) is available in two colour options, Awesome
Graphite and Awesome Violet. More Info here
