Samsung Galaxy A54 5G review:  One fine midranger

The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is Samsung’s latest midrange A series phone that carries several impressive features that are hard to ignore. From its 5G connectivity to its 48MP quad-camera system, this phone has all the basics, and then some.

I’ve had a chance to take it around town, mostly using it for play and maximizing its features, and I’m happy to say that the phone did not disappoint.

Connectivity and design

First, let’s talk about connectivity. The Galaxy A54 supports 5G, which means it can connect to the latest and fastest mobile networks available. This made streaming videos on Netflix and Disney+ buffer-free, and playing Genshin Impact a seamless experience. Download speeds felt like a breeze as well; I hardly noticed any downtime while saving an offline playlist on Spotify.

I had a chance to bring the phone away from Greater Metro Manila over the week, and was pleasantly surprised that the 5G connection held up and was pretty stable even high up in Eastland Heights in Antipolo, where I joined another writer, John, for a trip to the driving range at Forest Hills.

The A54’s 6.4-inch, 1080 x 2340 Super AMOLED display was, as expected, gorgeous to look at. I very much enjoyed the 21:9 aspect ratio in a dimly lit environment as I watched Abstract: The Art of Design on the way to dinner with friends. High quality graphics, popping color, and crisp sound are what I remember as I watch Olafur Eliasson talk from his studio in Berlin for the third time. 

Performance and hardware

The Galaxy A54 5G is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G processor. Our review unit came with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. This combination ensured fluid multitasking and smooth performance, even while I was running a few apps simultaneously.

The Galaxy A54’s 5000mAh battery can last up to two days on a single charge, depending on your usage. Since I used it quite lengthily throughout my time with it—mostly for social media and streaming—my charge cycle was about a day and a half in between. This makes the phone an excellent choice for people who are always on the go and don’t want to worry about their phone dying in the middle of the day or carrying around power bricks and power banks wherever they go.

I was also impressed by the Samsung Galaxy A54’s triple rear camera system. The 50MP main shooter is accompanied by a 12MP ultrawide lens and a 5MP macro. Images came out sharp and colors were vivid. I was especially happy with how my macro shots turned out. I did enjoy the A54’s 32MP front-facing camera too, spending a little time with its built-in Fun Mode.

Here are some sample photos I took using the phone’s rear cameras:

Speed says

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy A54 is an excellent midrange phone that offers many premium features. With a vivid screen, 5G connectivity, powerful hardware, and a sleek exterior, the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is an excellent choice to consider for those looking for a powerful phone at a price point that doesn’t break the bank.

The Galaxy A54 5G 8+128GB variant is priced at P24,990, while the 8+256GB variant is priced at P26,990.

Words and photos Carmela Balitaan