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I’m not going to lie…trying to break out of the mid-range phone market in 2023 might be a little tougher to write home about than smartphones.
Some mid-range phones try to give you as much as possible; Others give you just enough to keep you happy, and then and there Samsung Galaxy A54, which is trying to hit a balance. However, the unique thing here is that unlike, say, Google and Nothing, Samsung has a lot to gain, and (you guessed it) more to lose, and what makes it even more difficult is that the Galaxy maker makes a ton of phones every year. Of course, among them is the Galaxy “S” series, which must be taken into account when making the Galaxy “A” series – if the mid-range phones are “very good”, then users will have even fewer reasons to buy flagships. It’s a balancing act Samsung has done for the ages.
In fact, sales of the company’s cheaper phones (particularly those cheaper than the Galaxy A54) tell us that the South Korean brand is doing better in the budget segment — a bittersweet win considering its flagship “S” series will fetch higher profit margins but struggle to move many. of units as Samsung would like.
But to make things more complicated, the new mid-range Galaxy phones also have to be better than their predecessors, and the mid-range competition from other brands. And this is where the Galaxy A54 may find itself in an existential crisis. lets take alook…
Shockingly, the Galaxy A54 looks older than the four-year-old Galaxy A51 — Samsung has some explanation…
2019 Galaxy A51 on the left, 2021 Galaxy A52 in the middle, and the all-new Galaxy A54 on the right. We’re seeing a trend for thicker display borders on newer phones.
Now, before you tell me about iPhone SE in the comments (and by all means, feel free to do so) and what Apple’s old mid-range looks like, I’ll go ahead and tell you this story is about Samsung. But to jump the gun, as the iPhone SE appears to be in 2023, it at least looks as old as its predecessor.
I come to this to make a point. Surely, the new version of the phone should not look older than … the old one. Are you with me? But this is not the case with the Galaxy A54. To give Samsung some credit, unlike the Galaxy A53, which uses plastic, the back of the A54 appears to be made of glass, which is great if you want a premium feel (not so nice if you drop and break your phone, but that’s a different story).
But then you turn the Galaxy A54 and look at the an offerSituation This tells a slightly different story. Again, the screen on the new Galaxy A54 is supposed to be much brighter compared to its predecessor (that’s awesome) but then your eyes catch that big, black, beautiful… border width.
Despite sporting a larger screen, the 2019 Galaxy A51 is more compact, more modern, and 30g lighter than the Galaxy A54.
With that being said, although I would argue that most people choose a new phone by looking/holding it, design aesthetics aren’t all that matters in a phone. And if this is where you expect to pick things up for the Galaxy A54, you might be in for a surprise.
Cheaper Galaxy A34 with MediaTek chip beats Galaxy A54 running Samsung’s Exynos in early real-world speed test
In a recent real-world speed test, the $300 Galaxy A34 was faster at opening apps than the Galaxy A54. The final result? 9-20.
Now, apart from the design, there is another possible problem with the Galaxy A54…
Sure, Samsung’s new Exynos 1380 benchmarks are out now, and it’s just as frustrating as to be expected — Samsung made the choice to go with another mid-range Exynos, and that’s it. But especially surprising here is the real-world speed test I stumbled upon, which (again) tells a different story. Another story where the Galaxy A54 doesn’t seem to be a winner when compared to a cheaper Samsung phone.
As you can see on YouTube target=”_blank”>Speed test between Galaxy A54 and Galaxy A34 conducted by Vy Vo Xuan, the new $300 Galaxy A34 appears to open apps faster than the more expensive Galaxy A54. Why? Well, since both phones perform the same. The software is exactly the same and it comes with the same amount of RAM (6/8GB), the obvious difference should be the processor.
While the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 used in the Galaxy A34 and Exynos 1380 in the Galaxy A54 are equivalent in benchmarks, the cheaper phone appears to be sleeker.
Of course, for people in the United States, this will not happen truly Ahem, since the Galaxy A34 wasn’t expected to launch there in the first place — but that can’t be an excuse. The Galaxy A54 is Samsung’s only mid-range phone sold in the US, which should only be reason for it to be…as good as it can be. right?
Galaxy A54 — a pretty good $450 bundle, but Google’s flagship Pixel phones will eat a Samsung phone for breakfast (Pixel 7a is almost here now)
Would you buy a Pixel instead of the Galaxy A54?
So yeah…the Galaxy A54 is still one of the most attractive mid-range phones on the global stage but unlike previous years (I’m specifically referring to the Snapdragon-powered Galaxy A52s), a great deal of the appeal is that the A54 will be sold in more regions World compared to competing devices – Availability numbers. Away from this:
- Galaxy A54 promises a brighter screen than Galaxy A53
- Galaxy A54 brings a new, larger primary camera sensor, which should help with photos and videos at night
- The Galaxy A54 offers 4 years of Android updates and 5 years of security patches, which is a good reason to choose it over a Chinese phone with better specs.
However, if the availability stars agree with you, the Galaxy A54 is about to face the toughest competition Samsung has ever seen in the mid-range phone segment.
Even if you don’t have an extra $70 to spare or buy a refurbished, it’s not your thing, then expected It may be your best friend and Samsung’s biggest enemy. That’s because Google Pixel 7a (which is leaking everywhere right now) is knocking on the door. With a top-notch Tensor G2 chip, wireless rumors, and expert camera magic from Google, the Pixel 7a is shaping up to be everything the Galaxy A54 wants but can’t.
Everything everywhere is going wrong at once with Samsung’s mid-range phones: How far (backward) will Samsung go?
It’s getting tougher for Samsung to make the “perfect mid-range phone” as the company also makes the flagship Galaxy S23 and wants people to buy…more of it. It’s a tricky balancing act as Samsung has a lot to lose. Unlike Google, which doesn’t even rely on selling phones to make money. It’s what we might call the perfect storm.
- Global chip shortage
- Global financial crisis and inflation
- Google’s super affordable Pixel phones
- Apple’s amazing ability to sell old/refurbished iPhones
- More importantly, it’s the high standard Samsung has set for itself some time in 2019
Of course, Samsung doesn’t want to make worse phones. However, the Galaxy A54 appears to be a result poor timing. If the A54 had been released in (let’s say) 2019, it would have been a hit — well, we don’t know that for sure, but it would have been more impressive, at least. Instead, Samsung released a great-looking mid-range phone four years ago, which now makes the 2023 version of that phone feel like a lower-end (aesthetic) version.
Fierce competition from the mid-range segment of Google, oneplus, Xiaomi and even nothing, it does not help in the case of Samsung either. And despite all that, if Samsung’s mid-range phone is what you’re after, the A54 may still be the best (and perhaps only) option for some of you! If you look at it in isolation, it’s still…you know – a great package.
Is it good enough for you? I’ll wait for our full review to find out. Stay tuned!
