Samsung Galaxy A54 5G: The Biggest Improvements Over The A53

The Samsung Galaxy A-series has steadily grown into a collection of truly capable midrange devices. Not only are mid-range devices more capable than you expect, but they are also beginning to nip at the heels of their flagship siblings in certain functionality. With each passing generation, it becomes harder and harder to justify the cost of a true flagship when directly compared to a midrange device. Over the past few years, Samsung's Galaxy A-series has grown into an easy-to-recommend option for those who are looking for a quality device that won't break the bank. 

The Samsung Galaxy A53 is a device that was launched in March 2022 and brought along flagship quality features like its high-quality 120Hz display. It wasn't perfect when it launched, especially when compared to the overall power and camera capabilities of something like the Google Pixel 6a, but the A53 was quite good overall. With the recent release of the Galaxy A54, Samsung further refined the A53 to create something truly special. While this is an iterative model, Samsung did enough to set the Galaxy A54 apart from the A53.

Samsung has been busy unifying its design language to create a range of products with a similar look and feel and because of that, the Galaxy A54 looks far more premium than its $450 price tag would suggest. The A54 looks so much like the Galaxy S23 that it is nearly impossible to tell just by looking at these two devices. The A54 even has the same redesigned camera housing as its more expensive sibling, which looks cleaner than the raised one on the Galaxy A53. 

Samsung didn't stop with the camera housing. It swapped the plastic back on the A53 for a more premium-feeling glass back on the A54, which utilizes Corning's Gorilla Glass 5 for added protection. The glass back and 13-gram weight difference make for a sturdier and more premium-feeling design, especially when you are holding it. Both devices have a plastic frame, but Samsung implemented a matte one on the A54 which won't show smudges as quickly as the glossy frame on the A53. The overall look and feel are just a bit more premium on the A54 than the A53.

As a midrange device, the Galaxy A-series had to compromise and the chipset is where you can feel it the most. The Exynos 1280 processor used in the Galaxy A53 was serviceable but slightly underpowered. As a result, the A53 would run into frequent slowdowns and could get a bit laggy. Luckily, Samsung went with a slightly more powerful Exynos 1380 processor in the A54. Samsung claimed that the A54 would be about 20% faster than the A53 series and synthetic benchmarks have shown similar results.

While the A-series will still be outperformed by direct competitors like the Google Pixel 7a, the A54's improved processor makes for a more enjoyable experience. You can expect significantly less lag and a smoother experience overall. These processors aren't going to be graphics powerhouses and neither the A53 nor the A54 are going to provide highly detailed graphics in games like "Genshin Impact," but the A54 used by the Galaxy A54 will provide a noticeable set of improvements over the A53.

The Galaxy A54 is the better and more well-rounded device between the two. If you currently have the Galaxy A53 and are happy with it, the Galaxy A54 may not offer a great enough difference to justify upgrading. For anyone looking for a new device at a midrange price, the Galaxy A54 is tough to beat at around $450 on Amazon.