What makes the A54 5G stand out from each different sub-$500 is its software program assist cycle. Samsung is promising a whopping 4 main OS Android upgrades. That means because it runs Android 13 out of the field, it’s going to get Android 17 in 2027. Wowza. That’s higher than what Google offers. The cherry on high is you will get 5 years of safety updates. It’s good figuring out the telephone you spent a whole lot of {dollars} on will nonetheless get new options, vital bug fixes, and safety patches for years as a substitute of only one. Speaking of, the A54 is IP67-rated, so it may survive the rain and even a drop within the pool, so it may take years of accidents.
Happy Medium
That leads me to its efficiency. Unlike some price range telephones that stuff a 120-Hz panel on the show solely to ship a stuttery expertise on account of a weak processor, the Galaxy A54 5G is highly effective sufficient that you could take pleasure in that buttery easy display screen to its full extent. It’s powered by Samsung’s Exynos 1380 processor with 6 gigabytes of RAM, and my benchmark exams present an honest soar from final 12 months’s mannequin, nevertheless it’s firmly a midrange chipset.
For essentially the most half, you will not run into many points making an attempt to browse your favourite apps or ship an e-mail. Even video games like Dead Cells and Streets of Rage 4 ran and not using a hitch. However, I’ve seen sluggishness right here and there, significantly whenever you’re shifting forwards and backwards between a number of apps. This will be annoying whenever you’re in a rush to rapidly accomplish a activity, however I solely bumped into this often. The digicam additionally is usually a little sluggish to launch.
Battery-wise, you get a big 5,000-mAh cell, which might simply take you thru two full days with gentle use. However, on days after I was out and about, taking footage, utilizing the GPS for navigation, and killing time on Reddit, I ended up with roughly 30 p.c by bedtime. That’s not fairly pretty much as good as lots of Motorola’s price range telephones that may simply final two full days.
Speaking of, Motorola has began providing 256 gigabytes as its base storage choice in its smartphones, and it is a fairly nice change. Almost all telephones—sure, even those who price $1,000—nonetheless provide a paltry 128 gigs of storage, and the A54 5G is not any completely different. It’d be good to see Samsung buck the development right here. (You do get a microSD slot to increase area in the event you want it.) Unlike Motorola, there may be an NFC sensor, so you need to use Google or Samsung Wallet to pay for that important kombucha even in the event you’ve forgotten the bodily pockets at residence.
There’s nonetheless no wireless charging support. This characteristic is usually nixed with most sub-$500 telephones, however with the most recent Google Pixel 7A rumors claiming the telephone could have it, it is bizarre that Google was capable of beat Samsung to the punch. You may also care that there is additionally no charging adapter within the field (you do get a USB-C cable), and there is no headphone jack.
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Thankfully, the cameras are fairly darn nice. Oftentimes I discover myself not taking as many pictures on cheaper telephones as a result of I’m simply not proud of the outcomes, however I by no means stopped snapping on the A54 5G. It’s not far behind the Google Pixel 6A (dare I say it generally performs higher!). The 50-megapixel major digicam can take some sharp pictures in the course of the day, with ordinary Samsung flaws like overexposure and oversaturation.
