Samsung Galaxy A54 5G First Impressions and Camera Samples

Samsung has just unveiled the Galaxy A54 5G and in this article, we share our hands-on impressions of the new mid-range smartphone.

Three colorways

The new smartphone features a large 6.4-inch Super AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 2340 x 1080 resolution. Inside is the 5nm Exynos 1380 octa-core processor, Mali-G68 MP5 GPU, 8GB RAM, 128GB/256GB of storage and a 5,000mAh battery with 25W fast wired charging.

At the back of the phone are the 50MP + 12MP + 5MP triple cameras while in front is the 32MP selfie shooter.

Other key features include stereo speakers, an IP67 water and dust resistance rating and an optical-type in-display fingerprint scanner.

In the Philippines, the phone starts at PHP 24,990 for the 8GB/128GB variant.

Let's dive into the first impressions.

Build Quality/Design

Rear design

In terms of materials used, the Galaxy A54 is made of a combination of glass front and back panels with a high-quality polycarbonate frame in between. This combination makes the phone solid but light weight but also makes it slippery and a fingerprint smudge magnet.

SIM tray with rubber gasket

Samsung boasts that it has an IP67 Water and dust resistance rating and this can be seen with the rubber gasket on the SIM tray.

The unit that we got is the Awesome Black variant, but it is also available in the Awesome Lime and Awesome Violet colorway. All are prone to fingerprint smudges due to the glass front and back panels.

Punch hole display

In front, is the aforementioned 120Hz 6.4-inch Super AMOLED screen with a 2340 x 1080 resolution, and 1000 nits peak brightness.

The device is smaller than you would expect with the dimension of 158.2 x 76.7 x 8.2 mm and weighs 202 grams.

Top and bottom

On top, is a microphone port and the SIM tray while at the bottom are two more microphone ports, USB-C port and the speaker grills.

Left and Right sides

On the left, is a smooth surface while on the right are the volume rocker and the power buttons.

It may have a flat front and glass panel but because of the slight curve on both sides of the frame makes the phone easy to hold. 

First Camera Samples

Rear cameras

At the back of the phone is a 50MP f/1.8 primary camera with OIS, a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 5MP f/2.4 Macro camera with an LED flash. 

The stock camera app has the following modes: Photo, Portrait, Video, Fun, Pro, Pro Video, Single Take, Night, Food, Panorama, Macro, Super Slo-Mo, Slow Motion, and Hyperlapse.

The Pro and Pro video modes allow for controls of ISO (50-3200), Shutter Speed (1/6000-10 secs), EV (+-2), Focus, Metering, and White Balance.

Rear camera daylight 1x

Rear camera daylight 2x

Rear camera daylight ultra-wide

Primary camera close-up

At first glance, the detail, sharpness, and color of the primary camera is stunning. The ultra-wide camera's image has great color and contrast too but could be sharper lastly, the 2x crop has exceptional sharpness and detail but is overexposed.

Selfie camera

While on the punch hole in the front is the 32MP f/2.2 selfie camera.

Daylight selfie

Portrait mode selfie

The 32MP selfie's images are noticeably sharp and detailed with vibrant color and deep contrast. However, the skin tone is not pleasing. 

The portrait selfie's edge detection is nearly flawless. 

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G Specs

Display: 6.4-inch Super AMOLED screen w/ 120Hz refresh rate, FHD+ 2340 x 1080 resolution at 409 ppi

CPU: 5nm 2.4GHz Exynos 1380 octa-core processor

GPU: Mali-G68 MP5

RAM: 8GB

ROM: 128GB/256GB

Back Camera: 50MP f/1.8, OIS + 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle + 5MP f/2.4 macro + LED flash

Selfie Camera: 32MP f/2.2

Battery: 5,000mAh w/ 25W fast charging

OS: Android 13 w/ One UI 5.1

Connectivity: WiFi 6, 5G, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.2, OTG, NFC GPS, dual SIM (nano)

Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic

Others: In-Display fingerprint sensor, IP67 water and dust resistance, 2x Dolby Atmos stereo speakers, USB-C, Colors: Awesome Lime, Awesome Violet, Awesome Black

Dimensions: 158.2 x 76.7 x 8.2 mm

Weight: 202 g

Price: PHP 24,990 (8GB/128GB), PHP 26,990 (8GB/256GB)

As of the moment

In the Philippines, the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G starts at PHP 24,990 for the 8GB/128GB model. 

Visually, it is the natural progression from the Galaxy A53 but with polished details and a glass back. It is made of high-quality polycarbonate and glass with IP67 water and dust resistance. However, there is no 3.5mm audio jack. In fact, there are no earphones or a wall charger in the box.

It does have a 120Hz Super AMOLED display with a punch hole on top. Inside are the Exynos 1380, 8GB RAM, and 128GB/256GB of storage. 

Even though it has a large 5,000mAh battery, the phone only supports up to 25W of charging. This is a massive difference from its competitors offering way faster charging technologies.

At the back of the phone are the 50MP primary camera, the 12MP ultra-wide and the 5MP macro camera while in front is a 32MP selfie shooter.

Overall, the specs are decent while the build and design are exceptional. The only question we have right now is how it performs in real life and how it stacks up with the competition.

Stay tuned for the full review coming soon.