The camera setup, at least where the main lens is concerned, looks like a downgrade – on paper, that is.

Unlike the camera bump that was found on the A53 range, Samsung has taken a design flourish from its flagship S23 handsets, the floating camera array, and has used this for the A54 range. Power and volume buttons are on the right edge although, unlike some handsets, the power button doesn’t double as a fingerprint reader. Instead, there’s one built into the screen, which is actually easiest to reach with your thumb (or your pointer finger on the other hand). To be honest, it would’ve been pretty decent for the money had Xiaomi not released the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus 5G and its 200MP sensor that truly excels in low light. On the wireless side, the Galaxy A54 now supports Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and NFC. You also get dual SIM support with 5G.The Samsung Galaxy A54 has a lot going for it, but as the new high-end of the Galaxy A series it’s creeping closer to the Galaxy S series in terms of features and pricing – especially if you’re prepared to look at the previous generation of S series handsets. You could be forgiven for dubbing the A54 the S23a. Battery life is also a little hit-and-miss. As long as you’re not using the phone too often it should last, but even a 5000mAh battery can’t always provide comfortable all-day battery life if you’re really putting the phone to the test. Combined with slow 25W charging, there’s still a lot to be done here.

Whatever the reason for this omission — whether it's a technical, logistical, or cost-related issue — or a mere market trend devised to sell wireless earbuds, the fact remains that the Galaxy A54 and A34 don't have a 3.5mm headphone port. Thankfully, they more than make up it through other features and improvements across hardware, software, and design. There are high hopes here as the Samsung Galaxy A53 did so well in the camera stakes, which means its successor has a lot to live up to. I didn’t manage to test the cameras as much as I would have liked in my short time with the Samsung Galaxy A54 but this is one powerful camera phone on paper at least.The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G design is similar to the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G, but its camera housing layout has changed a bit, and it looks much cleaner now. All that said, my final impressions of the display are largely positive; it’s big enough to comfortably watch YouTube videos and movies on Netflix, colours are vibrant and punchy (if not a little too vibrant) and it’s easily legible in direct sunlight with a maximum brightness of 1000nits. I did miss elements like HDR10+ when watching Netflix though, features you can find on the likes of the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus 5G and Google Pixel 6a. Camera Unlike the Galaxy A34 which has ditched Samsung’s own processor for a MediaTek equivalent, Samsung’s Galaxy A54 sports an upgraded Exynos 1380 chipset – the latest one in the company’s roster having been revealed just a few weeks prior to the phone’s announcement.

But unlike the A53, which had a 64MP primary shooter, the Galaxy A54 uses a 50MP sensor for its primary shooter. Besides that, everything else is the same, even the selfie camera.When it comes to photography, that 50 MP camera figure holds its own, delivering impressive detail even if the colours are a bit over-saturated by default. Outside during the day, photos look vivid but not over-processed, although the sky looks a little too blue and the trees a little too green. Still, results across the board are fairly acceptable for the price tag. What isn’t acceptable, however, is the autofocus performance.

The 6.4-inch AMOLED panel sports an ‘Infinity O’ design that, to you and I, simply means it has a single hole-punch camera cutout in the middle of the display. It’s the easiest way to tell the difference between it and the Galaxy A34 with its ‘Infinity U’ design. The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G has had quite the upgrade in the design department compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy A53 5G, though you might not notice it by looking at it front-on. Samsung wanted to go big on battery life with its A series with both the Galaxy A54 and its cheap Galaxy A34 sibling sporting the same 5,000mAh battery that’s found in the top-end flagship S23 Ultra, which is also bigger than that of the S23 and S23 Plus.The Galaxy A14 also supports a Bluetooth connection to wireless speakers and other audio players, such as smart TVs. The Galaxy A14 5G uses Bluetooth 5.2, the current industry standard. The rear camera array is strong, with Samsung opting for a: new 50MP f/1.8 OIS main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2 and a 5MP f/2.4 Macro lens. The Samsung Galaxy A54 is a decent all-rounder with a hint of a truly premium build thanks to a glass rear and an updated design that brings it pretty close to the flagship Galaxy S23 range. IP67 support, in particular, is notable at this price point. Using wireless headphones is the simplest way to listen to audio on the Galaxy A54. There are still many wireless headphones and wireless earbuds that are priced similarly to wired options, even though they can be more expensive than cable options. With a great 6.4-inch display, sturdy premium build, and triple camera array, the Samsung Galaxy A54 certainly makes a great first impression for a mid-range handset. You can see how Samsung is working to unify the design language of the A and range-topping S series handsets.