Battle of the mid-range masters

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  Samsung Galaxy A54 5G

  An immersive screen

  Samsung’s Galaxy A54 is a worthy successor to one of our favorite mid-range phones from 2022. The 120Hz AMOLED display stands out among phones in its price range, the chip has gotten a nice performance boost, and the new 50MP camera promises significant low-light photography improvements.

  Pros

  • Bright 120Hz AMOLED display
  • Minimalist design

  Cons

  • Lacks wireless charging
  • Limited color availability

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  Source: Google

  Google Pixel 6a

  Class-leading performance

  $250 $450 Save $200

  The Pixel 6a delivers the best value you can get in a smartphone. It provides a pure Google experience with the same powerful Tensor chip found in its pricier flagship cousins, fantastic software features, and impressive camera capabilities. 

  Pros

  • Powerful Tensor processor
  • Great photography features

  Cons

  • Lacks wireless charging
  • 60Hz OLED display

Samsung’s Galaxy A54 is setting the stage for what could be another exciting race among mid-range smartphones. While this summer’s expected release of the Google Pixel 7a will undoubtedly shake things up a bit, at this point, the Google Pixel 6a is the one to beat among the best budget Android phones. The Samsung Galaxy A53 was a worthy contender last year, but will the improvements in this year’s Galaxy A54 be enough to knock the Pixel 6a off its perch? Let’s find out.

Price, availability, and specs

The Samsung Galaxy A54 is up for pre-order as of March 30, starting at $450 for the base model with 6GB RAM and 128GB of storage, which can be expanded to up to 1TB with a microSD card. Your color choices will vary by region; the U.S. model is available in graphite and violet, while customers in the U.K. will also have lime and white versions available. Some countries, like Canada, are getting only graphite. It’s expected to hit shelves on April 6, and for a limited time, you can save up to $250 with an eligible trade-in.

Google’s Pixel 6a is currently available for $300 from the Google Store for the base model with the same 6GB RAM and 128GB of storage. It’s also available at most major retailers and all the big carriers in the U.S., where even deeper discounts can often be found. It comes in the same three colors — Sage, Chalk, and Charcoal — in every country where it’s sold.

• 	Samsung Galaxy A54 5G	Google Pixel 6a
  SoC	Samsung Exynos 1380	Google Tensor
  Display	6.4-inch Super AMOLED, 120Hz	6.1” 2400×1080 (20:9) 60Hz OLED
  RAM	6GB, 8GB	6GB
  Storage	128GB, 256GB	128GB
  Battery	5,000mAh	4,400mAh
  Ports	USB-C	1x USB Type-C
  Front camera	32MP f/2.2	8MP f/2.0 IMX355 84°FOV
  Rear cameras	50MP f/1.8 (primary), 12MP f/2.2 (ultrawide), 5MP f/2.4 (macro)	12MP f/1.73 IMX 363 w/OIS 77° FoV; Ultra-wide: 12MP f/2.2 IMX386 114° FoV
  Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, LTE, 5G (sub-6GHz)	5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
  Dimensions	158.2 x 76.7 x 8.2 mm	152.2 x 71.8 x 8.9mm, 178g
  Colors	Lime, Graphite, Violet, White	Sage (green), Chalk (white), Charcoal (black)
  Weight	202 g	6.72 oz
  Charging	25W wired	18W USB PD
  IP Rating	IP67	IP67

Design: Each classy in its own way

This year Samsung has given its mid-range Galaxy A54 the same fresh new design as its flagship Galaxy S23 models, eliminating the camera bump in favor of a cleaner and more minimalist look. It’s a nice touch that unifies the company’s 2023 lineup, and at a glance, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the Galaxy A54 and the similarly-sized Galaxy S23+. However, the new design feels much more refined, and it’s also well-suited to the wide variety of available cases, many of which now offer a similarly understated look by providing cutouts for the camera lens rather than a ginormous hole for the camera bump.

It appears like Samsung may have found its design footing this year; however, Google settled on a new design language with the Pixel 6 lineup in late 2021, which it’s carried forward to the Pixel 6a and beyond. As a result, the horizontal camera bar has become a distinct look for Google’s phones. And though it stands out more than Samsung’s new triple-lens camera array, we think it does so in a good way, like a deliberate part of the design rather than something Google had no choice but to live with.

Source: Google

In terms of size, the Pixel 6a comes in a bit smaller than the Galaxy A54. Still, at only around a quarter of an inch less in width and height, it’s not an especially significant size difference, and the Galaxy A54 more than makes up for it with its larger screen (which we’ll get to in a moment). Both devices feature an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance, which is the norm nowadays. The Galaxy A54 features Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back, which makes it more durable and gives it a more elegant feel. By comparison, the Pixel 6a has a plastic back, but as we noted in our review, it’s a nice and surprisingly resilient plastic. However, the Pixel 6a only uses Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3 on the front.

Display: Brightness matters

Considering that Samsung is one of the world’s leading display manufacturers, it’s probably no surprise that it’s equipped the Galaxy A54 with a bright and beautiful 6.4-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. While the A54 doesn’t get the variable refresh rate of its more expensive cousins, the screen should still offer buttery-smooth scrolling and gaming. Samsung has also been significantly increasing the maximum brightness of its displays over the past few years, and the Galaxy A54 screen is no exception; with 1,000 nits peak brightness, Samsung is promising “astounding outdoor visibility,” even in direct sunlight.

Even though the Google Pixel 6a has a capable OLED display, it’s simply not in the same league as the Samsung Galaxy A54. Instead, you’re getting the base 60Hz refresh rate in a 6.1-inch screen with the same 2400×1080 resolution. Although that technically means a slightly higher pixel density, that’s not enough to make up for a slower refresh rate and a lower peak brightness. At only 785 nits, it’s not impossible to see outdoors, but as we’ve observed, it often feels like it’s not quite bright enough.

Software: Features and long-term updates

Like most Android phones from different manufacturers, the Galaxy A54 and Pixel 6a each come with their own takes on Android 13. The underlying operating system is the same, but since Google makes Android, it provides what most consider a purer Google experience on the Pixel 6a with little to no extra fluff and stronger ties into the Google suite of apps and services. Samsung adds its custom OneUI 5.1 layer on top of Android 13, but it’s also been embracing Google apps like Messages more recently rather than pushing users to its own Samsung versions.

Mostly, the Galaxy A54 and Pixel 6a software differences come down to personal preference, with some different tradeoffs between the platforms. For instance, Google incorporates more machine learning to power unique features such as call screening, whereas Samsung offers tighter integration with its own device ecosystem.

Both platforms promise five years of security patches. However, since the Pixel 6a is already last year’s model, that puts the Galaxy A54 nearly a year ahead in this area; Google indicates the Pixel 6a will cease getting new updates in July 2027, while the Galaxy A54 should be good through March 2028. When it comes to major Android updates, Samsung promises four OS upgrades, which means it should someday be able to run Android 17. The Pixel 6a is only guaranteed to get full OS updates until July 2025, which means it will likely stop at Android 15.

That said, Pixel phones tend to get exciting updates more frequently. Google sends out “Feature Drop” updates about every three months with new goodies to try out, so if you’re somebody who likes to stay on the leading edge of new software features, the Pixel 6a has the advantage.

Performance: How much do you need?

Samsung may be putting forward its best displays in the Galaxy A54, but the Pixel 6a has the high ground when it comes to delivering more powerful chips. Google began building custom silicon for the Pixel 6 lineup in 2021, and it didn’t skimp on performance when putting it into the Pixel 6a. In other words, the sub-$450 Pixel 6a packs in the same Tensor chip as the flagship Pixel 6 Pro, which initially sold for at least twice as much.

By comparison, Samsung has opted for its in-house Exynos 1380 in the Galaxy A54. While we can expect that to offer a healthy improvement over the 1280 found in last year’s A53, it won’t hold a candle to the Tensor chip that’s also used in Google’s flagship smartphones.

The important question is how much this matters. Don’t take this comparison to mean the Galaxy A54 will be a slouch regarding performance. Today’s ultra-powerful chipsets are more about powering advanced machine-learning features like computational photography than user-facing performance gains.

The Galaxy A53 did a respectable job handling demanding games like “Diablo Immortal” — as long as you didn’t expect too much from it by pushing all the settings to max. Samsung promises the Exynos 1380 will deliver CPU gains of 20% and GPU gains of 26% in the Galaxy A54. While that won’t make it a gaming powerhouse, it’s more than reasonable performance for a phone in this price range. Tradeoffs abound here; the Pixel 6a may have Google’s considerably more powerful Tensor chip, but its gaming capabilities are hampered by its 60Hz display.

We have little doubt the Galaxy A54 will deliver the performance most folks need today, but the more important question relates to how it will hold up in the years to come. Samsung promises four versions of Android updates, but it’s arguable whether the Exynos 1380 will be able to deliver a smooth user experience on Android 16 down the road. Regarding longer-term staying power, the safe money is on the Pixel 6a with Google’s class-leading Tensor chip inside.

Battery life: Enough to get you through the day

The Google Pixel 6a packs in a 4,400mAh battery, while the Galaxy A54 pushes that to 5,000mAh. Both promise all-day battery life, but we’ll have to wait for real-world testing on the A54 to see how that bears out. Google’s more power-efficient Tensor chip partially compensates for the lower-capacity battery of the Pixel 6a. It ended up being on par with last year’s Galaxy A53, which had a similar 5,000mAh cell. Either phone should be able to reach up to 48 hours with lighter use.

Like its predecessor, the Galaxy A54 hasn’t embraced wireless charging. But that’s not surprising, as it’s typically one of the first things omitted in budget smartphones — and the Pixel 6a is no different. Instead, you get 25W wired charging on the Galaxy A54. That’s the same performance offered by the smaller Galaxy S23 and a slight boost over the 18W wired speeds of the Pixel 6a. However, that’s not enough to make a huge difference unless you’re frequently sitting by your phone waiting for it to charge.

Cameras: More than just megapixels

The Galaxy A54 follows a recent trend with a few other Samsung phones in actually lowering the megapixel (MP) count on some of its cameras in favor of a better sensor. In this case, that’s a 50MP primary shooter — a decrease from the 64MP sensor found on the Galaxy A53. Beyond that change, it’s otherwise the same triple-lens camera design, and the other camera specs remain unchanged, with a 12MP ultra-wide sensor and a 5MP macro camera. You’ll also find a 32MP selfie camera around the front.

Of course, megapixels aren’t everything, and Samsung has likely packed in a newer sensor that will make better use of those 50 megapixels than the previous model did. For one, the company promises this year’s design will offer much better performance under low-light conditions and improved dynamic range.

While the camera hardware specs on the Pixel 6a aren’t quite as impressive — you get only a pair of 12MP sensors covering main and ultra-wide focal lengths — Google’s edge comes from the machine learning and image processing capabilities of its more powerful Tensor chip, which Google has carefully tuned to make the most of every pixel that comes out of the image sensors.

Further, since the Pixel 6a uses the same Tensor chip as the more expensive Pixel flagships, you get all the same AI-powered camera features, including things like Real Tone processing for more accurate skin tones and Magic Eraser to remove background objects from photos. Google also pioneered low-light photography on Android smartphones with Night Sight, so seeing how the new low-light capabilities on the Galaxy A54 compare will be interesting.

The verdict will be out until we see some camera testing under real-world conditions, but it’s fair to say that the Galaxy A54 has its work cut out for it. The camera performance on last year’s A53 was astonishingly lackluster despite having higher specs on paper; we’re cautiously optimistic that the A54 will do better, but whether it will surpass the Pixel 6a is another matter.

Samsung Galaxy A54 vs. Google Pixel 6a: Which is right for you?

The Samsung Galaxy A54 and Google Pixel 6a are both solid mid-range smartphones with their own benefits and tradeoffs. This makes it hard to pick a clear winner since much of it comes down to what you’re looking for in a smartphone. Those who want the best display on a budget will lean toward the Galaxy A54, but the Pixel 6a comes out on top in several other important ways that matter more than what’s reflected in their respective spec sheets.

For instance, while the Galaxy A54 promises to deliver some nice camera improvements, Google has a proven track record of delivering amazing photography features in its Pixel phones without resorting to multiple camera arrays or higher specs. There’s a level of trust here that lets you be confident in what you’re getting, whereas Samsung doesn’t always live up to its promises in the mid-range market. It’s also doubtful the Exynos 1380 inside the A54 has the power to offer nearly the same level of sophisticated image processing and computational photography features as Google’s Tensor chip. It may be almost nine months old, but it’s still going strong and will likely continue for another few years.

Source: Google

Google Pixel 6a

Still the clear winner

$250 $450 Save $200

Google’s Pixel 6a remains the best smartphone you can buy on a budget. A powerful flagship processor, advanced photography features, and impressive software features deliver incredible value in a package that will last you for years to come.

Nevertheless, fans of Samsung’s hardware and software designs won’t be disappointed with the Galaxy A54, as its brighter and faster display sets it apart from most smartphones in this class. And while the camera improvements are still something of a question mark, they should perform better than last year’s A53, particularly under low-light conditions. That’s still a tough sell against the lower price tag of the Pixel 6a — but it could be worth the premium price tag if a better screen is important, especially if you can get a deal on the Galaxy A54.

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G

Runner up

The Galaxy A54 stands out among budget smartphones thanks to its bright 120Hz AMOLED display. The new 50MP camera also promises improvements to low-light performance, and the excellent update policy means it should last buyers for nearly half a decade, as long as you don’t plan to put too many demands on it down the road.