Galaxy A54 vs Galaxy A53: How Much Better is Samsung's New Mid-Ranger?

After tiny changes between the Galaxy A52 and A53, even design-wise, Samsung took the bold decision... to simply copy the Galaxy S23 visuals on the Galaxy A54. Will it be enough to attract those still on earlier models? Before answering that question, let's take a look at the technical specifications of the Galaxy A53 and A54:

Samsung Galaxy A53 vs. Galaxy A54
Product	Samsung Galaxy A53	Samsung Galaxy A54
Image
MSRP	from $449.99	from $449.99
Display	6.5" OLED	6.4" OLED
	2,400 x 1,080 pixels	2,340 x 1,080 pixels
	120 Hz refresh rate
SoC	Samsung Exynos 1280 2x Cortex-A78 @ 2.4 GHz 6x Cortex-A55 @ 2.0 GHz	Samsung Exynos 1380 4x Cortex-A78 @ 2.4 GHz 4x Cortex-A55 @ 2.0 GHz
RAM	6 / 8 GB RAM
Storage	128 / 256 GB
Expandable memory	Yes, expandable up to 1 TB
OS	One UI 4.1 based on Android 12 Four years of Android updates Five years of security updates	One UI 5.1 based on Android 13 Four years of Android updates Five years of security updates
Camera	Main: 64 MP, f/1.8, OIS Ultra-wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2 Macro: 5 MP, f/2.4 Depth of field: 5 MP, f/2.4	Main: 50 MP, f/1.8, OIS Ultra-wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2 Macro: 5 MP, f/2.4
Selfie camera	32 MP, f/2.2
Battery	5,000 mAh Wired charging at 25 W
Connectivity	5G / LTE / Wi-Fi 5 / Wi-Fi Direct / Bluetooth 5.1 / NFC	5G / LTE / eSIM / Wi-Fi 6 / Wi-Fi Direct / Bluetooth 5.3 / NFC
IP Certification	IP67
Colors	Awesome Blue, Awesome Black, Awesome Peach, Awesome White	Awesome Lime, Awesome Graphite, Awesome Violet, Awesome White
Dimensions and weight	159.6 x 74.8 x 8.1 mm, 189 g 6.3 x 2.9 x 0.3 in, 0.42 lb	158.2 x 76.7 x 8.2 mm, approx. 202 g 6.2 x 3.0 x 0.3 in, 0.44 lb
Advantages	Good AMOLED display Good performance Decent battery life The best software support in the category	Great AMOLED screen (as usual) Excellent battery life Good performance in apps and games The best update policy on its price range Fewer bloatware than its Chinese rivals
Cons	Slow charging No headphone jack Non-competitive price	No headphone jack Slow wired charging Lags behind the Pixels in camera performance
Rating	Read the Galaxy A53 review	Read the Galaxy A54 review
Check offer*	Buy now	Buy now

After testing both phones, we rounded up what changed and improved in the Galaxy A54 over its predecessor, in case you are in doubt about one of them, or simply want to upgrade.

Table of Contents:

• Display and design
• Performance and connectivity
• Cameras
• Software
• Battery and Quick Charging
• Price and availability
• Conclusion

Display and design

With smartphones practically following the same design on the front for the past five years or so, the main visual differences can be found on their backs, something that Samsung curiously decided to keep almost the same between 2021 and 2022 with the Galaxy A52, A52s, and A53. For 2023, the Galaxy A54 ditched the useless depth camera and inherited the Galaxy S23 family design.

Samsung reverted a long trend and also made the 2023 model slightly smaller, with a 6.4'' instead of the 6.5'' display on the A53. Both models follow the same look on the front side, with a punch-hole housing the selfie camera, and a noticeable bezel around the screen. Back in the Galaxy A54 is the IP67 certification for water and dust resistance.

Performance and connectivity

On the performance front, the Galaxy A54 brought a considerable upgrade in relation to its predecessor, with a more powerful Exynos 1380 processor replacing the Exynos 1280 found on the Galaxy A53. On paper, the new chip replaced two low-power CPU cores (Cortex-A55) with two high-performance CPUs (Cortex-A78) but didn't change clock speeds, while also adding an extra Mali-G78 GPU core (5 vs 4).

Benchmarks results line up reasonably well with the technical changes, with faster graphics and multi-threaded performance. In practice, however, both performed equally well in our tests, with enough power for browsing the web, taking pictures, multitasking on the go, and playing mainstream games.

That can be partly attributed to the choices Samsung made in the memory department, with plenty of RAM in both models—6 and/or 8 GB, depending on the region—and 128 or 256 GB storage options, expandable via a microSD card.

Connectivity-wise, the Galaxy A54 is one of the first mid-range phones to offer eSIM support. Other changes between the A54 and the Galaxy A53 can be found in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support, which received a small upgrade.

Cameras

As we already mentioned above, the Galaxy A54 ditched the depth sensor found in the A53 and features a triple camera setup: a 50 MP main sensor optically stabilized, coupled with a similar pair of 12 MP ultra-wide lens and 5 megapixels macro camera also found on the Galaxy A53. For reference, the A53 had a 64 megapixels main camera.

In practice, both phones offer competent results in daylight conditions with the main camera. But during night shots we tended to prefer the pictures taken with the A54, even without turning the Night mode on.

The differences between the other cameras are even more subtle, due to the similar specifications. And the same applies to the 32 MP selfie camera found in both the Galaxy A54 and A53. One thing that cannot be measured in tests is the ongoing support offered by Samsung to its older models, often including additional features through software updates. 

Software

The software section is the one with fewer changes. Both models are running the same One UI 5.1 over Android 13 combination and are promised the same level of software support: 4 Android upgrades and 5 years of security patches. That translates to the Galaxy A53 receiving "Android 16" and getting security patches until 2027, while the A54 should receive "Android 17" and fixes until 2025.

• The best tips for your Samsung phone with One UI
• These Samsung models will receive the update to Android 14/li>

Battery and Quick-Charging

On the battery and charging front both models offer identical specs: 5000 mAh capacity that can be replenished at up to 25 W. Remember that the Galaxy A54 and A53 do not include a charger on the box.

... And our tests confirmed the parity between both 2022 and 2023 models when it comes to charging speeds. Battery life, on the other hand, showed a small advantage for the A53, probably due to the higher power consumption of the Exynos 1380's CPU and GPU cores on the A54 over the Exynos 1380.

Price and availability

The fun starts at $449 for the Galaxy A54 when it is released, which is the same price as the A53 at its release.

We don't want to hide the fact that the Galaxy A53 has been on the market for a year now, so you can find it for a more affordable price now. You can currently get the smartphone for cheaper on sites like Amazon without a contract.

The Galaxy A54 will be available for $449 when it is released.

Conclusion

The Galaxy A54 is a clear upgrade to its A53 predecessor in some important points, yet doesn't move the needle when it comes to battery life, charging, or the display. Galaxy A53 owners don't really gain much by upgrading outside a further year of software support, which will last quite a bit still for either model.

• Also read: These are currently the best smartphones under $400

If you, on the other hand, are on the fence between both models, go with the A54. It will probably age better and will have an extra Android upgrade. That is, of course, unless you find the A53 for a considerably lower price...

And with that questionably useful advice, we end this comparison. Tell us in the comments which phone would you pick and why. Do you expect to see further adjustments in 2024 with a hypothetical "A55"?