I am not going to lie. Attempting to make sense of the midrange cellphone market in 2023 could be the trickiest a part of writing about smartphones.
Some mid-range telephones attempt to offer you as a lot as doable. others offer you simply sufficient to maintain you cheerful, after which there’s the Samsung Galaxy A54, which tries to hit a steadiness. Nevertheless, what’s distinctive right here is that not like Google and Nothing, for instance, Samsung has extra to realize and (you guessed it) extra to lose. . After all, amongst them is the Galaxy S collection, which should be taken under consideration when making the Galaxy A collection – if the mid-range telephones are too good, customers may have much less purpose to purchase a product Lighthouse. It is a balancing act that Samsung has been doing for ages.
In reality, gross sales of the corporate’s cheaper telephones (particularly these cheaper than the Galaxy A54), really inform us that the South Korean model is doing a greater job within the funds section – a bittersweet victory being provided that the S-series flagships would carry increased revenue margins however wrestle to maneuver as many models as Samsung would really like.
However to complicate issues, the brand new mid-range Galaxy telephones additionally must be higher than their predecessors and mid-range opponents from different manufacturers. And that is the place the brand new Galaxy A54 may discover itself in some sort of existential disaster. We’ll have a look…
Surprisingly, the Galaxy A54 seems older than the four-year-old Galaxy A51 – Samsung has some explaining to do…
The Galaxy A51 2019 on the left, the Galaxy A52 2021 within the center, and the all-new Galaxy A54 on the correct. We’re seeing a pattern in direction of thicker show borders on newer telephones.
Now earlier than you inform me about iPhone SE within the feedback (and naturally be at liberty to take action) and what Apple’s previous mid-range seems like, I will let you know this story is about Samsung. However to take the leap, as dated because the iPhone SE seems in 2023, at the very least it seems as previous as its predecessor.
I increase this to make some extent. Actually, a brand new model of a cellphone shouldn’t look older than the previous one. are you with me? However that is not the case with the Galaxy A54. To offer Samsung credit score, not like the Galaxy A53, which used plastic, it seems just like the again of the A54 is glass, which is good if you’d like a premium really feel (not as good in case you drop your cellphone and break it, however that is one other story).
However then you definately flip the Galaxy A54 over and have a look at a showscenario it is telling a barely completely different story. Once more, the display screen of the brand new Galaxy A54 is meant to be barely brighter than its predecessor (that is nice), however your eyes catch these huge, black, lovely present borders.
Regardless of a bigger display screen, the Galaxy A51 2019 is extra compact, extra fashionable and 30g lighter than the Galaxy A54.
That being mentioned, whereas I’d argue that most individuals select a brand new cellphone by taking a look at it/holding it, aesthetic design is not all that issues in a cellphone. And if that is the place you anticipate issues to choose up pace for the Galaxy A54, effectively… you could be stunned.
Cheaper Galaxy A34 with MediaTek chip beats Galaxy A54 operating Samsung’s Exynos in first real-world pace assessments
In a current real-world pace check, the $300 Galaxy A34 was sooner in opening apps than the Galaxy A54. Closing rating? 9-20.
Now apart from the design, there may be one other potential situation with the Galaxy A54
After all, the SKUs for Samsung’s new Exynos 1380 are out now, they usually’re simply as disappointing as anticipated – Samsung has made the selection to go along with one other mid-range Exynos, and that is it. However what’s significantly stunning right here is the primary real-world pace check I got here throughout, which (once more) tells a distinct story. One other story the place the Galaxy A54 does not appear to return out on prime in opposition to a less expensive Samsung cellphone.
As you’ll be able to see on YouTube Pace check between Galaxy A54 and Galaxy A34 carried out by Vy Vo Xuan, the brand new $300 Galaxy A34 appears to open apps sooner than the costlier Galaxy A54. Why is that? Nicely, since each telephones run the very same software program and include the identical quantity of RAM (6/8GB), the apparent differentiator must be the processor.
Though the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 used within the Galaxy A34 and the Exynos 1380 within the Galaxy A54 are roughly on par throughout benchmarks, the cheaper cellphone appears to be sooner.
After all, for individuals in the USA, it would not be Actually Issues, as a result of the Galaxy A34 should not be launching there within the first place – however that may’t be an excuse. The Galaxy A54 is just about the one mid-range Samsung cellphone bought within the US, which needs to be only one purpose for it to be nearly as good because it will get. LAW?
Galaxy A54 – a terrific $450 bundle, however Google’s Pixel flagships will eat the Samsung cellphone for breakfast (the Pixel 7a is nearly right here now)
Would you purchase a Pixel as an alternative of the Galaxy A54?
So, sure, the Galaxy A54 stays some of the enticing mid-range telephones on the worldwide stage, however not like earlier years (I am particularly referring to the Snapdragon-powered Galaxy A52s), a lot of the enchantment is that the A54 goes to be bought in additional components of the world in comparison with competing gadgets – availability issues. Besides that:
- The Galaxy A54 guarantees a brighter display screen than the Galaxy A53
- The Galaxy A54 brings a brand new, bigger most important digital camera sensor, which ought to assist with pictures and movies at evening
- The Galaxy A54 presents 4 years of Android updates and 5 years of safety patches, which is a legitimate purpose to decide on it over a Chinese language cellphone with higher specs.
And but, if the supply stars align for you, the Galaxy A54 is about to face the hardest competitors Samsung has ever seen within the midrange cellphone section.
Even when you do not have an additional $70 to spare or shopping for refurbished components is not your factor, then ready may very well be your finest good friend and Samsung’s greatest enemy. It’s as a result of the Google Pixel 7a (leaking all over the place now) is knocking on the door. With a flagship-grade Tensor G2 chip, rumored wi-fi charging, and the magic of Google’s Professional Digital camera, the Pixel 7a seems like the whole lot the Galaxy A54 needs to be however cannot.
All the things all over the place All of the sudden goes dangerous with Samsung’s mid-range telephones: how far (backward) will Samsung go?
It is getting more durable and more durable for Samsung to create “the right mid-range cellphone” as a result of the corporate additionally makes the flagship Galaxy S23 and needs individuals to purchase… extra of it. It is a delicate balancing act the place Samsung has loads to lose. In contrast to Google, which does not even depend on promoting telephones to become profitable. It is what we’d name “the right storm.”
- The worldwide chip scarcity
- The worldwide monetary disaster and inflation
- Tremendous aggressively priced Pixel telephones from Google
- Apple’s Unimaginable Potential to Promote Previous/Refurbished iPhones
- And above all, the excessive bar that Samsung set for itself a while in the past in 2019
After all, Samsung does not need to make telephones worse. Nevertheless, it appears that evidently the Galaxy A54 is the results of poor Hourly. Had the A54 been launched in (say) 2019 it could have been successful – effectively, we do not know for certain, however it could have been rather more spectacular, at the very least. As a substitute, Samsung launched a terrific midrange cellphone 4 years in the past, which now makes the 2023 model of that cellphone appear like a price reduce (aesthetics).
Aggressive competitors from the mid-range section of Google, OnePlus, Xiaomi and even Nothing, do not assist Samsung’s case both. And regardless of all that, in case you’re searching for a very good mid-range Samsung cellphone, the A54 may nonetheless be the most effective (and possibly even the one) possibility for a few of you! When you have a look at it in isolation, you continue to know it is a terrific package deal.
Is it adequate for you? I’d await our full overview to seek out out. Keep tuned!