I tend to get more phones than I can possibly review, and 2023 is turning out to be a particularly busy year. One thing that stood out this year is just how much mid-range phones have closed the gap to their flagship brethren. While there are plenty of great options in this category, the phone I want to highlight is the Galaxy A54 5G.
Now, Samsung didn't reinvent the wheel with the A54, instead making small tweaks to a winning formula. As such, the A54 doesn't differ too much to its predecessors — but it doesn't need to. You still get a vibrant AMOLED screen, outstanding battery life, terrific cameras, and more software updates than any other phone in this segment.
Combine that with upgraded hardware and cameras that take better photos in low-light, and the Galaxy A54 is an easy recommendation. The A54 launched for $449, and it's down to $349 for Prime Day, making it one of the best phone bargains you'll find right now.
I've been using the A54 for a while now alongside beefier options like the Zenfone 10 and Xiaomi 13 Ultra, and I have to credit Samsung for making much-needed tweaks on the hardware front — I didn't see any slowdowns whatsoever.
More than anything else, what makes the A54 such a good option is the familiarity. If you're already using a Samsung phone, you'll feel right at home here, and that's a big selling point. While I traditionally preferred using the Pixel Launcher or MIUI, a vast bulk of my phone use over the last 12 months has been with Samsung phones, and I like the litany of features bundled in One UI — they go a long way in differentiating the brand's devices.
At the end of the day, you're looking to maximize value, and right now, there isn't a phone that gives you quite as much as the Galaxy A54 — particularly at $349.
