Samsung Galaxy A54 vs. A53: A worthy heir to the mighty A series

Every passing year brings us a great gift in the form of the Samsung Galaxy A series of phones. The A50 model is always an outstanding hit, and it seems like the A53 only made the mid-range Android phone even more popular and successful. The Galaxy A53 was a smashing hit, delivering everything one could hope for and more under $500.

Samsung has performed yet another miracle with the cheap and cheerful Galaxy A54. Although the phone doesn't look much different from the A53, it brings incremental updates to the table. These teeny tiny differences may or may not be enough for you to want to ditch your Galaxy A53 in favor of the newer A54.

Let's also not forget about the tweaked design language and two new color options. The Samsung Galaxy A54 looks and feels slightly better than the A53 too, although it does weigh a little more. Trying to figure out how both A series Samsung phones fare against each other? Let's take a gander at both devices and find out!

Samsung Galaxy A54 vs. A53: Cold hard facts

Before dissecting each Galaxy device, let's get our facts straight. The spec sheet highlights just how similar both phones are. You get the same memory options, stereo speakers, battery sizes, and charging speeds in the Galaxy A54 and A53. Both devices tout IP67 water and dust resistance and the cameras are nearly identical, except for the primary sensor.

Many of the Galaxy A53's specs overlap with the A54, but we're here to talk about the things that are different. Read between the lines and you'll notice that the Galaxy A54 has updated parts under the hood. This includes the newer Exynos 1380 processor and Mali-G68 MP5 GPU. The A54 also has Bluetooth 5.3 which is better than the A53's Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity.

Naturally, the newer Galaxy A54 runs Android 13 out of the box as opposed to the A53 which comes with Android 12. Samsung guarantees five years of security updates and four years of platform updates for both Galaxy A phones. Since the A53 is a year older, it'll be good until Android 16. On the other hand, users will enjoy OS upgrades all the way until Android 17 on the A54.

The Samsung Galaxy A54 delivers better performance overall owing to the newer Exynos 1380 chipset. It has a slightly smaller 6.4-inch display with a FHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The A53 shares the last two traits, with a similar 120Hz AMOLED screen. Samsung opted for a higher quality Super AMOLED panel, resulting in higher levels of brightness than the last-gen A53.

You can expand the storage on the Galaxy A53 and A54 via a microSD card. There's still no headphone jack though, but that's become commonplace in modern smartphones now. There's no doubt that both devices are some of the best mid-range Android phones to date.

Samsung Galaxy A54 vs. A53: Lenses and megapixels

One of the key areas of differentiation is the camera situation on Samsung's A series phones. You get a quad-camera setup on the last-gen A53 and a triple-camera lineup on the A54. This might sound like a downgrade at first, but you can rest assured that no one's going to miss the useless 5MP portrait lens on the A54.

There aren't any major changes between the two devices, and the front cameras are exactly the same. The Galaxy A53 handles most daytime scenarios really well with its main lens, although the same can't be said about low-light photography. For an Android phone in this price range, the results are superb.

Samsung knows very well it doesn't need to fix what's not broken. The Galaxy A54 has the same front, ultra-wide, and macro lenses as the A53. You don't get a 64MP main camera, that's replaced by a 50MP f/1.8 Samsung GN5 sensor. The new primary lens features slightly better optical image stabilization in videos. Low-light photography and videography are also better than the last-gen Samsung phone.

Samsung Galaxy A54 vs. A53: Body language

Visually, both the Galaxy A54 and the A53 are sweet on the eyes. Samsung eliminated the camera bump on the A54, reinforcing its resemblance to the high-end S23 series. Instead of the matte plastic bodywork of the A53, you get a shiny glass-like back on the A54.

Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy A54 isn't actually made of glass, but it's built with a very sturdy plastic that has a glossy finish giving the illusion of glass. This adds a few grams to the weight of the device but makes it feel so much more premium. The A53 is quite clearly a budget phone, but the A54 blurs those lines.

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Black and white are staple colors that please all, which is why Samsung retained these color options in both Galaxy A series smartphones. For braver souls, there are funkier hues to choose from. The Galaxy A53 also comes in peach and blue colorways. Meanwhile, the newer A54 offers violet and lime green paint jobs.

One could easily mistake the Galaxy A54 for the flagship Galaxy S23 from afar. The same cannot be said for the A53, which doesn't have much in common with the S22.

Samsung Galaxy A54 vs. A53: Who takes the crown?

The Samsung Galaxy A53 was a phenomenal budget phone in its day. However, the time has come for the A53 to step down from the throne and pass on its title as the best overall cheap Android phone to the A54. The Galaxy A54 is definitely better than the A53, but only marginally so.

This means that those of you who are hanging on to your A53s shouldn't feel the need to upgrade. There's not much to gain in that regard, and the A53 is still guaranteed to get support and updates for many more years to come. If you're feeling envious of the A54's purple and green colors, slap on a fun new A53 case to cure that FOMO.

However, if you're using something like the Galaxy A23 and considering purchasing a new mid-range Android phone from Samsung, the A54 is definitely worth buying. You get newer specs and one more year of updates, so it gives you better value than the Galaxy A53.