Samsung’s Galaxy A series is a crowd pleaser – it looks and feels a lot like the more expensive Galaxy S models without costing nearly as much. Sure, the cameras aren’t as nice, the performance is lower and so on, but the A series thrives on being “good enough”
That’s why the arrival of the Galaxy A54 and A34 is such a big deal. Some of the previous posts managed to become fan favorites and are often brought up as recommendations in the comment sections. Can the 2023 generation live up to these expectations? We’ll let you be the judge, but first let’s address what has changed and what hasn’t.
The Samsung Galaxy A34 is no longer just a cheaper version of the A5x model. This year it’s bigger with a 6.6” screen (versus 6.4), and it matches it with a 120Hz refresh rate (the A33 only did 90Hz). In addition, it has a completely different chipset, a Dimensity 1080.
The Samsung Galaxy A54 takes the screen down a notch, down to 6.4″ (A53 had a 6.5″ screen). However, the new model is no smaller than its 2022 predecessor – it’s a millimeter shorter, sure, but it’s 2mm wider and it’s 13g heavier. Both the A54 and A34 have 5,000 mAh batteries with only 25W wired charging (same as their predecessors), both are rated IP67. The A54 uses a Samsung-designed Exynos 1380 chipset.
Samsung Galaxy A54
Compared to the Dimensity, it uses a different node (5nm Samsung vs. 6nm TSMC) and has twice as many Cortex-A78 cores (four), although the maximum clock speed is lower (2.4GHz vs. 2.6GHz). The GPUs are similar enough to make this an interesting matchup – Mali-G68 MP5 for Exynos and G68 MC4 for Dimensity. Of course, these are just the raw numbers, more details on the performance will have to wait for the review.
Camera details: Samsung Galaxy A54 • Galaxy A34
Perhaps a more apt comparison is with the Galaxy A52s and its Snapdragon 778G, one of the fan-favorite phones we mentioned above. The 778G is old but still gives the Dimensity 1080 a run for its money, it remains to be seen how it compares to the Exynos 1380. The A52s had a major flaw as it’s limited availability (it just didn’t launch in some regions ).
The Samsung Galaxy A54 and A34 launch in select European and Southeast Asian markets this month. Below are the prices with a comparison with the launch prices of the A53 and A33.
| 6/128GB | 8/256GB | |
| Samsung Galaxy A33 | €370 | – |
| Samsung Galaxy A34 | €390 | €460 |
| Samsung Galaxy A53 | €450 | €510 |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 | €500 | €550 |
What else can you buy for €500? The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G has been in stores for over a year at this point, and even though the Snapdragon 888 has aged badly, this is still a flagship phone. The 6.4” FHD+ 120Hz display is directly comparable to the A54 panel, plus you get an 8MP 3x telephoto lens in addition to 12MP main and 12MP ultra-wide cameras, plus 15W wireless charging. You lose some battery capacity (4,500 mAh) and there is no microSD slot like on the A phones.
The Xiaomi 13 Lite made the rare choice to use the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chip. It also has a 6.55” 120Hz 12-bit AMOLED display and a 50+8+2MP camera, it is powered by a smaller but faster 4,500mAh battery with 67W wired charging.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G • Xiaomi 13 Lite • OnePlus 11R • Google Pixel 7
What else? You can go bigger with the OnePlus 11R and its 6.74” 120Hz display (1,240 x 2,772 px), not to mention that it’s powered by the capable Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. And the 5,000 mAh battery supports 100W charging. However, the 11R is not available in Europe.
The Google Pixel 7 is available in Europe, at least in some countries. And it’s a few millimeters smaller than the Galaxy A54, while offering a 6.3″ FHD+ 90Hz AMOLED screen. The Tensor G2 isn’t the most efficient chip, even though it has an X1 prime core. And the 50MP main camera has a large 1/1.31″ sensor. The battery is small (4,355mAh) and slow to charge at 20W over a wire, but it also does 20W wireless. It’s not like the A54 is a speed demon when it comes to charging.
What do you think of the Samsung Galaxy A54? Is it a phone worth having or will you pass – vote below or use this side.
Let’s look at a few phones in the €400 segment as alternatives to the Galaxy A34. The Redmi Note 12 Pro uses the same Dimensity 1080 chipset and has a 6.67 FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display. The 5,000 mAh battery can be quickly charged at 67W, while the 50+8+2MP camera can be compared to the Galaxy. This one lacks a microSD slot, but it does have a 3.5mm jack.
Carl Pei tries to capture lightning in a bottle again with Nothing Phone (1). Its 6.55” 120Hz screen and Snapdragon 778G+ chipset are comparable to what Samsung has to offer (the chip even enables 15W wireless charging), plus there’s a 50MP ultra-wide camera, higher resolution than most phones on the market. The 4,500 mAh battery charges 33W. You might have to wait for the right discount to get the phone (1) for €400 (but we’ve seen that price a few times).
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro • Nothing phone (1) • vivo V27 • Google Pixel 6a
The Vivo V27 goes even bigger with a 6.78” display (FHD+ 120Hz) and it uses MediaTek’s new mid-range chip, the Dimensity 7200. Obsessed with selfies, this phone has a 50MP 4K/60fps capable camera on the front, plus a 50+ 8+2MP trio on the back. The 4,600 mAh battery is charged at 66W.
If you want something smaller instead, the Google Pixel 6a is relatively compact and offers a decent high-end experience if you can get over the 60Hz screen (6.1” FHD+ AMOLED). Which Android skin is your favorite – Pixel Experience or One UI? MIUI or FuntouchOS or NothingOS? This can be a deciding factor, perhaps more so than even the hardware specifications.
Well, how about that Samsung Galaxy A34 – a swing and a miss or a potential bestseller? Vote below or use this side.
