Samsung’s Galaxy A series are a crowd pleaser – they look a lot like the more expensive Galaxy S models without costing nearly as much. Sure, the cameras aren’t as nice, the performance is subpar and so on, but the A-series thrives on being “good enough”
This is why the arrival of the Galaxy A54 and A34 is so important. Some of the previous entries have managed to become fan favorites and are often featured as recommendations in the comment sections. Will the 2023 generation be able to meet these expectations? We’ll let you be the judge, but first we need to figure out what has changed and what hasn’t changed.
The Samsung Galaxy A34 is no longer just a cheaper version of the A5x model. This year it’s bigger with a 6.6-inch screen (up from 6.4-inch) and it matches a 120Hz refresh rate (the A33 only did 90Hz). Moreover, it has a completely different chipset, a Dimensity 1080.
The Samsung Galaxy A54 takes the display down a notch, down to 6.4 inches (the A53 had a 6.5-inch 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 5,000mAh batteries with 25W wired charging only (like their predecessors), both are IP67 rated. The A54 uses a Samsung-designed Exynos 1380 chipset.
Compared to the Dimensity, it uses a different node (5nm Samsung vs. 6nm TSMC) and has double the number of 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 fight – Mali-G68 MP5 for the Exynos and G68 MC4 for the Dimensity. These are just raw numbers of course, more performance details will have to wait for review.
A more apt comparison is perhaps with the Galaxy A52 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 one big flaw, as availability was limited (it just doesn’t have launched in some regions) .
The Samsung Galaxy A54 and A34 will 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.
| 6/128 GB | 8/256 GB | |
| 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 although the Snapdragon 888 has aged badly, it is still a flagship class phone. The 6.4-inch FHD+ 120Hz display can be compared directly to the A54 panel, and you get an 8MP 3x telephoto lens in addition to the 12MP main and 12MP ultrawide cameras, along with 15W wireless charging. You lose some battery capacity (4,500mAh) and there’s no microSD slot like on A-phones.
The Xiaomi 13 Lite has made the rare choice of using the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chip. by a smaller but faster 4,500mAh battery with 67W wired charging.
What else? You can go further with the OnePlus 11R and its 6.74-inch 120Hz (1,240 x 2,772px) display, not to mention it’s powered by the capable Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. And the 5,000mAh battery supports 100W charging. The 11R is not available in Europe, however.
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 still offering a 6.3-inch FHD+ 90Hz AMOLED display. The Tensor G2 is not the most efficient chip, although it has an X1 main core. And the 50MP main camera has a large 1/1.31″ sensor. The battery is small (4355mAh) and slow to charge at 20W on a wire, but it also does 20W wirelessly. 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 this a phone worth having or will you pass – vote below or use this page.
Let’s take a look at some phones in the $400 segment as alternatives to the Galaxy A34. The Redmi Note 12 Pro uses the same Dimensity 1080 chipset and features a 6.67 FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display. The 5,000mAh battery is quick to charge at 67W, while the 50+ 8+ camera 2MP is comparable to the Galaxy. This one doesn’t have a microSD slot but it does have a 3.5mm jack.
Carl Pei again attempts to capture lightning in a bottle with the Nothing Phone (1). Its 6.55-inch 120Hz display and Snapdragon 778G+ chipset are on par with what Samsung has to offer (the chip even supports 15W wireless charging), and there’s a 50 ultrawide camera. MP, higher resolution than most phones in the market. The 4,500mAh battery performs a 33W charge. However, you might have to wait for the right discount to get the phone (1) at €400 (but we’ve seen that price a few times).
The vivo V27 is even bigger with a 6.78-inch screen (FHD+ 120Hz) and it uses MediaTek’s new mid-range chip, the Dimensity 7200. This phone is obsessed with selfies and has a camera 50MP 4K/60fps on the front, plus a 50+8+2MP Trio on the back. The 4,600mAh battery charges 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 past the 60Hz display (6.1″ FHD+ AMOLED). Which Android skin is your favorite? – Pixel or One UI experience? MIUI or FuntouchOS or NothingOS? This could be a deciding factor, perhaps more than even the hardware specifics.
Well, how about this Samsung Galaxy A34 – a swing and a dud or a potential bestseller? Vote below or using this page.
