Samsung’s Galaxy A smartphone series has been quite popular in recent years. According to some reports, the mid-range phones have sold even better than the Galaxy S models. That’s why you’d have a good reason to look forward to the Galaxy A54 and A34 that Samsung just unveiled. The former is a higher-priced, mid-ranged Samsung phone you should check out. But maybe hold off on buying the Galaxy A54 for a few months until we see Google’s Pixel 7a.
The Galaxy A54 is a good alternative to the Pixel 6a, which usually sells for around $300, much lower than its original $449 retail price. But the Pixel 7a will be even better than last year’s Pixel 6a. And it’ll be the mid-range phone to beat this year. Though in earnest, the Pixel 7a is closer to being a flagship phone than the Galaxy A54.
One of the immediate highlights of the Galaxy A54 and A34 is the design. The mid-range phones look a lot like the Galaxy S23 handsets. Especially when it comes to the rear-facing triple-lens camera setup, but they’re not identical, especially the cheaper A34 model.
When it comes to specs, the Galaxy A54 is the more exciting model of the two. It features a 6.4-inch Full HD hole-punch display with 120Hz refresh rate and 1000 nits brightness, under-display fingerprint sensor, Exynos 1380 processor, 6GB or 8GB of RAM, 128GB or 256GB of storage, and microSD card support.
The handset features three cameras on the back, including a 50-megapixel main camera with OIS, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and a 5-megapixel macro camera. The selfie shooter has a 32-megapixel sensor. Also, the A54 phone features a 5,000 mAh battery that supports 25W wired charging.
One other notable Galaxy A54 feature is the support for four years of Android updates and five years of security updates.
All of that will retail for $449 on April 6th when the Galaxy A54 hits stores in the US. The phone will be available to preorder later this month, on March 30th. This is where I’ll tell you to hold for about a month to see what’s coming at Google’s I/O 2023 event.
Word on the street is that’s where the Pixel 7a and Pixel Fold will be introduced. The former is a direct competitor to the Galaxy A54. And while the new Samsung phone looks like a flagship, the Pixel 7a might actually feel like one.
The Pixel 7a appeared in extensive leaks, so we already know what the phone has to offer. We’re looking at a handset that features a glass and metal build. Even the rear panel is made of glass, unlike the Galaxy A54. This gives the Pixel 7a wireless charging powers, something the Samsung handset lacks.
While the Pixel 7a’s 6.1-inch OLED panel doesn’t support 120Hz refresh rates like the Galaxy A54, it’ll still go up to 90Hz. More interestingly, the Pixel 7a will feature the same Google Tensor G2 processor that powers the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro flagships. That will be a much better choice than Samsung’s Exynos processor.
Other specs include 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a dual 12-megapixel camera on the back. The camera abilities of the Pixel 7a should exceed the Galaxy A54’s powers. That’s because the Pixel 6a is already a great camera, so the Pixel 7a should build on that.
As for Android updates, the Pixel 7a will get them much faster than the Galaxy A54. Hopefully, Google will match Samsung’s four-year update guarantee.
The Pixel 7a will retail between $400 and $500, like the Galaxy A54. Even if it’s slightly more expensive, the Google phone is the better choice this year. That’s why you’d be better off waiting for Google to unveil the Pixel 7a before your purchase the Galaxy A54. Even if you get the Samsung phone, you might score a better price deal in mid-May than at launch.
