After weeks and months of anticipation, Samsung finally introduced the successor to its highly successful Galaxy A53 smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy A54, on March 15, 2023. Like its predecessor, the Galaxy A54 is a mid-range smartphone going against the likes of fan favorites Google Pixel 6a and Nothing Phone 1. In this comparison guide, we'll see how the Samsung Galaxy A54 stacks up against its competitors in the Android budget smartphone market.

Samsung Galaxy A54 vs. Google Pixel 6a vs. Nothing Phone (1): Specs Comparison

Going through the specs, you'll realize that all the smartphones offer excellent value for their respective price points. Although there may be some shortcomings in certain areas, it is crucial to recognize that the manufacturers had to make compromises to keep the costs low. Nevertheless, for the purpose of this article, let's see how the Samsung Galaxy A54 compares to its competitors, the Google Pixel 6a and the Nothing Phone 1.

Design and Build

In terms of design, the Samsung Galaxy A54 bears a striking resemblance to its pricier counterpart, the Galaxy S23 series. Rather than a large camera island on the rear, the A54 has individual camera cutouts. The device has a simple appearance overall, but its color selection is anything but minimal. Samsung offers the A54 in four different colors, two of which are vibrant and two of which are more subdued, allowing you to choose the one that best suits your style.

On the other hand, both Nothing Phone 1 and the Google Pixel 6a are available in toned down colors. When it comes to the in hand feel, the Pixel 6a is the lightest and smallest of the three. While the Galaxy A54 is smaller in size than the Nothing Phone 1, it weighs approximately 10 grams more (202g for the Galaxy A54 versus 193g for the Nothing Phone 1).

When it comes to build quality, the Nothing Phone 1 takes the lead, boasting a Gorilla Glass 5 front and back with a sturdy metal frame. The Pixel 6a has a Gorilla Glass 3 front and a polycarbonate back. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy A54 also has a glass sandwich build, but the type of glass used has not been specified by Samsung. It is, however, worth noting that the A54 shares the same IP67 protection rating as the Google Pixel 6a, whereas the Nothing Phone 1 only has an IP53 rating.

Display

Turning our attention to the display, Samsung's dominance in this area remains unparalleled, and the Galaxy A54 is no exception. It boasts a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display that, on paper, seems best among the three smartphones. It also features support for up to 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1,000 nits — a combination not found on any other mid-range smartphone.

The Nothing Phone 1 comes in second place with its 6.55-inch OLED 120Hz display, while the Pixel 6a trails with a smaller 6.1-inch OLED display and a 60Hz refresh rate. It's worth noting, however, that the Nothing Phone 1's display is aesthetically pleasing, thanks to the uniform bezels around the screen. Meanwhile, the Galaxy A54 has a noticeable chin at the bottom.

Performance

Regarding performance, the Samsung Galaxy A54 is equipped with the Exynos 1380 SoC, utilizing a 5nm node process architecture. The chipset comprises four Cortex-A78 cores clocked at 2.4 GHz and four Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 2GHz, which should provide comparable performance to the Nothing Phone 1's Snapdragon 778G Plus chipset, featuring a similar core configuration.

In contrast, the Pixel 6a boasts Google's Tensor chipset, which is the same one used in the previous generation flagship Pixel 6 and 6 Pro devices. The Tensor G1 unlocks a plethora of features, including offline Google Assistant voice typing, Live HDR, offline translations, and photo-editing tools such as Face Unblur and Magic Eraser, which are not available on the Samsung Galaxy A54 or the Nothing Phone 1 — unless you're subscribed to Google One at least!

As for RAM and storage options, the Nothing Phone 1 offers up to 12GB of RAM, giving it a clear advantage. The Pixel 6a only comes with 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM, while the A54 offers storage tiers of 6/128GB, 8/128GB (depending on the market), and 8/256GB. However, if you want expandable storage, the Galaxy A54 is the best bet as Samsung has managed to keep the microSD card slot.

Camera Hardware

The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G boasts a triple camera system, which includes a 50MP f/1.8 primary camera, a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera with a 123-degree Field-of-View, and a 5MP f/2.4 macro sensor. Samsung has also incorporated several advanced tools in the Galaxy A54, such as automatic reframing and a remastering feature that employs AI to decrease blur and noise.

On the other hand, both the Google Pixel 6a and Nothing Phone 1 come with dual-camera setups. The Nothing Phone 1 features a 50MP primary sensor and a 50MP ultra-wide lens, while the Pixel 6a has dual 12MP sensors. Although the Pixel 6a's sharpness may not be as outstanding as that of the Samsung Galaxy A54 or the Nothing Phone 1, it offers exceptional image processing and highly dependable cameras.

Battery & Charging

In terms of battery, the Samsung Galaxy A54 beats both the Google Pixel 6a and the Nothing Phone 1. It features a massive 5,000 mAh cell, which is bigger than the batteries of the Pixel 6a (4,410 mAh) and Nothing Phone 1 (4,500 mAh).

However, the A54 lags behind the Nothing Phone 1 when it comes to charging speed. The A54 only offers 25W wired charging, while the Nothing Phone 1 provides faster 33W wired charging and 15W Qi wireless charging. The Google Pixel 6a only has 18W wired charging, and neither the Pixel 6a nor the Galaxy A54 offer wireless charging.

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Overall, the Samsung Galaxy A54 appears to be a dependable mid-range Android device. While it may have some shortcomings, the smartphone provides exceptional value for money. When combined with Samsung's promotions, it could potentially be the top choice for a budget-friendly smartphone.

However, it would be premature to make a conclusive judgment, since we are still in the middle of testing the Galaxy A54. We will withhold our final verdict until our full review is complete. Is there any specific aspect you would like us to cover? Please leave a comment below and share your thoughts with us!

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  Samsung Galaxy A54 5G

  The new Samsung Galaxy A54 5G comes with a two-day battery life, an excellent triple camera setup, and support for 25W fast charging, It has a compact design and a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display and a microSD expansion slot to store your apps and photos.

  $450 at Samsung

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  Google Pixel 6a

  $170 $349 Save $179

  If you don't care about high refresh rate, wireless charging, a glass back, and a few other tidbits, this should be your phone. It's a Pixel that features the same chipset as the last year's Pixel 6 series but less expensive. Check out all the deals on the device using the links given below.

  $170 at Amazon $299 at Best Buy

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  Nothing Phone (1)

  Phone 1 is Nothing's first-ever smartphone. It comes with a 6.55-inch 120Hz OLED display with slim bezels, Qualcomm's custom-tuned Snapdragon 778G+ processor, LEDs on the back, Dual 50MP camera sensors, and more. Check out all the deals on the device using the links given below.