Samsung Galaxy S23 FE vs Galaxy A54: Which mid-range smartphone is for you?

• New and nice to have

  

  Samsung Galaxy S23 FE

  SoC

  Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1

  Display

  6.4-inch FHD+ Active AMOLED 2X with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate

  RAM

  8GB

  Storage

  128GB or 256GB

  Battery

  4,500mAh

  Ports

  USB-C

  The Galaxy S23 FE gives you plenty of bang for your buck, including robust build quality and solid cameras in an attractive package. If you want an on-ramp into the Samsung ecosystem, this is a great option.

  Pros & Cons

  • Aluminum and glass build materials
  • IP68 rating
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset

  • Smaller 4,500mAh battery

  $600 at Best Buy

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• Close second

  

  Samsung Galaxy A54 5G

  Brand

  Samsung

  SoC

  Samsung Exynos 1380

  Display

  6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED @ 120Hz

  RAM

  8GB

  Storage

  128GB + microSD up to 1TB

  Battery

  5,000mAh

  The Samsung Galaxy A54 is a solid mid-range phone with a bright, clear screen, solid camera, and a slim, sleek design. If you don't want to spend a lot, it makes for a great choice.

  Pros & Cons

  • Great display
  • Main camera works great
  • Sleek design

  • Camera tends to oversaturate shots
  • Plastic frame

  $450 at Amazon $450 at Samsung $450 at Best Buy $500 at Verizon $450 at AT&T $450 at T-Mobile

  Expand Collapse

Leaks and rumors have preceded the anticipated launch of the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE, and now that we know its release date, expectations are high. But how does this rendition of Samsung's smartphone stack up against the old, faithful Galaxy A54?

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE vs Galaxy A54: Price, specs, and availability

The Galaxy S23 FE is available to order on Oct. 4, 2023. You can choose a 128GB model or a 256GB model. It comes in Mint, Purple, Cream, Graphite, Indigo, and Tangerine. Prices start at $600 for the base model, and it will be available Oct. 26.

The Galaxy A54 is available in a 128GB version for $400, or $99 at T-Mobile if you get a new line, and a 256GB version that's not available in the U.S. but can be found in other markets. Available colors in the U.S. include Awesome Graphite and Awesome Violet, while other markets also have Awesome White and Awesome Lime. You can buy it directly from Samsung, through a mobile carrier, or at third-party retailers.

• 	Samsung Galaxy S23 FE	Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
  SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1	Samsung Exynos 1380
  Display	6.4-inch FHD+ Active AMOLED 2X with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate	6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED @ 120Hz
  RAM	8GB	8GB
  Storage	128GB or 256GB	128GB + microSD up to 1TB
  Battery	4,500mAh	5,000mAh
  Ports	USB-C	USB-C
  Operating System	Android 13	Android 13 with One UI 5.1
  Dimensions	6.22x3.01x0.32 inches (158x76.5x8.2mm)	6.22 x 3.01 x 0.32 inches (158.2 x 76.7 x 8.2mm)
  Colors	Mint, Purple, Cream, Graphite, Indigo, Tangerine	Awesome Graphite, Awesome Violet
  Charge speed	25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W Wireless Powershare	25W wired
  IP Rating	IP68	IP67

Design and build

Flagships and cheaper phones have been converging in terms of design for a while now, and both the Galaxy S23 FE and Galaxy A54 are sleek, slim phones. Samsung makes some of our favorite Android phones for a good reason, after all.

The Galaxy S23 FE has a 6.4-inch screen and an IP68 rating. Around the back are three camera lenses stacked vertically. It has an aluminum frame and a Gorilla Glass 5 back panel.

The Galaxy A54 also has a 6.4-inch screen but a slightly less robust IP67 rating. It features three cameras stacked vertically and a Gorilla Glass 5 back as well, but it uses plastic for parts of its shell.

While the build quality of these phones is overall pretty similar, the Galaxy S23 FE wins thanks to its higher IP rating and aluminum frame. Still, it will likely benefit from a good case for additional protection.

Display

These two phones both have screens that measure 6.4 inches diagonally. Both have FHD+ resolutions and 120Hz refresh rates, making them rather evenly matched. We liked the A54's screen during our testing, finding it to be plenty bright in all sorts of lighting. There's a small punch out for the selfie camera at the top, and this remains true for the S23 FE.

It's hard to say who wins here, with the screens being so similar. I'll call it a draw.

Performance and software

The Galaxy S23 FE has not been out long enough for us to properly test it, but we can get some idea of how it might perform from its specs. It uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip and 8GB of RAM. This chip is found in some flagship-level phones and tends to work quite well. Smartphones that use it don't tend to bog down or falter under heavy loads. Combined with Android 13, it is likely the Galaxy S23 FE will do quite well handling most daily tasks, as well as mobile gaming.

The Galaxy A54 uses a Samsung Exynos 1380 chipset. We found that it worked pretty well, especially after removing some of the default bloatware that comes pre-installed. The A54 also has Android 13 by default, and it ran smoothly without any major complaints during our testing. That, along with its 6GB of RAM, was enough to put the Galaxy A54 on our list of best phones as a solid mid-range option.

While it's hard to say conclusively which phone will win here without a complete run-through, it is safe to say either one will handle most tasks just fine.

Camera

The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE comes with a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and an 8MP telephoto. On the front is a 10MP selfie camera. You also get a night vision mode for low-light shots and Super HDR. Much like this phone's performance, we'll have to test the camera to confidently say how it performs. But from the sounds of its specs, it definitely seems equipped to take great shots.

The Galaxy A54 also has a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and a 5MP macro lens. The selfie camera is a whopping 32MP, which is bigger than the S23 FE's offering. While we liked the cameras in this phone, the shots it took in sunlight were heavily saturated. This might look fine on Instagram, but if you want more realistic images, it is a bit off the mark. In the shade, the camera did better at capturing realistic details. The macro lens also did a fair job, as did the ultrawide lens. Its night mode was a bit more of a mixed bag, often requiring manual intervention for the best results.

Again, while it is hard to say without testing whether the Galaxy S23 FE gains any ground, its raw specs are quite good. Still, the A54 didn't take awful shots by any means.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE vs Galaxy A54: Which is right for you?

These two phones are great examples of how mid-range phones rival some flagships. The Galaxy S23 FE has some advantages regarding durability and build quality that make it slightly more appealing. Plus, you can choose a 256GB version if you want.

But that doesn't mean the Galaxy A54 is out of the game. It still makes an impressive showing for its price, and it's proven to work well in our testing. You can likely find it on sale now that S23 FE is here.