Samsung Galaxy A34 vs. Samsung Galaxy A54

Samsung Galaxy A34 vs. Samsung Galaxy A54: A Close Comparison for Budget Shoppers

If you’re in the market for a Samsung phone at a low to mid-tier price point, you may find yourself weighing the pros and cons of this year’s Galaxy A34 and the slightly more expensive Samsung Galaxy A54.

Do the extra dollars for the A54 bring more value, or does the A34 offer enough bang for your buck? Let’s dive into a detailed comparison to find out.

Design and Build Quality

Both the Galaxy A34 and A54 share a strikingly similar design language. They feature three separate camera rings and a pastel color scheme, making them look like siblings in the Samsung Galaxy A family.

Notably, both phones come with a plastic frame, a cost-saving measure commonly seen in mid-range devices. However, they do have a standout feature in common, which is their IP67 rating for water and dust resistance. This level of protection is quite impressive in this price range.

The primary design difference lies in the materials used on the rear panel. The Galaxy A34 opts for a plastic back, while the A54 boasts a more premium Gorilla Glass 5 rear panel. If you prioritize aesthetics and a more premium feel, the A54 has an edge in this department.

Display

In terms of display, the A34 boasts a slightly larger screen, measuring 6.6 inches compared to the A54’s 6.4 inches. If you’re after more screen real estate for multimedia or productivity, the A34 offers a slight advantage. Additionally, both phones feature AMOLED displays, ensuring vibrant colors and deep blacks.

Both devices impress with their screen brightness, capable of reaching over a thousand nits, which is remarkable in this price range. However, the A54 does come with support for HDR 10+ video, enhancing your viewing experience. Furthermore, the A54’s display incorporates a hole punch design for the selfie camera, while the A34 still employs a notch. This design choice comes down to personal preference.

Both phones offer a fast 120Hz refresh rate for smoother interactions, but the A54 takes it a step further by intelligently reducing the refresh rate when the phone is idle to conserve battery.

Audio

When it comes to audio, both the Galaxy A34 and A54 offer stereo speakers with commendable loudness and sound quality. There’s no significant difference in this aspect, so you can expect an enjoyable audio experience regardless of which device you choose.

Software and User Interface

Both phones run Samsung’s One UI 5.1 on top of Android 13, delivering a familiar and feature-rich user experience. It’s safe to assume that they will also receive a similar level of software support from Samsung, ensuring you stay up-to-date with the latest features and security patches.

Performance and Chipset

One of the key differentiators between the A34 and A54 is the chipset. The Galaxy A34 is equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 1080 chipset, which offers solid performance and supports 5G connectivity.

On the other hand, the A54 features an Exynos 1380 chipset, providing better CPU and graphics performance, making it slightly more powerful, especially for tasks that demand higher processing power.

Battery Life and Charging

Both phones pack a generous 5000mAh battery, delivering excellent endurance. In tests, the A34 comes out ahead with a 133-hour endurance rating compared to the A54’s 119 hours, although both are excellent results.

Neither phone includes a charger in the box, but they both support 25W wired charging. While not groundbreaking, the A54 charges a bit faster, reaching 56% in half an hour compared to the A34’s 51%.

Camera

The camera setups on the Galaxy A34 and A54 are quite similar. They both offer main and ultra-wide cameras, with the main differences lying in subtle variations in camera specifications. Additionally, both phones share a macro camera for close-up shots.

In terms of photo quality, both phones excel in capturing daylight photos with high contrast and wide dynamic range. They also carry Samsung’s signature color science, which enhances saturation for that distinctive pop in photos. While the differences are slight, the A54 has a very slight edge in this department, offering slightly better image quality.

Neither phone can deliver flagship-grade low-light photography, but they perform decently, particularly when using the main cameras. In this regard, the A54 also has a slight advantage.

When it comes to video quality, both phones support 4K resolution, and while the A54 boasts a higher-resolution 32-megapixel selfie camera compared to the A34’s 13-megapixel counterpart, the overall video quality is quite similar between the two.

Conclusion

In summary, the Galaxy A34 and A54 offer minor differences that may influence your decision. The A54 shines with a more powerful chipset, superior camera performance, faster charging, support for HDR video, and a hole punch design for the front camera. Meanwhile, the A34 provides a larger 6.6-inch display, better battery endurance, and a lower price point, coming in around $100 cheaper.

Ultimately, the user experience remains quite similar between the two devices, and both deliver solid value for their respective price points. If you’re looking for the most value for your money and can do without the extra bells and whistles, the Galaxy A34 is likely the better deal.

 

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Daven Klarsen is a technology writer and researcher. He's also an avid sports fan, especially when it comes to the LAL. When not working, you can usually find him tweaking his Android devices or watching soccer news.