Samsung Galaxy A54 and A34 are cut-price S23 alternatives

They might get all the attention, but flagships like the Galaxy S23 and S23 Ultra aren’t Samsung’s biggest sellers. That honour goes to the Galaxy A-series, which has just received two new additions to its line-up. The Samsung Galaxy A54 and A34 borrow heavily from those top-tier cousins, while packing in big batteries and a trio of capable cameras.

Both are metal and glass unibodies, with slightly rounded frames and selection of pastel-hued colours that aren’t too dissimilar to the latest Galaxy S-series phones – although Awesome Lime is sure to stand out compared to Awesome Graphite and Awesome Violet (available for both models), Awesome White (for the A54) and Awesome Silver (for the A34). They even have the same bare lens rear cameras, arranged in a vertical line, for an even stronger family resemblance than last year’s phones.

Screen size snobs will be more impressed by the Galaxy A34, which gets a 6.6in AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate – a boost from the 90Hz panel found on the outgoing Galaxy A33. The pricier Galaxy A54 has a smaller 6.4in display, but keeps the same resolution and refresh rate. Both are protected by Gorilla Glass 5 and capable of an impressive 1000 nits peak brightness, which is very high for a pair of mid-rangers.

The front-facing cameras are the only real indication as to which is which, with the A34 getting a teardrop-style notch and the A54 having a punch-hole cam. They also differ on camera hardware, with the pricier A54 using a 32MP sensor versus a 13MP sensor for the A34.

It’s a similar story at the back, with the A54 having higher pixel counts for two of its three cameras. You’re looking at a 50MP main snapper, with f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilisation, plus a 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide and 5MP f/2.4 macro shooter. The Galaxy A34 uses a 48MP main camera, 8MP ultrawide and 5MP macro.

The Galaxy A54 is powered by one of Samsung’s own Exynos 1380 CPUs, which is paired with 8GB of RAM and either 128 or 256GB of on-board storage. Samsung promises a 20% CPU uplift and 25% gains for graphics compared to the outgoing Galaxy A53. It also supports Wi-Fi 6 and eSIM for the first time.

MediaTek supplys the Galaxy A34’s processor. A Dimensity 1830 is paired to either 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, or 8GB and 256GB respectively. Performance gains aren’t quite so big here, according to Samsung, but a 17% improvement in CPU-based tasks and 14% in GPU-related ones isn’t to be sniffed at.

Each phone has a 5000mAh battery, which supports 25W fast charging. They each also have on-display fingerprint sensors, microSD card support for expandable storage, and are IP67 dust and water resistant.

The Galaxy A34 will set you back £349 for a 128GB model, or £399 for a 256GB version. The Galaxy A54, meanwhile, starts at £449 for a 128GB model and rises to £499 for a 256GB handset. Anyone picking one up directly from Samsung between launch and the 25th of April will score a pair of Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 for free.

• Related: What’s the best cheap phone ? budget smartphones reviewed

Tom Morgan-Freelander Deputy Editor

About

A tech addict from about the age of three (seriously, he's got the VHS tapes to prove it), Tom's been writing about gadgets, games and everything in between for the past decade, with a slight diversion into the world of automotive in between. As Deputy Editor, Tom keeps the website ticking along, jam-packed with the hottest gadget news and reviews.  When he's not on the road attending launch events, you can usually find him scouring the web for the latest news, to feed Stuff readers' insatiable appetite for tech.

Areas of expertise

Smartphones/tablets/computing, cameras, home cinema, automotive, virtual reality, gaming