Samsung Galaxy A54 vs A34: Which should you buy?

• Samsung / Pocket-lint

  Samsung Galaxy A54 5G

  Our top choice

  $399.99 $449.99 Save $50

  The Samsung Galaxy A54 has a design that matches the Galaxy S23+, whilst also hitting a range of essential features: it’s waterproof, there’s a good main camera, a great display and likely enough power and battery so it doesn’t feel compromised.

  Pros

  • Great display and design
  • Lovely design
  • MicroSD support

• 

  Samsung / Pocket-lint

  Samsung Galaxy A34 5G

  Great value

  The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G has a design that reflects the flagship Galaxy S, with attractive matte finishes. There’s a great display on the front, and while the Infinity-U notch looks a little dated, this is all about giving you the Samsung experience and good value for money.

  Pros

  • Great display
  • Matte finishes
  • MicroSD support

Shortly after launching the top-of-the-range flagship Galaxy S23 range in 2023, Samsung unveiled the more affordable A-series of Galaxy smartphones in March 2023. Those were, specifically, the Galaxy A54 and the Galaxy A34, with the former succeeding the excellent mid-range Galaxy A53 and the latter replacing the Galaxy A33.

If you’re trying to decide if you should buy the Galaxy A54 or Galaxy A34 or just want to compare the two phones for pure interest, you’re in the right place. Here is how the Galaxy A54 compares to the Galaxy A34 and which you should choose.

Specs, availability and price

The Samsung Galaxy A54 and the Galaxy A34 were both announced on 15 March 2023, and both have been available to order in various regions and in the US since 12 June 2023.

The Galaxy A54 comes in four colour options: Awesome Lime, Awesome Graphite, Awesome Violet and Awesome White and will set you back $449 in the US, £349 in the UK and €399 in Europe. The Galaxy A34 comes in Awesome Lime, Awesome Graphite, Awesome Violet and Awesome Silver. It starts at $240 in the US, £249 in the UK and €325 in Europe.

• 

  Samsung / Pocket-lint

  Samsung Galaxy A54 5G

  SoC

  Exynos 1380

  Display

  6.4-inch, Super AMOLED, Full HD+, 120Hz

  RAM

  8GB

  Storage

  128/256GB, microSD up to 1TB

  Battery

  5000mAh

  Front camera

  13MP, f/2.2

  Dimensions

  158.2 x 76.7 x 8.2mm, 202g

  IP Rating

  IP67

  Price

  From £449

• 

  Samsung / Pocket-lint

  Samsung Galaxy A34 5G

  SoC

  MediaTek Dimensity 1080

  Display

  6.6-inch, Super AMOLED, Full HD+, 120Hz

  RAM

  6/8GB

  Storage

  128/256GB, microSD up to 1TB

  Battery

  5000mAh

  Front camera

  13MP, f/2.2

  Dimensions

  161.3 x 78.1 x 8.2mm, 199g

  IP Rating

  IP67

  Price

  From £349

There aren’t huge differences between the two models in terms of specs, as you can see in the table below. The Galaxy A34 is a little bigger with a slightly larger display, while the A54 has a more advanced processor under its hood, a better camera system and a more modern design. It’s not all about hardware, though, with the experience and feel of these devices often accounting for more than numbers on a page.

Galaxy A54 vs Galaxy A34: Design and build

The Samsung Galaxy A54 features an almost identical design to the flagship Galaxy S23, which is one of its biggest appeals. You’re getting flagship looks for mid-range prices. The Galaxy A34 then follows suit, though, in place of the glass rear, it has what Samsung calls a “Glasstic” rear. This is essentially plastic finished in matte, but it looks and feels lovely, so you don’t lose much by opting for the A34 over the A54 in this sense, though the A54 is the more premium of the two.

Both the A54 and the A34 have three individual lenses in the top left corner of their rears with no surrounding housing, like the S23 models also offer. However, there is quite a big difference on the front of these two devices; the Galaxy A54 has a punch-hole camera at the top of its display, which delivers a clean and modern design, while the A34 opts for a waterdrop notch to house the front camera, making it look a little dated.

Both the Galaxy A54 and A34 are IP67-rated for water and dust resistance, and as mentioned above, they both come in four colour options. However, these vary very slightly between the two models, with the A54 featuring a white model in place of the A34’s silver option.

Galaxy A54 vs Galaxy A34: Display differences

The Samsung Galaxy A34 has a slightly larger display compared to the Galaxy A54, but they both deliver large Super AMOLED screens, making for a great experience across both models. They are both flat displays like you’ll find on the Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23+, but as we mentioned, the A54 has a punch hole cut out at the top, while the A34 opts for a waterdrop design.

Related:

Samsung Galaxy A54 vs Galaxy S23: What’s the difference?

The Galaxy A54 has a 6.4-inch display, matching that of the Galaxy S23+, while the Galaxy A34 bumps this up to a 6.6-inch display. Both have a Full HD+ resolution, which means the pixel density is slightly sharper on the Galaxy A54, though you’d be unlikely to notice the small difference between the two with the human eye. Based on our experience so far, both are sharp and crisp, with plenty of detail.

The two devices also offer the same 120Hz refresh rate. The Galaxy A54 has a peak brightness of 1000nits, though Samsung hasn’t specified if this is the same for the A34, so we suspect the A54 will offer the brighter display overall.

Galaxy A54 vs Galaxy A34: Hardware and battery life

The Samsung Galaxy A54 runs on the Exynos 1380, while the Galaxy A34 runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 chipset, as you can see from the spec table a little higher up this page. Both should perform well, with Samsung claiming the A54 offers a 20 per cent boost in CPU and a 26 per cent boost in graphics over the Galaxy A53, which is a great performer day-to-day. The Exynos 1380 is a slightly more advanced chip compared to the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 running on a 5nm process over a 6nm, so the A54 is expected to deliver better performance overall, but both should be more than capable for general everyday tasks.

The Galaxy A54 has a little more RAM, though both the A54 and the A34 have the same storage options, and both have microSD support for storage expansion up to 1TB – something the Galaxy S23 models don’t offer.

When it comes to battery, there’s the same capacity under both hoods. However, battery performance is impacted by a number of factors, including display and processor, so while you’re likely to get similar run times between these two models, Samsung promises a couple more hours from the Galaxy A34. There’s 25W wired charging on both, which isn’t the fastest charging you’ll see, even in the mid-range market, but between these two models specifically, you’re getting the same experience.

Cameras

While many of the general specifications between the Galaxy A54 and Galaxy A34 are similar, the camera specifications are slightly different, with the A54 offering the more capable configuration on paper. The camera is typically the department in that you’ll see the biggest compromise in when it comes to cost. For the A54, you’ll find a 50-megapixel main camera with an f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilisation (OIS). This is supported by a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor with f/2.2 aperture and a 5-megapixel macro sensor with f/2.4 aperture.

The A34, meanwhile, has a 48-megapixel main camera with an f/1.8 aperture and OIS, supported by an 8-megapixel ultra wide sensor with f/2.2 aperture and the same 5-megapixel macro sensor with f/2.4 aperture as the A54. It’s also the same specification as the A33, so it’s likely the A34 will deliver a similar performance, which will be a slight step down from the A54.

Both have a 13-megapixel front camera with f/2.2 aperture, so the selfie capabilities and experience should be the same between these two models.

Samsung Galaxy A54 vs A34: Which is better?

There aren’t huge differences in terms of specifications between the Samsung Galaxy A54 and Galaxy A34, but if your budget allows, the Galaxy A54 is the device we would recommend. You get a more premium build quality, a more advanced processor, a little extra RAM and a more capable camera offering, which means overall, it is expected to be the better all-round performer compared to the A34.

Samsung / Pocket-lint

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G

Editor’s Choice

The Samsung Galaxy A54 delivers a mid-range flagship design while offering a lovely big display, decent processor and large battery. For those after the Samsung experience but at a fraction of the S23’s price, the A54 is the one to buy.

If your budget doesn’t quite stretch to the Galaxy A54, however, the Galaxy A34 still has a lovely matte finish on its rear, coupled with a large display and a big battery, so it’s still expected to deliver when it comes to day-to-day tasks. The camera results will probably be okay in good lighting, you still get storage expansion via microSD and we’re still expecting it to be a more than capable device, so if it’s at the top of your budget, it’s likely to be a good option.

Samsung / Pocket-lint

Samsung Galaxy A34 5G

Good alternative

The Samsung Galaxy A34 might compromise on a couple of things compared to the A54, but you still get a lovely big display, big battery and a lovely matte finish on the back. If your budget doesn’t allow for the A54, the A34 is a good alternative.