Samsung Galaxy A54 is their most popular mid-ranger this year, but now they’ve released the Galaxy S23 FE, an identical-looking device with some higher-end features borrowed from the top flagships. So, which of these is the better buy?
Design differences
The Galaxy A54 is the cream of the crop from Samsung’s A-series mid-rangers, and the Galaxy S23 FE is their lowest-tier S-series flagship. So, in many ways, they’re quite similar. The design of the phones is the same, with the same size and weight, a flat back made of Gorilla Glass 5, and separate camera rings. However, the frame of the S23 FE is made of aluminum, while the A54 is made of plastic. Also, the Galaxy A54 has IP67 protection against 1 meter of water submersion, versus IP68 and 1.5 meters on the S23 FE. Both phones are built around a 6.4-inch AMOLED display with a 1080p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate.
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Screen specs on Samsung Galaxy S23 FE vs Galaxy A54
They’re effectively the same panels with rather thick bezels, accurate color calibration, and support for HDR10 Plus video. They’re both just as bright, maxing out nearly 1,000 nits with a brightness boost in auto mode. And when it comes to refresh rate, you get the same behavior – 120Hz to smooth out your swiping and scrolling, which can dial down to 60Hz when idling to save some energy.
Stereo speakers quality and features
With either phone, you get a pair of stereo speakers. The S23 FE setup is louder, though, and while both phones provide rich audio, we’d say the FE has the edge. Both phones have an optical under-display fingerprint reader for biometric input, but the Galaxy A54 has microSD expandable storage, whereas the S23 FE doesn’t. Coming from Samsung, both phones have the same software package, which at the moment is 1UI 5.1 running over Android 13. There is a difference, though – with the S23 FE, there’s support for Samsung’s DeX feature, which allows you to connect to an external screen and get a PC-like interface.
Chipset & Hardware
One of the biggest differences between these phones is the chipset. The Galaxy A54 uses a mid-range level Exynos 1380 chip, while the S23 FE brings flagship-grade silicon but from last year. You’d get either a Snapdragon HN1 or an Exynos 2200, depending on the market. As you’d expect, the Galaxy A54’s chipset performance is good, but it’s no gaming powerhouse, and its numbers fall far short of those of the S23 FE. But the S23 FE isn’t perfect for gaming either; it has poor thermal management and demonstrated heavy thermal throttling in our stress tests. Still, the FE would provide much better graphics performance than the A54.
Battery life and charging test
The A54 has a larger battery than the S23 FE – 5,000mAh versus 4,500mAh. Not surprisingly, the A54 battery life is better, with an active use score of 11 hours and 15 minutes versus 9 hours and 45 minutes on the S23 FE. You get 25W charging on both phones, and the charging speed is the same. The Galaxies charge from 0 to 56 or 58% in half an hour. Only the S23 FE supports wireless charging, though, and reverse wireless charging too.
Camera specs
When it comes to cameras, the Galaxy A54 has a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, and a 5MP macro cam. The S23 FE’s rear cameras are about the same, but instead of a macro cam, there’s an 8MP 3x telephoto zoom. The main cameras on both phones offer pleasant photos, though there is a difference in favor of the Galaxy S23 FE as its photos are slightly more detailed. The color rendering is different as well but often oversaturated. The same goes for the ultrawide cameras – the Galaxy S23 FE has slightly more detailed images with less sharpening, but here, the difference is even smaller than on the main cam.
The zoomed photos are much better on the S23 FE with its 3x telephoto camera – it’s a longer zoom than the digital 2x from the A54, and it has more detail. The Galaxy A54 is the only one with a macro camera, though, and these 5MP close-ups look quite nice. In low light, with the automatic night mode kicking in, the S23 FE’s photos are again a tiny bit better, either from the main cam or the ultrawide – slightly more detailed, less noisy, and with more realistic colors.
Conclusion
The Galaxy A54 and the Galaxy S23 FE are quite similar, yet with enough differences to make you wonder which one to get. On the one hand, the Galaxy A54 has better battery life, expandable storage, and a macro camera. And, more importantly, it comes at a lower price. But the S23 FE has a bit more of a premium build and louder speakers, DeX support, and a faster chipset. Plus, there’s 3x zoom and better selfies. In the end, the S23 FE has its slight advantages, and its cameras are a bit better. But the Galaxy A54 is still very well-rounded, and it’s the one to get if you’re looking for some savings and don’t mind a less powerful chipset.
