DEAR SAMSUING - a Galaxy A54 Feedback!

[Gino76ph]

Another year and another new A-series. But does anybody really care?

For an equivalent price (or just slightly more money but less than a flagship) there are many Android OEM brands out there that offer better PWM dimming (only 250Hz?), better touch sampling rate (only 240Hz?), faster display response rate, better performance in real life usage and not just in benchmarks (as One UI still remain slow & bloated), Dolby Vision screen (unlike yours), inferior Exynos chips and a lot faster battery charging speeds( only  25w).

I appreciate not many people will scrutinize specs like i do but these do matter for most of us who are looking at the competition such as Poco F5, Xiaomi 13 Lite or even a mint condition OnePlus 10T.  If Samsung "...believe that feedback from our customers is extremely valuable in shaping our future products and services" and claim they are listening to customers then why  do we still have inferior specs for a midrange device like the ones I mentioned in 2023? 

Sure Samsung is currently superior in software updates and that can't be faulted and i very much commend them (even better than Google's) but this highly depends on the content and the purpose of the update itself (e.g. camera update, emergency patch, performance update, etc.). 

I can appreciate that someone will say to me "Why don't you buy a different phone instead". Sure I can do that but i'm doing this not for myself but for Samsung which in turn i myself (and countless others) would gain from. To help them, to help us...retain our devices and continue using them for a long time. Only if someone do listens. Why still no vertical app scrolling? Why no easier way to hide apps? Why a Galaxy Store and not push updates via the Play Store? Big questions. 

These are my two cents. From an owner and user of Samsung devices for a very long time.

I still believe Samsung can do things positively out of this feedback but it has to proactively come from within. And fast. 

[BandOfBrothers]

Hi @Gino76ph 

I'd like to thank you for sharing your thoughts on how you perceive tech from Samsung. 

Please also do continue to use the feedback section in your Samsung Members App too.

I'm all for continued innovation from Samsung which in my personal experience they do with most of the competitors actually having to follow 😀 

All feedback is valued.  👍 

[Gino76ph]

Have I heard it correctly that "...my personal experience they do with most of the competitors actually having to follow"? Are you feeling alright today? Have you not read my feedback? 

Please tell me in all honesty that you are aware of other Android phone brands? Do you realize that for £499 for a Galaxy A54 can get you something elsewhere but more cheaper and with better specs? Do you know what I'm talking about? 

With respect I think you will need to do more research before you actually open your mouth. We despise your typical, default, patronising-ish statement. I really do think Samsung live in a totally different world that doesn't care about feedback, thinks that it's just Samsung and Apple as phone brands and if they do you either just "acknowledge" something but don't actually do something back? 

Monthly security updates is OK. That in itself is a feat. But....read my feedback again would you please. 

I don't have a Samsung device right now  for many reasons in order for me to to put out my feedback via an app hence I am limited to the website. This is what I have been saying for a very long time. You always tell us to go to the Samsung Community to air your feedback. But it's like a rock and a hard place. You get derided or get a generic/robotic response or you get rude inapropriate comments or the comments would just dry out. This is my personal experience. 

JUST LISTEN, COMPREHEND WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO TELL YOU, RESEARCH, IMPLEMENT CHANGES VIA SOFTWARE OR HARDWARE then people will continue using your devices. It's not rocket science. 

[PaulC59]

I am currently considering a second phone, mainly for work stuff I.e a lower cost business phone. My main preference is which phones can maintain a stable network connection. I am still in the pondering and research state at the moment but in my searches and review sites. Up to now my research is pointing me to the A54. I am surprised at the No of recommendations for the A53 due to its low price I e can be picked up for a couple of hundred and long support period but for future proofing the A54 is probably a better option. One strange thing I noticed was network strength and stability varies even within the same model according to some reviews E.G the Galaxy S20+ seems to have the best signal strength and the S23+ scores higher than the S23 Ultra which suggests different antennas across models which surprised me. Obviously I still need to research some more across many independent sites as I'm not in a rush. The manufacturer's sites are good for getting specs etc and independent sites are good for comparing brands, models, performance and pros and cons etc

I don't pretend to be an expert on anything as my experience and skill is with PCs and phones although work the same in principle, are a different beast altogether as everything is miniaturised and not upgradable.

I do prefer Samsung but would consider other brands if they have better specs or the same specs at a much lower price. My main reasons for sticking with the same brand would be the ability to utilise existing accessories, reliability and confidence so there would have to be a big difference in price or specs for me to get a different brand

I think Samsung currently have the edge partly due to specs and partly due to brand familiarity but I do agree that Samsung need to listen to feedback but also let people know they have listened

[PaulC59]

Well I took the plunge and ordered the A54 5G as Argos have a deal on the white model for £349 so figured it is worth it 🙂

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/1938913?clickSR=slp:term:a54:1:6:1

[Gino76ph]

I wanted to tell you...DO NOT BUY THE A54. Unless you are budget conscious and you have no other choice.

This is how i see it. Samsung has created a two-tier system in their phones. 

They put a secondary app store (Galaxy Store), they out 1st-party apps (i.e. calculator, calendar, etc.) that most of them you cannot even uninstall. They put certain restrictions (especially with Android gesture navigation) when you install a 3rd-party launcher so the swipes and gestures are clunky and not that smooth and to top it off they have a bloated UX on top of Android which is One UI; some features are just totally unnecessary. These are just some of the reasons why the performance are the worse compared to Oxygen OS or even MIUI. 

Compared to Xiaomi and OnePlus phones (which i had in the past 5 years) the charging times of Samsung is beyond slow. They claim they have kept up with the times and they even have the stomach to say that they lead the way than other the competition but in reality it's a total lie. 

The main camera's skin tones looks as if someone has jaundice. The ultrawide is so-so and the selfie camera is decent enough. 

The processor is underutilized, underpowered and unoptimised to today's standard for a midrange phone. Yes you get monthly security updates  and the occasional software, maintenance updates and bug fixes  but it doesn't changed the fact that the software is still too bloated. 

I am currently selling my A54 and will be getting a Xiaomi 12 Lite or even a OnePlus Nord 3 later this year when it gets slightly cheaper.

I do hope you will love your A54  but heed my words.   

[PaulC59]

Hi thanks for your comments. Up to now I have not noticed any significant problems. I have the calculator on my home screen and have installed pretty much every app that is on my S23. It's most impressive feature is battery life. I have noticed the odd micro freeze during heavy load but nothing significant or that I didn't expect.

I agree about the unnecessary pre loaded apps. I don't agree with any non system apps being permanently installed on devices, the user should decide what apps they want and don't want as they take up valuable space and resources in the device that could be used for more useful tasks.

I've been testing it since I got it and using it instead of my S23 Ultra and whilst I accept it doesn't have all the bells and whistles, I have not experienced a noticeable different in day to day performance other than the battery lasting so long.

It will get a more thorough workout when I go back to work and start using multiple apps and connections simultaneously as I suspect that's when I may see a difference in performance

Up to now I would have no reservations recommending the A54 5G as it seems to cope with anything I throw at it

Re bloatware and pre installed apps. I'm in full agreement put them on by all means but let us get rid if we don't want them. It's waste and very annoying.

Manufacturers make enough on devices, it's just greed to let apps be forced onto users for payment

Hope this helps

[Gino76ph]

I think the Galaxy A54 will highly likely be my last Samsung device for a very long time.

I despise the ultra slow battery charging times, no option for vertical apps scrolling, no option to properly hide apps (as Samsung's implementation is " crazy" to say the least unlike the implementation of MIUI and Oxygen OS), specs-for-price ration is still relatively higher than the competition, etc. 

Whenever i own a Samsung phone i install a third-party launcher such as Nova and Microsoft's. The Android gestures navigation and swipes needs plenty of work in terms of smoothness, compatibility and performance. And I mentioned this to Samsung countless times in the past (almost) two years and to put it straight...it could be better still.

In the past 5 years or so my daily tasks, routines, number of apps i install in a device has almost become stagnant and consistent. And in my opinion the companies that do well in terms of UI smoothness, performance & features is Xiaomi and OnePlus. But the latter wins hands with all that plus consistent updates, excellent customer service (their app is more robust than Samsung's) and true bang for your buck price-for-specs ratio. And they do almost monthly deals and discounts especially with a new product lunch, seasonal and anniversary discounts included.

I'll be happy to see the back of my GalaxyA54 and I'm excited to try out Xiaomi again and after a few months perhaps get the new Nord 3 or an 11T (if it exists). 

I'm glad you are happy with your Samsung device. But if down the line you have developed a dislike with issues I have highlighted here i would strongly suggest...get a OnePlus phone. 

[Mary551]

Gino, I have read your detailed post with interest. We purchased new A54 phones 2 weeks ago as both our old Samsung A5 and A50 were out of security. We did a lot of research before buying these A54's but clearly not enough. The phone is too heavy for me to hold a long time - I hadn't checked weight and in the store I was told I couldn't handle a display model because it was fixed to cables etc. It's a chunky phone, unlike my neat A50 which I loved and I believe was a best selling phone along with the A51. Another big disappointment is the main 50 mgp camera. It has NO zoom. No reviews or specs I read said this. Utterly disappointed as I take lots of photos. So my only zoom is using the next 12 mgp camera. Surely this is inferior quality to my A50 which zoomed on the top main camera 25 mgp? So I feel this is a huge downward step.
Perhaps a minor niggle, but nevertheless a niggle for me is no date on the home screen! Not even a widget for it! Yes there are date AND TIME widgets to choose but I have the time at the top left of the screen. I'd just like A DATE. Is it too much to ask?!

I am hoping Samsung will reply to this and I'd be interested in your comments too. I am so sorry I didn't look at Google Pixel phones, or Xiaomi or Oneplus- both of which you mentioned. Like you, I feel it's time to move away from Samsung. If you have any other advice, I'd be grateful.

[Gino76ph]

Hello Mary!

I bought a Google Pixel 7a and have had it for almost two months now. The reviews i read stated poor battery life. But i was pleasantly surprised and (somewhat) exceeded my expectation. if you have a "fast" 30w charger and you use the phone to a minimum (less social media, GPS, watching contents for long periods, etc.) then you can easily last a day. I also like the overall dimensions as it's easy to hold and grip. Cameras are top notch...both front & rear. Saying that If I had enough money I would probably get the flagship Pixel 8 series. 

I dabbled with Xiaomi again with the 12 Lite. Swiftly returned it to the seller as i did not got used to the somewhat poor colour calibration of the display, so-so cameras and for some unknown reasons i could not get to add my bank card on Google Waller. But i strongly think this is tied up to my bank card as it was expiring at the end of the month and was waiting for the replacement.

I still have an old case for my previous two phone: OnePlus 10T and a Galaxy A34. But i simply couldn't get myself to buy them again  as i find them a tad bigger for my hands. I'm reading and watching video reviews of the new Poco X6 & X6 Pro the latter being a superior improvement over last year and the specs speaks for itself. My only issue with Poco phones is it being a chinese device and the slow updates. Thought of the OnePlus Nord 3 but reviews i read so far have unfavourable feedback on the cameras but performance is top notch compared to ANY Android phones out there.

So, which leads me to today. MWC is fast approaching with rumour mill left right and center of upcoming new models. In particular this March i'm interested with what Nothing can offer the the Phone 2a being an side upgrade over the Phone 1  but on a cheaper package.

I've had a Sony Xperia 5 mark 3 few months ago. If I had the money I would probably get the 5 mark 5 but you have to ultra patient with tinkering the camera app and if you like natural, sharp photos then this is for you. But if you like social media-ready photos and videos i think Samsung still dominates within the given segment.

Nowadays, you can find a Samsung Galaxy S23 for well under £400 which is absolute steal. if you can find one take it. I'm trying my very best to resist getting one and want to wait till the dust settles post-MWC.