The Samsung A54 5G smartphone, while considered to be the mid-tier option when compared to the market-leading, flagship S-models, does not perform as it should. In fact, it punches well above its weight once you consider what’s under the hood, its value proposition and most importantly, the price. All things considered, it has no business being this good.

Unlike the S-series of Samsung phones which are meant to represent the pinnacle of the brand’s offering for the calendar year, A-series devices sits firmly in ‘Goldilocks Zone’, delivering a good – at times, great- balance between cost and performance.

In the past, devices classified into this A-segment were easily distinguished from its more illustrious cousins by the outward design.

For example, in 2022, you can easily tell apart an S22 phone from its A-series family, the A53 5G. The distinct camera modules at the back are instant giveaways and while most budget conscious users aren’t really bothered with this differentiating factor, it may be a deal breaker for the more fashion and brand conscious.

The same cannot be said for 2023.

This year you will have a harder time telling apart the normal S-series devices from the A-series ones. Save for the different placements of the flash at the rear which we must add, very subtle. Simply eyeballing won’t cut it. Hey. I don’t know about you but if I get to look like a million bucks at the fraction of the cost, count me in.

On top of that ‘upgrade’ in looks, the A54 series seems to tick all the boxes for consumers who seek the best bang for the buck in their daily driver, or even as a reliable backup device.

The camera package on the A54 5G is no slouch either. The phone comes with a quad-camera setup and should satiate the needs of many, save for the most demanding smartphone photographers out there. Or your average tech-tuber.

Sure it lacks the mega processing and image quality as seen on the flagship S23 Ultra, but is still able to churn out respectable photographs which would easily put any flagship phone from a couple years back a run for their money.

The battery on the A54 5G is another definite win. With 5000 mAh baked in, this phone will easily last you a day and more. Coupled with a less demanding overall package, it is easy to see the A54 5G still drumming along, well after more illustrious and ‘higher end’ rivals bite the dust.

As if that’s not enough, the A54 5G has a feature that is the envy of many, if not all top-end smartphones. The ability to increase its storage with the micro SD slot. Hey Samsung. Can you please make expandable storage a standard feature for all of your top-end, S-segment models in the future?

Based on our brief moment with the A54 5G review unit so far, our first impression of the A54 5G is a stellar one. We had a hard time finding any glaring faults in it. We tried. We really did and for the sake of being nitpicky, it lacks the 3.5mm earphone jack which is synonymous with mid-tier smartphones. Then again, last year’s equivalent, the A53 5G didn’t come with one either.

Stay tuned for our full-on review of the A54 5G coming out in the upcoming days following more real-life usage experience. But for now, if you’re still on the fence and just cannot wait for the review to come out for you to make a decision, just get it. The positives greatly outweigh the negatives and considering its price – at RM1,899 – we can safely say it is one purchase you won’t regret.