Smartphones & Tablets | December 29, 2023
| Samsung Galaxy A54 | Poco F5 Pro | |
| Screen | 6.4 inches of Super AMOLED technology, 19.5:9 format, FullHD+ resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 pixels, 120 Hz refresh rate, 240 Hz touch sampling rate, 1,000 nits maximum brightness, HDR10 and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection | 6.67 inches of AMOLED technology, FullHD+ resolution of 3,200 x 1,440 pixels, 120 Hz refresh rate, 480 Hz touch sampling rate, 1,400 nits maximum brightness, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Main camera | – 50 megapixel main sensor with f/1.8 focal aperture with video recording capacity in 4K resolution at 30 frames per second – 12 megapixel wide-angle secondary sensor with f/2.2 aperture – 5 megapixel tertiary macro sensor with f/2.4 aperture | – 64 megapixel main sensor with f/1.8 focal aperture and support for 8K video recording at 24 frames per second – Secondary sensor with 8 megapixel wide-angle lens with f/2.2 focal aperture – Tertiary sensor with 2 megapixel macro lens with f/2.4 focal aperture |
| selfie camera | 32 megapixel main sensor with f/2.2 focal aperture with video recording capacity in 4K resolution at 30 frames per second | 16 megapixel main sensor with f/2.5 focal aperture with support for FullHD 1080p video recording at 60 frames per second |
| Internal memory | 128 or 256 GB of UFS 2.2 type | 256 or 512 GB type UFS 3.1 |
| Extension | Expandable via microSD card up to 1 TB | Not expandable |
| Processor and RAM memory | – Samsung Exynos 1380 5 nanometers and eight cores at 2.4 GHz max. – 6 or 8 GB of LPDDR4 RAM | – Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 4 nanometers and eight cores at 3.0 GHz max. – 8 or 12 GB of LPDDR5 type RAM |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh with support for 25W fast wired charging (charger not included in the box) | 5,160 mAh with 67W fast charging (charger included in the box) and 30W wireless charging |
| OS | Android 13 under One UI 5.1 | Android 13 under MIUI 14 for POCO |
| Connections | 5G, 4G LTE, dual-band WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS, NFC for contactless mobile payments and USB type C | 5G, 4G LTE, dual-band WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS, NFC for contactless mobile payments and USB type C |
| SIM | Dual nano SIM | Dual nano SIM |
| Design | Colors: black, white, blue and lavender | Colors: black and white |
| Dimensions and weight | 158.2 x 76.7 x 8.2 millimeters and 202 grams | 162.8 x 75.4 x 8.6 millimeters and 204 grams |
| Featured Features | Under-display optical fingerprint sensor, facial recognition, stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, and IP67 water and dust resistance (submergence-proof) | Optical fingerprint sensor under the screen, stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, infrared sensor for controlling external devices and IP53 grade water resistance certificate (against splashes) |
| Release date | Available | Available |
| Price | From 320 euros | From 500 euros |
The Samsung Galaxy A54 has undoubtedly been one of the best mid-range phones of 2023. As one of Samsung’s most advanced mobiles, it competes directly with devices like the Poco F5, one of its closest rivals. But not only with the Poco F5, but also with the Xiaomi 12T, OPPO Reno 10, and Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus, three phones we’ve compared it to in the past. Now, let’s see how well it fares against the Poco F5 Pro, an equally or even more interesting phone that targets a more premium segment. To determine which is better and why, we’ll analyze their differences in terms of features and prices in this Galaxy A54 vs Poco F5 Pro comparison. Who will win? Let’s find out.
Please note that the prices mentioned in the article may vary over time, so, we limit ourselves to analyzing the differences as of the publication date.
The Samsung Galaxy A54 and Poco F5 Pro share no resemblance, except for the fact that both feature a punch-hole display for the selfie camera, a common design element in most phones on the market.
They both opt for very different designs, making them easy to distinguish. While the Galaxy A54 leans towards straight edges and a floating camera, the Poco F5 has curved edges and a camera design consisting of a photographic island that protrudes from its back. Both have a glass back, but the Poco F5 Pro’s back has a diagonal stripe pattern on the sides, giving it a distinctive look compared not only to the Galaxy A54 but also to many other phones—most, if not all.
As mentioned earlier, the edges of the Galaxy A54 are straight, unlike those of the Poco F5 Pro, which are slightly curved for a more comfortable grip. However, both are made of plastic. Regarding weight, the two phones weigh almost the same, with the Poco phone being slightly heavier but by a mere 2 grams. It’s also taller and thicker but not wider than the Galaxy A54.
In the display department, there are significant differences between the Galaxy A54 vs Poco F5 Pro that favor the F5 Pro more than the Galaxy A54. While the Samsung phone has a 6.4-inch display, Full HD+ resolution of 2,400 x 1,080 pixels, and a maximum brightness of 1,000 nits, the Poco F5 Pro’s display measures 6.67 inches, features Quad HD+ (2K) resolution of 3,200 x 1,440 pixels, and boasts a higher maximum brightness of 1,400 nits.
In other words, the Poco F5 Pro’s display is larger, has better image definition, and is considerably brighter. But that’s not all. It also has better touch input, thanks to a touch sampling rate of 480 Hz, while the Galaxy A54’s is 240 Hz. Moreover, only the Poco F5 Pro supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision standards, while the A54 is only compatible with HDR10. However, both have a 120 Hz refresh rate and are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
The Poco F5 Pro is several steps ahead of the Samsung Galaxy A54 in terms of performance, thanks to its much more powerful processor, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus. The Galaxy A54 is powered by the Exynos 1380, a chipset that, while providing decent performance for most users, falls short in graphics-intensive games and heavy applications compared to the aforementioned Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+, offering a much faster and smoother experience in all kinds of situations.
Considering this, if you want a phone to run all kinds of apps and play games with graphics maxed out, the Poco F5 Pro is the better option, not only because of its power but also because it features an internal cooling system that helps prevent overheating easily.
The internal storage and RAM of the Poco F5 Pro are also more advanced than those of the Galaxy A54, as it uses UFS 3.1 and LPDDR5, respectively. The Galaxy A54’s internal memory is UFS 2.1, and its RAM is LPDDR4. This means that the Poco F5 Pro achieves higher read and write speeds, resulting in better performance when moving files and installing apps.
That said, the RAM options for the Galaxy A54 are 6 or 8 GB, while the Poco F5 Pro boasts wider options of 8 or 12 GB. Similarly, the internal storage space for the former is 128 or 256 GB, and for the latter, it’s 256 or 512 GB. Only the Samsung Galaxy A54 supports a microSD card for expanding internal storage.
Here both phones share only one similarity—they both have triple cameras. Otherwise, they use different sensors, both on the back and front, and we’ll now delve into the details.
The Poco F5 Pro features a 64-megapixel main sensor with an f/1.7 aperture and support for 8K recording at 24 frames per second. The two accompanying cameras are an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle with an f/2.2 aperture and a 2-megapixel macro with an f/2.4 aperture. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy A54 opts for a 50-megapixel main lens with an f/1.8 aperture that can only record at a maximum resolution of 4K at 30 frames per second. The other two sensors on its back are a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle with an f/2.2 aperture and a 5-megapixel macro with an f/2.4 aperture.
For selfies, the Poco F5 Pro has a 16-megapixel front sensor in the display punch hole. This sensor has an f/2.5 aperture and supports Full HD 1080p video recording at 60 frames per second. In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy A54 comes with a 32-megapixel front camera with an f/2.2 aperture and the ability to record video in 4K at 30 frames per second.
Continuing with the Poco F5 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy A54 comparison, the next aspect we’ll look at is the battery, where we find more differences between the two phones, with the Poco F5 Pro having a slightly larger battery at 5,160 mAh compared to the Galaxy A54’s 5,000 mAh.
Additionally, while the Galaxy A54 has 25 W fast charging, the F5 Pro supports 67 W fast charging and is compatible with 30 W fast wireless charging. In this regard, the Galaxy A54 takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes to charge fully with cable charging. The F5 Pro, on the other hand, takes just over 40 minutes.
Regarding connectivity, both phones offer the same options, including support for 5G, 4G LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS with A-GPS and Glonass, and NFC for mobile payments. However, only the Poco F5 Pro has an infrared sensor that allows it to act as a remote control for televisions, air conditioners, and other home devices.
In terms of other features, both have stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support. Also, for biometric unlocking, they have an in-screen optical fingerprint reader and facial recognition. They both have water and dust resistance, but the Galaxy A54 has an IP67 rating, while the Poco F5 Pro has an IP53 rating. This means that while the Galaxy A54 can survive submersion, the F5 Pro only resists splashes.
As for the operating system, both have Android 13, but the Samsung Galaxy A54 features One UI 5.1 as its customization layer, while the Poco F5 Pro uses MIUI 14. Regarding update support, the former comes with 4 years of guaranteed Android updates and 5 years of minor updates with security patches. The Poco F5 Pro is more modest in this regard, as it was launched with 2 years of operating system updates and 3 years of minor updates. This means that while the Galaxy A54 will be updateable to Android 17 in the future, the Poco F5 Pro will only reach Android 15.
We’ve detailed all the differences between the Poco F5 Pro vs Galaxy A54, but not their prices, so let’s get to that…
The Poco F5 Pro can currently be purchased for around 500 euros onwards. The Samsung Galaxy A54 is a much cheaper and more affordable phone for most users, starting from 320 euros today. Thus, the Galaxy A54 is almost 200 euros cheaper than the Poco F5 Pro, a significant amount.
With this in mind, we can say that the winner of this Galaxy A54 vs Poco F5 Pro comparison is the Poco phone, but only in terms of features. The Galaxy A54 offers a better value for money and is a better buying option for those who want a cheaper, balanced, and durable device. That said, let’s go over the advantages of the Poco F5 Pro and the reasons it has won this comparison.
The Poco F5 Pro is better than the Galaxy A54 for having a more advanced display. In addition to being larger, it also has better image definition, a higher touch response rate, and a higher maximum brightness. The processor it features, being much more powerful than the one in the Galaxy A54, also makes it a better phone for running apps and games more smoothly and quickly, thanks to its RAM and internal memory with higher read and write speeds.
On the other hand, the Poco phone has a main camera with a higher resolution that can record up to 8K, something the Galaxy A54 cannot do. However, the latter has a higher resolution ultra-wide-angle, macro, and front camera that supports 4K video, unlike the Poco F5 Pro’s front camera, which only records in Full HD 1080p.
The battery of the Poco F5 Pro, being slightly larger and featuring much more powerful cable charging, is better than that of the Galaxy A54, also because it supports wireless charging. Let’s not forget that this device also includes its original charger in the box, something the Samsung Galaxy A54 does not.
In terms of designs, the Poco F5 Pro is also better because it has a more ergonomic body and thinner screen bezels. As for other features, it’s worth noting that it has an internal cooling system and an infrared sensor, but no IP67 resistance like the Galaxy A54. Finally, something the Galaxy A54 surpasses it in is update support, as it has a much more generous one that promises updates to Android 17 in the future.
