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  Google Pixel 7a

  Google's latest mid-ranger brings several improvements over last year's model, making it a great option for the budget conscious. The Pixel 7a packs the flagship Tensor G2 chip, flagship-tier cameras, an improved 90Hz display, more RAM, better durability, and wireless charging support.

  Pros

  • Performance is similar to the flagship Pixel 7
  • The best camera for a mid-ranger

  Cons

  • Slow charging speeds
  • Among the most expensive in its segment

  $499 at Amazon $499 at Best Buy $499 at Google Store

• 

  Samsung Galaxy A54 5G

  The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is a great mid-range phone. It offers a sleek design, a beautiful 120Hz display, plenty of power under the hood, and a triple camera setup on the back.

  Pros

  • Beautiful OLED panel
  • Long-lasting battery

  Cons

  • Slow charging speeds
  • Macro sensor is average at best

  $450 at Samsung $450 at Best Buy $450 at Amazon

Now that Google's new affordable Pixel 7a is finally official, it's time to see how it stacks up against our current pick for the best budget Android phone on the market — the Galaxy A54 5G. There's a lot to like about these phones, and they're both good options to consider if you don't want to drop $1,000 chasing the best phones in 2023. But has Google done enough to justify its increase in price and beat the Galaxy A54 5G? Let's take a look at our Google Pixel 7a vs Samsung Galaxy A54 5G comparison to find out which one takes the crown to become the best mid-range phone to buy in 2023.

Google Pixel 7a vs Samsung Galaxy A54 5G: Pricing and availability

Google's new Pixel 7a was officially unveiled on May 10, 2023, and is now up for grabs in the U.S. It's available to purchase from a bunch of retailers and carriers for $499 ($550 for the mmW model). It's a bit on the pricier side compared to other options in this segment, but we've highlighted some deals in our Pixel 7a deals roundup that can help you save some money on your purchase.

On the other hand, the Galaxy A54 5G made a debut in March, and it's been available to buy since then. It retails for $450, but it's frequently available at discounted prices, so keep an eye on our collection of the best Galaxy A54 5G deals to grab it for around $400 in the U.S. The Google Pixel 7a is available in Charcoal, Snow, Sea, and Coral colorways, whereas the Galaxy A54 5G is only available in Awesome Graphite and Awesome Violet colors in the U.S. Both phones are only available in a single configuration, and they both top out at 128GB of internal storage.

Google Pixel 7a vs Samsung Galaxy A54 5G: Specifications

Here's a quick look at the specs sheet to find out these phones stack up against each other on paper:

• 	Google Pixel 7a	Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
  Brand	Google	Samsung
  SoC	Tensor G2	Samsung Exynos 1380
  Display	6.1-inch FHD+ gOLED @90Hz	6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED @ 120Hz
  RAM	8GB	8GB
  Storage	128GB	128GB + microSD up to 1TB
  Battery	4,385mAh	5,000mAh
  Ports	USB Type-C	USB-C
  Operating System	Android 13	Android 13 with One UI 5.1
  Dimensions	6 x 2.87 x 0.35 inches (152.4 x 72.9 x 9mm)	6.22 x 3.01 x 0.32 inches (158.2 x 76.7 x 8.2mm)
  Colors	Charcoal, Coral, Snow, Sea	Awesome Graphite, Awesome Violet
  Weight	6.8 ounces (193g)	202g (7.12 ounces)
  IP Rating	IP67	IP67
  Price	$499 (sub 6)/$549 (mmWave)	$450

Design and build quality: Both with fit and finish of a high-end phone

Both phones in this comparison look and feel more premium than what their price tag would suggest. The Pixel 7a, as you can see, is modeled after Google's flagship Pixel 7. They share a lot of similarities when it comes to the design, and you'll have a hard time telling them apart unless you pay close attention. The Galaxy A54 5G follows the same design language as the more expensive Galaxy S23. It's got a classy design with a clean and minimal look, resembling the overall fit and finish of a high-end phone.

The Google Pixel 7a sports a sturdy aluminum frame and a Gorilla Glass 3 front cover to protect the display, but you only get a composite plastic on the back. While the plastic is less prone to breaking, picking up a nice Pixel 7a case is a good way to keep it safe for those oops moments. It doesn't feel cheap to touch like some other budget phones with a plastic back, but it doesn't scream quality the way Samsung's Galaxy A54 does with its glass back. That's right, the Galaxy A54 5G sports Gorilla Glass 5 on both front and back, and it also has a solid aluminum frame to hold everything in place. Samsung's phone is slightly more durable because of the Gorilla Glass 5 protection on both sides, but they both share the same IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. Picking up one of the best Galaxy A54 cases is never a bad idea to keep your phone looking fresh.

The Galaxy A54 5G is both taller and wider, but it measures a hair thinner than the Pixel 7a. You're not looking at a significant difference between the two phones, but the Pixel 7a is more compact overall, and it also weighs a few grams lighter. Both of these phones look great and have good build quality, and it mostly comes down to your personal preference.

Display: 90Hz vs 120Hz refresh rate

Google's new Pixel 7a features a 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED panel with support for up to 90Hz refresh rate. It's definitely an upgrade if you're coming from the Pixel 6a's 60Hz panel, but it's not quite as smooth as the 120Hz display on the Galaxy A54. Samsung's mid-ranger also has a slightly bigger panel coming in at 6.4 inches, although you're looking at the same FHD+ resolution. The underlying panel technology is similar, so you shouldn't notice a significant difference in quality in the real world. The displays on these phones are also capable of reaching 1,000 nits at their maximum settings, making them better than a lot of other phones on the market in bright environments.

You get noticeable bezels around the display on both phones, and there's also a punch-hole cutout on it for the selfie camera. Both Pixel 7a and the Galaxy A54 5G get an in-display fingerprint scanner that is quick to respond and is equally reliable. You can't go wrong with either of these displays, but the Galaxy A54 5G has an advantage with a slightly bigger panel and support for up to 120Hz refresh rate.

Internal hardware and performance: Pixel 7a wins with a flagship chip

The Galaxy A54 5G uses Samsung's in-house Exynos 1380 processor, which, as we mentioned in our review, is capable of delivering reliable performance for all day-to-day workloads. It's not the most powerful chipset out there on the market, but it packs enough punch to deliver a smooth and lag-free experience for the most part. Meanwhile, the Pixel 7a is powered by Google's in-house Tensor G2 chip, which is also powering the company's flagship Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. The Tensor G2 is not as powerful as some other high-end flagship chipsets on the market from the likes of Apple and Samsung, but it's safe to say that it's a step above the Galaxy A54's Exynos 1380 chipset.

If you want a powerful chipset that can handle your everyday tasks and let you play games or run resource-intensive apps, then you should consider buying the Pixel 7a. The Tensor G2 also enables some neat features like Photo Unblur and voice transcription that you'll appreciate in the long run. Both phones top out at 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage in the U.S., but you can use a microSD card to expand the storage up to 1TB on the Galaxy A54 5G.

Moving over to the battery performance, you get a 4,382mAh unit inside the Pixel 7a and a 5,000mAh unit inside the Galaxy A54 5G. They both can comfortably last you a day on a single charge, but the Galaxy A54 5G will probably have enough juice left in the tank for the next day too. It really depends on how much you use your smartphone, but the Galaxy A54 5G doesn't disappoint in the battery department. Its 25W charging is also faster than Pixel 7a's 18W speeds, but it doesn't support wireless charging, which the 7a does.

As far as the software is concerned, both Pixel 7a and Galaxy A54 5G run the latest version of Android on the market. You get a classic Pixel experience on Google's phone, whereas the Galaxy A54 5G with One UI 5.1 will get you some additional features. Both phones offer a smooth and reliable software experience, so it's just a matter of preference. You can also rely on both Google and Samsung to keep these phones updated for at least five years, and they're both guaranteed to receive Android version updates until at least October 2025.

Cameras

The Pixel 7a has pretty big shoes to fill being a part of the Pixel family, and we're happy to report that it does the job very well. The 64MP main camera can capture some stunning photos that are comparable to ones captured from a Pixel 7, if not better. Google's top-notch image processing does wonders to produce some great results, and you get photos with a ton of details and accurate colors. The 13MP ultrawide camera is also equally good, but it struggles a bit in low-light conditions.

The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G packs three cameras — a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide, and a 5MP macro camera. The A54's macro sensor, as we mentioned in our review, is just average at best, so it's safe to say that both phones are equally versatile when it comes to shooting modes. The Galaxy A54 5G captures some great phones, but it struggles a bit in low light. The images captured from both the main and ultrawide sensors pick up a ton of noise and tend to lose details, and Samsung's processing doesn't do enough to make them usable. Selfies are handled by a 13MP and a 32MP sensor on the Pixel 7a and Galaxy A54 5G, respectively. We're leaving some camera samples captured using both phones below, so be sure to check out the results yourself.

Google Pixel 7a camera samples

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G camera samples

Both phones can record 4K videos using the front and rear cameras, but the Galaxy A54 5G tops out at 30fps recording, whereas the Pixel 7a can record 4K videos at up to 60fps using its rear camera. All things considered, we'd say the Pixel 7a upholds its reputation and delivers great photos overall. The Galaxy A54 5G can also produce some good photos, but it falls a bit short going against the Pixel 7a's new hardware and Google's software magic.

Google Pixel 7a vs Samsung Galaxy A54 5G: Which one should you buy?

The Google Pixel 7a vs Galaxy A54 5G is a tough match-up because they both bring a solid package to the table. The Pixel 7a, however, offers a well-rounded experience overall to become our best pick in this particular comparison. It looks and feels great in hand, has a beautiful OLED panel with up to 90Hz refresh rate, and it also packs the flagship Tensor G2 chip for reliable everyday performance. It also has an edge in the camera department with its new dual-camera setup, and Google's software experience is unmatched in this price range. The Pixel 7a leaves very little room to complain and is very easy to recommend if you don't mind spending $500.

But if you can't stomach Pixel 7a's $500 price tag and would rather buy something cheaper to get almost the same experience, then you can't go wrong with the Galaxy A54 5G. In fact, you can get Samsung's mid-ranger for as low as $375 at the time of writing this comparison, which is a significant difference that makes some of its drawbacks a bit more palatable. You still get a well-built phone with a great 120Hz AMOLED display and a bigger battery, so it's a great mid-range phone with highly sort after features.