Samsung Galaxy F54 5G review: a reliable mid-ranger

Here's my take on Samsung's new Galaxy F-series smartphone - the Galaxy F54 5G.

• By Ashish Kumar
Published On: 6 June 2023 | 15:00 IST Last Updated On: 25 July 2023 | 12:09 IST

The Samsung Galaxy F54 5G is the latest addition to the company’s mid-range smartphone lineup. The handset looks like a slightly enhanced yet more affordable version of the Galaxy A54 (review), with notable improvements in the battery and camera departments. The Galaxy F54 5G features a substantial 6,000mAh battery and a high-resolution 108MP primary camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS). It also boasts a vibrant 120Hz AMOLED display and a promise of four major OS updates but lacks an IP rating for water and dust resistance.

In this review, we thoroughly analyse whether the Samsung Galaxy F54 5G is a worthwhile purchase or not. Read on to find out.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy F54 5G is a decent smartphone for its price. While the handset offers satisfactory performance across the board, I do wish it had faster charging speeds and stereo speakers.

Design and display

• If you are fond of shiny and glossy phones, you will find the Galaxy F54 right up your alley. The handset sports polycarbonate glass on the back with a smooth surface. However, the phone tends to attract fingerprints and smudges quite easily if a case is not used. I was sent the Stardust Silver colour variant for review, which exhibits rainbow colours when exposed to light. Apart from this, the Galaxy F54 follows the same design language as other Samsung smartphones launched this year so far.
• The rear panel of the handset boasts three distinct rings for the camera setup, rather than a single module, and the edges are elegantly curved to offer a nice in-hand feel. However, the phone is a bit slippery to hold and can feel heavy on your wrist, especially if you are engaged in extensive gaming or streaming activities. As for I/O, the handset features a USB Type-C port along with a speaker grille on the bottom edge. The Galaxy F54 features a mono speaker, which gets quite loud but feels slightly lacking when it comes to offering an immersive listening experience. For security, the handset is equipped with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner that works seamlessly and unlocks the device in a jiffy.

• On the display front, the Samsung Galaxy F54 sports a 6.5-inch panel with FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. Samsung’s AMOLED panels are known to offer impressive viewing angles and peak brightness, making the text readable even under direct sunlight, and this one doesn’t disappoint either. The display also offers punchy colours and sharp resolution for a fun viewing experience. Additionally, the 120Hz refresh rate seamlessly enhances the UI and supported apps. The presence of rather chunky bezels on all sides is the only thing that can probably be held against this display.
  

Camera

• For photography, the Samsung Galaxy F54 packs a triple camera setup at the back, which consists of 108MP primary sensor with OIS. It is accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide sensor and a 2MP macro sensor. The camera performance of the phone is reliable, especially in well-lit environments. It delivers crisp and detailed shots from the 108MP primary sensor, which outputs 12MP images by default. The images also exhibit good dynamic range and appear natural without being overly saturated. In lowlight, the main sensor tends to pick up some noise and struggle with colour accuracy, but the overall level of detail remains satisfactory. The device offers a dedicated night mode, which helps to bring down the noise level, although it softens some of the finer details. If you are looking for details over noise, we would advise against using the night mode in dim lighting conditions.

• The 8MP ultra-wide sensor of the handset captures beautiful landscape images in daylight. However, like many other mid-range smartphones, it fails to control the warping around the edges of the frame. The 2MP macro sensor gets the job done and delivers usable close-up shots when the lighting is ample. For selfies and video calling, the Galaxy F54 boasts a 32MP snapper in the punch-hole setup that offers fairly accurate skin tones and facial detailing when the sun is out. The portrait mode on the smartphone effectively separates the background from the foreground and preserves all the details while blurring the background. Samsung allows users the flexibility to change the effects of portrait mode even after taking the photos. The phone also offers a bunch of modes, including Single Take for multiple photos and video outputs and Fun Mode.

Performance and software

• Performance-wise, the Samsung Galaxy F54 is capable of handling daily tasks with ease. The handset has the Exynos 1380 SoC ticking at its core, which is a 5G-capable chipset with up to 2.4GHz clock speeds. In synthetic benchmark tests, the phone scored 4,90,268 points on AnTuTu, while maintaining a multi-core Geekbench test score of 2,801. These results indicate that the Galaxy F54 will have no trouble running multiple apps simultaneously, browsing the web, or streaming media. However, on the gaming front, the handset may face some challenges. The phone can run graphically-demanding games such as CoD: Mobile and Real Cricket 23 at medium graphics and frame rate settings. Additionally, it tends to warm up slightly during extended gaming sessions.

• So if you are a gamer, it is worth exploring other options, but that apart, the Galaxy F54 should be a reasonable match for your needs. The handset offers ample 256GB of storage and has 8GB of RAM. While the storage is expandable, it should be noted that it comes at the expense of the second SIM slot.

• The Samsung Galaxy F54 has OneUI 5.1 running atop Android 13 out of the box, to take care of the software side of things. While the phone has some bloatware, most of the apps are removable. Additionally, compared to other smartphones in the competition, the Galaxy F54 has fewer spammy notifications and ads. Aside from that, the handset boasts a wide range of customisation options, and its interface looks user-friendly. Samsung has also promised up to four generations of OS upgrades and five years of security updates for the device, making the Galaxy F54 future-ready.

Here’s a speed test done using Airtel 5G Plus network in Paschim Vihar, Delhi.

Battery and charging

• The Samsung Galaxy F54 houses a 6,000mAh battery with 25W fast charging. The battery life could be underwhelming for a heavy user who does gaming and uses GPS navigation on the phone for long durations. Nonetheless, the handset can comfortably see you through the day without looking for a charger. I was getting close to seven hours of screen-on-time on the phone. On the PCMark Battery test, the handset returned with a score of 13 hours and 8 minutes, which is slightly on the lower side for a phone with a 6,000mAh battery.

• The charging speeds of the Galaxy F54 are quite average. The handset takes around two hours for a full charge from zero using a compatible charger. However, it is important to note that Samsung does not include the charger in the box so you will have to purchase it separately.

Final verdict

The Samsung Galaxy F54 5G might not be able to match some of its competitors like the POCO F5 (review) and iQOO Neo 7 (review) in terms of pure specs. The charging speeds could have been better as well, and there’s no charger included in the box. However, it truly shines when it comes to the user experience. With its impeccable viewing experience and reliable performance for everyday tasks, the handset offers a delightful smartphone experience. The phone’s capable cameras excel in daylight, while its battery life is impressive for regular usage. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy F54 is a reliable device that deserves a second look. The handset is available in India at an introductory price of Rs 27,999.

Editor’s rating: 4 / 5

Reasons to buy

• The handset delivers an impeccable viewing experience.
• The performance of the device is reliable for everyday tasks.
• 108MP primary camera captures memorable moments with clarity and detail in daylight.

Reasons not to buy

• The charger needs to be purchased separately.
• The charging speeds could have been better.