Best Overall
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
$449The Galaxy A54 5G punches well above its $449 price with a flagship-quality 6.4-inch 120Hz OLED display, 5,000mAh battery, and five years of security updates. It looks nearly identical to the $999 Galaxy S23 Plus from across the room.
what experts say
- >“The A54 5G's best feature is hands-down its excellent, large display.”— The Verge
- >“Samsung promises up to four OS version updates and up to five years of security patches. That's one of the best policies on Android for a phone at any price.”— The Verge
- >“This could be one of the best cheap phones under $500 of the year.”— Tom's Guide
- >“When this $449 device is sitting on a table next to the $999 Galaxy S23 Plus, I can barely tell the two apart until I'm close enough to pick them up.”— The Verge
pros & cons
[+] what's great
- +6.4-inch 1080p OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, brighter than predecessor
- +5,000mAh battery lasts a full day even under heavy use
- +IP67 water and dust resistance, uncommon at this price
- +4 OS updates + 5 years of security patches — one of the best policies on Android
- +50MP main camera with optical image stabilization
[-] what's not
- -Camera struggles in low light compared to flagship phones
- -Exynos 1380 chipset can stutter in graphics-intensive games
- -Plastic frame feels less premium than aluminum rivals
- -No wireless charging
- -25W charger sold separately
