Samsung Galaxy F54 5G review: A decent mid-ranger for photo buffs

Samsung recently launched the Galaxy F54 5G smartphone in India. On the face of things, the phone is a part of the company’s F-series devices that offers a diverse set of devices ranging between 7K to 30K. In the grander scheme of things, the Galaxy F54 5G is a part of the company’s burgeoning portfolio of mid-range smartphones each with its own set of USPs (unique selling points). For the Galaxy F54 5G, the strength lies in the camera and various camera features, which it has borrowed from its more premium siblings, and the big battery, which the company says offers up to 20 hours of run time.

The question now remains if these features are enough to make the Galaxy F54 5G a winner? We will try to answer that and more in the detailed review below. So, keep reading…

Samsung Galaxy F54 5G: specifications

Display: 6.7-inch sAMOLED display with 120Hz screen refresh rate, 1080×2400 pixel resolution, 800 nits of peak brightness and Vision Booster mode
Processor: Samsung’s Exynos 1380 SoC
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 256GB
Operating System: One UI 5.1 based on Android 13
Camera: 108MP + 8MP + 2MP at the back, 32MP selfie camera
Battery: 6,000mAh battery with 25W fast charging support
Connectivity: 5G, WiFi Direct, Bluetooth 5.3
Colours: Meteor Blue and Stardust Silver
Price: Starts at Rs 27,999

Image: Shweta Ganjoo/Techlusive

Samsung Galaxy F54 5G review: Design

Let’s talk about the design first.

The Samsung Galaxy F54 5G features a polycarbonate back with a chrome ring design for cameras along with a metallic chassis and curved edges. The phone, as mentioned before, comes in two colour variants. We got to try out the Stardust Silver colour variant of the Galaxy F54 5G. This colour variant has a retro bling vibe to it. While the base colour is silver, it reflects a bit of a rainbow hue when light reflects off its perfect shiny surface at various angles. In effect, you rarely get to see the phone in its said silver colour. Instead, it keeps changing colour as the direction of light changes.

While this light show is quite interesting to look at, it’s also a tad bit problematic as it makes the back a magnet for dust and smudge marks. What adds to the misery for people like me, who want everything to be spotless clean all the time, is the fact that these smudge marks aren’t easy to clean at all. To add to that, Samsung, unlike a lot of other smartphone makers, doesn’t ship a transparent cover in the box. So, if you want to keep the back of the phone clean, you either have to spend some more or keep a cleaning cloth handy all the time.

Aside from the shiny back, the Galaxy F54 5G is quite comfortable to hold and use. The light-weight design of the phone ensures that you don’t get tired even on using it for a long stretch of time.

Samsung Galaxy F54 5G review: Display

Now, let’s talk about the camera.

The Samsung Galaxy F54 5G comes with a 6.7-inch sAMOLED display with support for a feature called Vision Booster mode. Samsung says that this feature dynamically adjusts the brightness and contrast of the display based on the ambient lighting conditions. In effect, the phone has a gorgeous and well-lit display that doesn’t falter even under the harsh summer sun in Delhi.

Not only is the Galaxy F54 5G quick to adapt to the extreme changes in the lighting conditions, but it also ensures that the colours and contrast are always proportionate to these changes, which in turn ensures a balanced experience all the time – something Samsung displays are known for.

Aside from the colours and the viewing experience, the Galaxy F54 5G is quick to react to the face recognition feature for unlocking the phone and is quite smooth to use.

Image: Shweta Ganjoo/Techlusive

Samsung Galaxy F54 5G review: Camera

Now, comes the camera.

Camera, as I mentioned in the beginning of this discussion, is the signature feature of the Galaxy F54 5G. Meaning, if you are looking for a mid-range camera phone, the Galaxy F54 5G should definitely be one of the options for you to consider. But is it as good as they say? Let’s find out.

First things first. The Samsung Galaxy F54 5G is loaded with camera features for photo buffs to pick from and shoot. It comes with the famous Nightography mode – a feature it has borrowed from last year’s Galaxy S22 series smartphones – that enables users to capture images in low light condition. In addition to this, the phone has a dedicated Night Mode and an Auto Night Mode both in the front and at the back. Additionally, the Galaxy F54 5G features support for the Astrolapse mode, a feature that was introduced with the Galaxy S23 series earlier this year and enables users to capture the night sky. It also comes with optical image stabalisation (OIS) functionality.

For videos, the phone has a bunch of impressive features, which includes Pro Video mode, AI-based noise reduction mode, and the ability to shoot 4K videos at 30 fps and videos in portrait mode from the rear and front cameras among others.

Features aside, the Galaxy F54 5G is a great camera phone as it manages to capture picture perfect images almost all the time.

During the day light condition, the phone manages to perfectly preserve the colour and the contrast while maintaining optimum brightness levels. The images are clear and there is ample depth and detailing in the images. Case and point the anthers in the flowers and freckles on the lemon in my garden. The Galaxy F54 also does a splendid job at preserving the shadows in the images captured from the rear camera setup. It maintains this trend even during the low-light conditions, which results in bright and vibrant images when there is less to go on. Check out some of the camera samples here:

The front camera, on the other hand, offers a mixed bag of performance. In general, the front camera offers ample depth and clarity. You can easily distinguish between every strand of hair easily. The colours too are quite balanced. However, the clarity takes a bit of a step back in the portrait mode. That said, what I like about the front camera is that it doesn’t artificially beautify the images, which results in more natural looking images.

Samsung Galaxy F54 5G review: Performance and Battery

Lastly, the battery and the performance.

The Samsung Galaxy F54, as mentioned before, comes with Samsung’s own Exynos processor, which is unlike other smartphones in the mid-budget segment that come with either a MediaTek or a Qualcomm chipset. Despite the choice of processor, the phone offers a comfortable ride, especially in day-to-day usage. The phone doesn’t show any signs of lag or fatigue despite the sweltering heat or while being tasked with multiple tasks at the same time. My typical day involves juggling between various messaging apps, emailing apps, conference calls, social media apps and some OTT if the time permits. During my time with the phone, never has it disappointed me with a nervous stutter or a slowdown.

Another good thing about it is that the battery easily lasts throughout the course of the day. However, it takes a good one-and-a-half hours’ time to charge the phone completely despite the availability of a 25W super-fast charging feature.

Coming to the user interface, the Galaxy F54 5G runs Android 13-based One UI 5.1, which in turn is a minor update over the One UI 5.0 update. While the overall UI is mostly clean, it does have some bloatware and some ads that it throws up from time to time, nothing that is unexpected for a phone at this price point.

Lastly, with the Galaxy F54 5G, you also get a side-mounted fingerprint sensor that is built inside the home button. The fingerprint sensor is swift, and it unlocks the phone within seconds most of the time.

Image: Shweta Ganjoo/Techlusive

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy F54 5G or not?

Now, the million-dollar question: should you buy the Samsung Galaxy F54 5G or not? The answer to this question is a simple one. The Samsung Galaxy F54 5G is a good phone with some outstanding camera features, which make it an ideal buy for photo buffs looking for a decent phone on a budget. The retro vibe of the phone coupled with a bright and vibrant display and a long battery life make it an easy pick.

That said, not all is la la land. The phone’s lack of real fast charging support, absence of a 3.5mm jack, a standard in most phones in this price range along with a tinge of bloatware are a bit of a downer but not a dealbreaker. All in all, the Samsung Galaxy F54 5G is worth every penny.