I’ve been somewhat non-plussed about Samsung’s F series of mid-range smartphones thus far, but the Galaxy F54 looks to be the phone that’ll likely change my opinion about the lineup. It trickles down a number of flagship-grade features in a sub-INR 30,000 price point, but with the intense competition in this space, does it go the distance?
Pulling the F54 out of its slim profile box – a clear indicator that Samsung has skipped bundling the charger with this phone – the phone itself is a chunky number at 8.4 mm thickness, though it isn’t too uncomfortable to hold or too heavy (199 g) given that it packs in a 6,000 mAh battery. It’s available in ‘Stardust Silver’ and ‘Meteor Blue’ variants, the former is a shiny, silver which reflects a rainbow effect (and every single fingerprint of yours) when it catches the light, while the latter is a bit more subtle and staid.
The triple-ring camera setup on the rear resembles the flagship S23, but a few other decisions – a side-mounted fingerprint scanner instead of an in-display scanner and a plastic frame and rear panel – allude to its mid-range positioning. You can expand the internal 256 GB storage to 1 TB via the hybrid SIM slot, which is a bonus.
Around the front is a 6.7-inch full HD+ resolution, super AMOLED Plus display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass 5 protection. Expectedly, Samsung’s core strengths in displays is… on display here, with punchy colours and good details that do a great job rendering streaming content and in-game visuals. The bezels are a tad thick, but the single speaker is a bit of a letdown in a segment where stereo speakers are easily found.
Powering the F54 is an Exynos 1380 chipset, and while the phone is fine for everyday tasks, this is not a performance powerhouse, and would not be my choice for heavy gaming or processor-intensive workloads. The capacious battery lasts well over seven hours of screen on time, but the 25 W charging speeds means a full charge takes about two hours. The phone runs One UI 5.1 (based on Android 13), and Samsung has promised four generations of Android upgrades and five years of security updates.
Yet, its strength lies elsewhere – in the triple camera setup, fronted by the optically stabilized 108-megapixel primary shooter. The larger pixel size on the camera allows detailed daylight shots, but it truly shines when the sun goes down, and Samsung has provided a bunch of strong software features, like Single Take and Astrolapse. The ultra-wide and the macro shooters are serviceable, but they pale in comparison with the far superior primary sensor. Stick to the primary shooter, and you’ll be rewarded with excellent shots.
In all, the F54 is worth considering in its segment, if you prioritize the display, battery and camera capabilities, else you could consider the iQOO Neo 7 or the Motorola Edge 40.
Rating: 8/10
Price: INR 29,999