Samsung Galaxy A54 5G vs Samsung Galaxy S23

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G

5,000mAh delivers reliable all-day endurance and long-term owners regularly get 1.5-2 days of moderate use. The catches: 25W charging is slow (~1h25m to full), there's no wireless charging at all, and Digital Trends flagged disappointing day-to-day life in their full review.

• 5,000mAh battery — large, with reliable all-day endurance for typical mid-range use patterns.
• Long-term owners regularly get 1.5-2 days of moderate use, ~6-8 hours of SOT — strong for the price.
• Digital Trends review flagged 'disappointing battery life' as the main caveat — Exynos 1380 efficiency varies by usage pattern.
• 25W wired charging only — ~1h25m to full in real testing. No wireless charging at all (Pixel 7a has it).

Samsung Galaxy S23

3,900mAh — the family's weakest point. Real-world ~5-6 hours of SOT typical (worsened by One UI 6/7), and only 25W charging means ~1h12m to full. The compact form factor's main cost.

• 3,900mAh battery — only 200mAh more than the S22, no 4,500mAh+ like the Plus. The smallest cell in the family.
• Real-world: ~5-6 hours of SOT typical, comfortably a full day of moderate use, 1-1.5 days possible.
• Battery life noticeably dropped after One UI 6 update — owner went from 5-6h SOT on 5G to barely 2h, recommends staying on Android 13 for best results.
• Feb 2026 update real-world: ~4h SOT on Wi-Fi, drops to <2h on 5G — battery efficiency has gotten worse with time.
• Charging caps at 25W (the Plus and Ultra get 45W): 0-100% takes ~1h12m on Samsung's 25W charger.
• Slower 25W charging is a battery-health silver lining — less heat means the cell degrades less over the long term.
• 15W Qi wireless charging supported; 4.5W reverse wireless to top up Galaxy Buds or a Watch.

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G

$449 launch (now $300-350) with class-leading 4 OS / 5 sec update support, microSD expansion and a great display. The biggest competition is the Pixel 7a at $50 more with a better camera + wireless charging.

• Launched at $449; frequently $300-350 on sale and around $250 used in 2026 — outstanding value for the spec sheet.
• TechRadar: 'the best budget Samsung phone deal going right now' — frequently cited as the value pick in the under-$500 segment.
• Android Authority: 'perhaps one of the best non-flagship phones of this year' — S23-like design, fluid display, good main camera, reliable battery, 4-year updates.
• Forbes counter: Pixel 7a at $50 more is the better all-rounder — better camera, wireless charging, the Tensor G2 chip outperforms the Exynos 1380.
• Trusted Reviews: 4/5 — 'a solid mid-ranger that ticks most boxes' with a great display, premium build, decent camera and large battery.
• XDA verdict: 'One of the best mid-range phones gets better' — the A54 is the standard reviewers measure other mid-rangers against.

Samsung Galaxy S23

$799 launch with the same chip as the $1,199 Ultra — strong value despite the 25W charging and smaller battery. Now $300-400 used, often the best compact-flagship option versus Pixel 7/8 and OnePlus 11.

• Launched at $799 with the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip as the $1,199 Ultra — outstanding flagship value at the base tier.
• Engadget verdict: 'A solid phone that's probably not worth the upgrade' from a recent S22 or S21 — Samsung's iterative cadence.
• Notebookcheck calls it 'the small S23 that makes the biggest leap' — the S23 family's largest year-over-year improvement is on the standard tier.
• Best compact Android flagship at ₹45k in 2024 — still recommended for buyers who want a one-handed phone with good cameras.
• vs Pixel 7 — Pixel wins on haptics, one-handed design and software smarts; S23 wins on chip speed, battery life and update commitment.