Samsung Galaxy A54 vs. Google Pixel 7a: Which budget phone will win?

A Samsung Galaxy A54 vs. Google Pixel 7a comparison requires us to look ahead. While Samsung is now taking pre-orders for its new midrange phone, the Pixel 7a has yet to even be announced. But we’re expecting that to change shortly.

Google I/O 2023 takes place on May 10, and that venue has been where Google has introduced its latest A Series phones in the past. You’d think that history would repeat itself with Google showing off the Pixel 7a and how it packs some of the top Pixel 7 features into a less expensive handset.

When the Pixel 7a does arrive, the Galaxy A54 will be waiting for it. The top phone in Samsung’s midrange Galaxy A lineup offers processor and camera improvements that should make it a formidable rival to the Pixel 7a, as both phones vie to be the best cheap phone of the year.

Our Samsung Galaxy A54 vs. Google Pixel 7a rundown requires a little bit of guesswork, based on rumors surrounding Google’s upcoming phone. But there are enough rumored details out there to give us a pretty good indication of how this budget phone battle might go.

More interested in the here and now? We’ve also got a Samsung Galaxy A54 vs. Google Pixel 6a face-off, comparing Samsung’s new phone to the current Google budget offering.

Samsung Galaxy A54 vs. Google Pixel 7a specs

Samsung Galaxy A54 vs. Google Pixel 7a price and availability

Galaxy A54 preorders are underway in advance of the phone’s April 6 release date. You can buy the Galaxy A54 for $449/£449, with preorder deals lowering the cost somewhat and, in some cases, including add-ons like discounted Galaxy Buds Live earbuds.

We’re not sure what the Pixel 7a will cost, though we’d imagine Google will try to keep the phone around the same $449 price that it charges for the Pixel 6a. Even if the Pixel 7a price ticks upward due to rising component costs and new features, we’d imagine Google would keep the price under $500 if only to keep distance between the 7a and the $599 Pixel 7.

The Pixel 7a is likely to get a sneak preview during Google I/O 2023 on May 10. If Google follows the launch schedule of the Pixel 6a, the new phone would then go on sale sometime during the summer.

Samsung Galaxy A54 vs. Google Pixel 7a design

Samsung phones are starting to look alike, though in the case of the Galaxy A54, that’s a good thing. Much like the recently released Galaxy S23 lineup, the Galaxy A54 features a vertical row of cameras descending down the back of the phone. From a distance, in fact, you’d be hard pressed to spot the differences between an S23 and an A54, though the differences become more apparent once you hold either handset. The Galaxy A54 also uses cheaper materials like Gorilla Glass 5 instead of the more durable Victus 2.

We assume the Pixel 7a will also look a lot like its more expensive sibling. After all, the Pixel 6a adopted the Pixel 6’s look right down to the horizontal camera bar stretching across the back of the phone. That should return with the Pixel 7a, though we imagine the new budget phone won’t use the aluminum material found on the Pixel 7’s matte finish camera bar.

Samsung Galaxy A54 vs. Google Pixel 7a display

Assuming Pixel 7a rumors are true, expect the Galaxy A54 to offer more screen space. Samsung’s phone features a 6.4-inch AMOLED panel, while the Pixel 7a is tipped to feature the same 6.1-inch OLED screen found on last year’s 6a.

The Galaxy A54 display can ramp up to a 120Hz refresh rate, though you have to go into Settings to enable that feature. While the Pixel 6a offered a more conventional 60Hz refresh rate, the Pixel 7a could go in a different direction. An alleged prototype of the phone revealed a 90Hz refresh rate setting.

That would mean the Galaxy A54 would still be capable of a faster refresh rate, meaning smoother scrolling and more immersive graphics than the Pixel 7a. But at least Google’s new phone would offer users a better refresh rate than before.

Samsung Galaxy A54 vs. Google Pixel 7a cameras

Google’s usual edge in cameras extends to its budget lineup, as the Pixel 6a proved to be the best camera phone available for less than $500. For the Galaxy A54, Samsung is breaking out the heavy artillery to compete.

Specifically, Samsung is equipping the Galaxy A54 with the same 50MP sensor found on the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus. That’s significant because when we compared photos shot by the Galaxy S23 to those shot by the Pixel 7, we actually preferred Samsung’s efforts for the most part. If that same image quality translates to the Galaxy A54, the Pixel 7a will have a formidable competitor.

As for the Galaxy A54’s other cameras, the 50MP main shooter is joined by a 12MP ultrawide lens and 5MP macro sensor. Up front, you get a 32MP selfie camera.

We’ve only heard mild speculation about the Pixel 7a’s cameras. The most likely scenario is that the budget phone features a pair of 12MP sensors for its main and ultrawide cameras. There is a chance that the main camera on the Pixel 7a gets an upgraded 12MP sensor, though.

Samsung Galaxy A54 vs. Google Pixel 7a performance

Performance is another area where Samsung’s been forced to step up its game, as the Tensor in last year’s Pixel 6a turned in better benchmark results than the Exynos 1280 silicon powering the Galaxy A53. Considering Google’s Tensor chips are better known for their machine learning-fueled capabilities instead of their performance, that’s pretty embarrassing for Samsung.

For the Galaxy A54, Samsung is turning to an upgrade Exynos 1380 chipset, which should deliver better performance than before. Specifically, Samsung promises a 20% CPU boost and a 26% GPU improvement over what the Exynos 1280 offered.

Then again, Google isn’t likely to stand in place with its budget phone. We expect the Pixel 7a to run on the same Tensor G2 silicon found in the Pixel 7. Again, we’re not talking a performance powerhouse here, but the G2 is a bit faster than the original Tensor chipset.

The Galaxy A54 features 128GB of storage in the U.S version, with a microSD slot giving you the ability to boost capacity to 1TB. If the Pixel 7a follows the Pixel 6a’s lede, expect a lone 128GB model with no expandable storage.

Samsung Galaxy A54 vs. Google Pixel 7a battery life and charging

The Pixel 7a desperately needs to improve upon the Pixel 6a’s lackluster 6.5-hour result on our battery test. (The average smartphone comes closer to 10 hours.) But rumors aren’t predicting much of a battery increase from the 4,410 mAh cell that powered the Pixel 6a, so maybe the Tensor G2 can run more efficiently.

Like the Galaxy A53, the Galaxy A54 features a 5.000 mAh battery. Barring a surprise from Google, we’d expect that will mean the A54 outlasts the Pixel 7a, though we’ll need to run battery tests to be sure.

Wireless charging is a rarity among phones in this price range. The Pixel 6a didn’t offer it nor does the Galaxy A54. But a rumor claims Google may add that capability to the Pixel 7a.

Samsung Galaxy A54 vs. Google Pixel 7a software

With both phones running Android 13, the Pixel 7a will likely look to stand out with the AI-driven features enabled by its Tensor G2 silicon. Expect many of the capabilities introduced with the Pixel 7 — the Photo Unblur editing tool, improved Direct My Call capabilities and transcribed audio messages to name a trio — to find their way into the Pixel 7a.

Samsung, meanwhile, will likely stake its claim to being the better long-term bet. The Galaxy A54 is guaranteed to support four years of software updates with an additional year of security support. All Google guarantees is three years of software updates for its phones, unless that changes with the Pixel 7a’s release.

Samsung Galaxy A54 vs. Google Pixel 7a outlook

A definitive winner in the the Samsung Galaxy A54 vs. Google Pixel 7a clash won’t emerge until after we’ve tested both phones. That means we won’t be able to pick the better phone until summer at the earliest.

Our initial Galaxy A54 impressions confirm just how much you get for $449 with Samsung’s new phone — better cameras, a responsive display and an improved processor that promises better performance than before. Google’s going to have to lean heavily on Tensor-powered features and top-performing cameras if it wants the Pixel 7a to wind up on top.

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