How do the two devices compare? Leave a comment

• 

  Google Pixel 7a

  $450 $500 Save $50

  The Pixel 7a is the new affordable smartphone from Google, featuring much-awaited features such as a 90Hz responsive display, a more powerful camera setup, and support for wireless charging. The Pixel 7a is powered by the Tensor G2 chipset, and it’s the best device in the A series yet.

  Pros

  • Best mid-range camera
  • Flagship-like performance

• 

  Samsung Galaxy A54 5G

  $375 $450 Save $75

  The new Samsung Galaxy A54 5G comes with a two-day battery life, an excellent triple camera setup, and support for 25W fast charging, It has a compact design and a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display and a microSD expansion slot to store your apps and photos.

  Pros

  • 120Hz refresh rate
  • 5,000 mAh battery

The Google Pixel 7a was announced at I/O ’23 alongside other exciting new products. With its increased retail price of $500, the device brings many significant improvements over its predecessor, which makes it an easy device to recommend. But there is a device in the market that it will rival, the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G. The two devices have similar pricing and are currently available for sale. They even go head-to-head in many aspects. Here we will look at how their respective hardware compares to help you make a purchase decision.

Technical Specifications

• 

  Google Pixel 7a

  $450 $500 Save $50

  The Pixel 7a is the new affordable smartphone from Google, featuring much-awaited features such as a 90Hz responsive display, a more powerful camera setup, and support for wireless charging. The Pixel 7a is powered by the Tensor G2 chipset, and it’s the best device in the A series yet.

  SoC

  Google Tensor G2, Titan M2 security chip

  Display

  6.1-inch, OLED, 90Hz, FHD+, Gorilla Glass 3

  RAM

  8 GB (LPDDR5)

  Storage

  128GB (UFS 3.1)

  Battery

  4,385 mAh

  Ports

  USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2

  Operating System

  Android 13

  Front camera

  13MP, f/2.2, 95-degree FoV

  Rear cameras

  Primary: 64MP, f/1.9, 80-degree FoV, 1/1.72-inch, Ultrawide: 13MP, f/2.2, 120-degree FoV

  Connectivity

  5G (Sub-6Ghz/mmWave), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC

  Dimensions

  6.0 x 2.87 x 0.40 in (152 x 72.9 x 9.0 mm)

  Colors

  Charcoal (Black), Coral (Red), Snow (White), Sea (Blue), Google Store Exclusive: Coral

  Weight

  6.8oz (193.5 grams)

  Charging

  18W wired charging, 7.5W Wireless charging

  IP Rating

  IP67

  Security

  In-display fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock, PIN, Pattern, Password

  Material

  Gorilla Glass 3 front, aluminum frame, plastic back

• 

  Samsung Galaxy A54 5G

  $375 $450 Save $75

  The new Samsung Galaxy A54 5G comes with a two-day battery life, an excellent triple camera setup, and support for 25W fast charging, It has a compact design and a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display and a microSD expansion slot to store your apps and photos.

  SoC

  Exynos 1380 (5 nm, Octa-core)

  Display

  6.4-inch, FHD, Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 1000 nits

  RAM

  6/8GB

  Storage

  up to 256GB

  Battery

  5,000 mAh

  Ports

  USB-C

  Operating System

  One UI 5.1 based on Android 13

  Front camera

  32MP

  Rear cameras

  50MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, 5MP macro

  Connectivity

  5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3

  Dimensions

  158.2 x 76.7 x 8.2 mm

  Colors

  Lime, Graphite, White, Violet

  Weight

  202 grams

  Charging

  25W wired

  IP Rating

  IP67

  Security

  Under-display fingerprint sensor, Face unlock, PIN, Pattern, Password

  Material

  Plastic Back, Plastic Frame, Gorilla Glass 5

Google Pixel 7a vs. Samsung Galaxy A54 5G: Price & availability

The Google Pixel 7a is currently available for purchase from several major retailers for its retail price of $500. You can purchase the Black, White, and Light Blue color variants from any retailer, but if you’re looking for the Coral variant, you must head to Google’s online store. As for storage and RAM variants, Google only offers a single model with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage.

Like the Pixel, the Galaxy A54 also comes in four colors, but the options available in your region may vary. You can only pick between Graphite and Violet in the United States when purchasing the device via official channels. It will cost you $449 for the variant with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage.

Google Pixel 7a vs. Samsung Galaxy A54 5G: Flagship design, budget build

Both Pixel 7a and Galaxy A54 borrow heavily from their flagship brethren when it comes to design. The Pixel 7a maintains the camera bar design using metal entirely instead of the glass-metal combo seen previously and swaps the dual-tone finish for a single-colored plastic back.

With the Galaxy A54, you will see the camera lens-only design, which we’ve seen on all Galaxy S23 series models this year. But Samsung has swapped the metal frame for one made with plastic, leaving the glass front and back intact.

Google Pixel 7a vs. Samsung Galaxy A54 5G: Display Comparison

Regarding the displays on these two devices, the Galaxy A54 maintains a clear advantage over the Pixel 7a. It has a larger 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate; the Pixel 7a has a 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate. As for brightness levels, both devices are rated to hit a peak nearing 1000 nits.

The Galaxy A54 also outdoes the Pixel 7a with its Gorilla Glass 5 protection; the latter has Gorilla Glass 3 protection.

Google Pixel 7a vs. Samsung Galaxy A54 5G: Processor, Storage, & RAM

The Google Pixel 7a is bound to be the better performer between the two phones as it ships with the Tensor G2 processor, the same one found in the flagship Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. And as mentioned earlier, it is bundled with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage.

The Galaxy A54, on the other hand, has the Exynos 1380, a mid-range processor paired with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. Although, this phone does have the advantage of expandable storage.

While both phones may suffice in day-to-day tasks, if there’s ever a day when you need more processing capability or want to try your hand at an intensive game, the Pixel 7a will fare better.

Google Pixel 7a vs. Samsung Galaxy A54 5G: Camera hardware

Upon comparing the Pixel 7a and Galaxy A54 camera hardware, you’ll notice that the setups are similar. The Pixel 7a has a 64-megapixel wide camera and a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera. There’s also a 13-megapixel front camera on this phone.

As for the Galaxy A54, there is a triple camera setup on the rear, which includes a 50-megapixel wide, 12-megapixel ultrawide, and 5-megapixel macro shooter. On the front is a 32-megapixel shooter.

Based on camera hardware, it isn’t apparent if either device has any advantage. Still, the Pixel does come with a boatload of software features that take the image-taking experience to another level.

Google Pixel 7a vs. Samsung Galaxy A54 5G: Battery

Touching upon battery-related hardware, the Google Pixel 7a has a 4,385 mAh cell with support for 18W fast wired charging and 7.5W wireless charging, whereas the Galaxy A54 has a 5,000 mAh cell with support for 25W fast charging. With only FHD+ displays on these devices and not extremely powerful processors, we’d say a whole day of use with either device should be easy to attain.

Which is right for you?

As for which device is right for you, if you’re really into photography or a power user, the Pixel 7a packs hardware that will help you manage this specific kind of workload. But suppose you’re someone who prefers using their device for media consumption. In that case, the Galaxy A54 is likely the ideal choice, as it has a larger screen and a larger battery that charges faster, which is expected to give you more screen time than the alternate.