Galaxy A54 5G A Series Cell Phone, Unlocked Android Smartphone, 128GB, 6.4” Fluid Display Screen, Pro Grade Camera, Long Battery Life, Refined Design, US Version, 2023, Awesome Black

First I tried a Pixel 7a, because I liked the typical Google enhancements. The fingerprint sensor, and modem were supposed to be improved over my old Pixel 6, but sadly, I didn't see it. That is when I decided to try this A54. While it may not be quite as fast as the Pixel, and it doesn't have voice type, or phone monitoring, it is an extremely well-balanced phone. It feels premium, and the software has a very smooth fluid feel to it. Also, the fingerprint scan has never failed me, and the cell signal is about 10% better than both the Pixel 6, and 7a. The bonus is that I got it on Prime Day and saved about $130. Features are nice, but reliable unlocking, and great cell signal with a smooth OS are priceless. Update 8/26/23: I've had this phone for a tad over 5 weeks now, and it is getting to be my favorite phone I've had. It is very smooth, super reliable, and does everything I need. On paper, this phone is no powerhouse compared to flagships, but I don't miss the extra power one bit. I'm not a gamer but I play games and I'm not a photographer but I shoot very nice pictures. Not once have I missed the extra power. That said, my biggest complaint with Pixels was the biometric security. Fingerprint sensors, and face recognition for me was 85%. This A54 has never failed to open on the first try since I've had it. Like I said, if you want the fastest phone this isn't it, but pleasingly fast everyday use doesn't always mean the latest processors.

In August 2023, my beloved 2017 Galaxy S8 died a sudden death. I should have know it was coming but I had no warning. I needed a phone fast and did not want to be paying for one on my phone plan. I checked the Slick Deals website for suggestions and was directed to this phone on Amazon. I ordered and it was on my doorstep in less than 8 hours. Off to T-Mobile and I was back up and running less that 14 hours from waking up to a dead phone. So far I am happy with this phone. It does what I need and some of my apps are happier. The fingerprint reader is hit or miss so that's frustrating sometime. I need to program my thumb now. Other than all the things that need getting used to with a new phone (new sounds, new messaging, some lost contacts from not backing up often) I'm happy with this phone It communicates well with my Subaru Android system. I haven't had any connection problems. It holds a charge for well over 24 hours. The screen is slightly larger than my old phone and clear. I can see everything I need.

So far I've had this phone for nearly two years. No real issues save for slightly annoying OS updates. The latest one actually makes it slightly more difficult to get into settings, and turns the power button into an AI launcher... thankfully that can be disabled and return previous functionality. The phone has been great so far. Very moisture resistant (got caught in the rain), with decent texts and very good battery life. It's a bit heavy, but that's not much of a complaint since it's due to the big battery and glass construction. I lament the loss of an audio jack, but a USB adapter actually works better as the old audio jacks use to always fail. The fingerprint reader is a bit dicey and unreliable, but I actually prefer to use a code. It's easy to use as well. Probably the best phone I've ever owned. I've heard that Samsung doesn't like the fact that this phone sold so well, since it cuts into the profits of their more expensive phones. It's kind of funny. They made the phone too good a deal, so people would often go for this instead of their more expensive models.

I needed to replace my Galaxy A30s international model phone after about 4 years; as one of the budget phones in the Galaxy line, the A30s offered dual sim capability, but I had to buy an international model with no US warranty to get that flexibility. Shame on Samsung US for not offering that phone! The A54 5g phone for the US offers both eSIM and physical SIM capability, so we can travel abroad without have to physically remove our US SIM. We use Consumer Cellular, which resells AT&T (and used to resell T-Mobile). The A54 5g is priced a bit higher than the A30 series, but still far less than the top end domestic offerings. Who needs to pay $1,000 for a phone? Every few years? Really? My wife bought the A54 5g when it was introduced on the Consumer Cellular website; it was a great introductory buy at $300. I bought this for a bit more, and only within the last few months. Still, there isn't a better (my opinion) mid range phone available on the market (well, the US market, at least). We live in an almost dead zone, about 2 miles away in opposite directions from cell towers (and the digital coverage at our house is about 1 bar). Still, this phone makes and receives calls very well; we augment that by using WiFI calling through our Xfinity router. Call coverage is good. I preferred the A30s fingerprint reader, under the screen on the front, compared to on the side of this phone. ALso, unless you autolock the screen within about 5-10 seconds of last use, and happen to toss it into your pocket, you may find that the screen is so sensitive in your pocket that you will inadvertantly open the screen and exercise home screen icons, including the phone. Imagine my surprise when I got a call back from the 9-1-1 operator asking what my emergency was. Oops, pocket dial, my bad. So I've taken to a minimal active screen time and making sure the screen is black before I put the phone in my pocket. Other than that, no issues. Enjoy!