Samsung Galaxy A54 vs iPhone SE 5G vs Google Pixel 6a: Which Budget Phone Is the Best?

Samsung has just released its latest cheap handset, the Galaxy A54, a member of the budget-oriented ‘A’ smartphone range that exists under the ‘S’ range. How might the Galaxy A54 compare to the iPhone SE 5G and the Google Pixel 6a, the budget phones from two other market leaders?

We wrote a similar article to this back in July 2022 when the Google Pixel 6a had just been announced. We compared it directly against the iPhone SE 5G, the third-generation ‘SE’ phone from Apple that targets budget-minded customers.

But now we’ve got Samsung’s latest entrant to the market – and it comes in at $50 below the Pixel 6a.

Let’s pit the Samsung Galaxy A54 against the iPhone SE 5G and the Google Pixel 6a.

Best price: Samsung Galaxy A54, iPhone SE 5G or Google Pixel 6a

This point is a bit difficult, considering that the Galaxy A54 was released just last week, the iPhone SE 5G has been out for a year now and the Google Pixel 6a has been out for nine months (and will likely be followed up by the Pixel 7a in July).

Nevertheless, the price is one of the most important factors when buying a phone, so lets see how these phones retail today through their manufacturers:

• The Samsung Galaxy A54 starts at $699 for 128GB
• The iPhone SE 5G (3rd gen) starts at $719 for 64GB, although 128GB is $799 and 256GB is $969.
• The Google Pixel 6a starts at $749 for 128GB.

We should also point out that the Galaxy A54, from now until April 13, includes a bonus Galaxy Watch 4 when you buy through Samsung – a notable incentive if you’re after a smartwatch.

Samsung Galaxy A54 vs iPhone SE 5G vs Google Pixel 6a: the Galaxy A54 is the clear winner, but only by $20.

Best look and feel: Samsung Galaxy A54, iPhone SE 5G and Google Pixel 6a

The Galaxy A54 is the largest of the trio, measuring at 158.2 mm x 76.7 mm x 8.2 mm and weighing 202 grams. It’s a particularly attractive phone with three individually protruding rear lenses, rounded edges and a glass rear, with matte colouring on the sides. It’s running the latest Samsung Galaxy OneUI operating system, and quite frankly looks like a notched-down version of the recently released S23 series.

The SE 5G is pretty much the size of a (now potentially discontinued) iPhone mini. The iPhone SE 5G is 138.4 mm x 67.3 mm (the mini is 131.5 mm x 64.2 mm and the standard iPhone 13 is 146.7 mm x 71.5 mm). It weighs 144 grams. The iPhone SE 5G looks like an iPhone, but it doesn’t look like its latest siblings due to the fingerprint reader – it swaps Face ID for Touch ID. Given it runs the latest software from Apple, it feels almost like you’re using a 2022 phone trapped in the body of a 2016 iPhone.

The 6a is noticeably smaller than its siblings, measuring 152.2 mm x 71.8 mm. It weighs 178 grams. The Google Pixel 6a also looks like a Google phone. It’s thicker than the other 6 phones, swapping the curved edges for a more flat and ‘block’-like body. The software is still Google’s latest, which means it possesses a lot of the power you get with the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, but it does lag with refresh rate in comparison.

Samsung Galaxy A54 vs iPhone SE 5G vs Google Pixel 6a: Personally, I can’t pick a winner here, but I will say that the iPhone SE 5G looks the least impressive of the three.

Best specs: Samsung Galaxy A54, iPhone SE 5G and Google Pixel 6a

Here’s how the three phones compare when it comes to hardware.

Samsung Galaxy A54 specs:

• Display: 6.4-inch AMOLED with 120Hz refresh rate
• Processor: Exynos 1380
• Storage: 128GB
• Rear Camera: 50MP (wide), 12MP (ultrawide), 5MP (macro)
• Front Camera: 32MP
• Battery: 5,000 mAh battery (more than two days battery life)
• Connectivity: 5G
• Colours: awesome violet (violet) and awesome graphite (black)

Apple iPhone SE 5G specs:

• Display: 4.7-inch LCD with 60Hz refresh rate
• Processor: A15 Bionic chip (same brains as the iPhone 13)
• Storage: 64GB, 128GB & 256GB
• Rear Camera: 12MP (wide)
• Front Camera: 7MP
• Battery: 2,018 mAh battery (up to 10 hours of video playback)
• Connectivity: 5G
• Colours: midnight (black), starlight (white) and (PRODUCT)RED (or just ‘red’)

Google Pixel 6a specs:

• Display: 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED with 60Hz refresh rate
• Processor: Google Tensor (same brains as the Pixel 6 Pro)
• Storage: 128GB
• Rear Camera: 12.2MP (wide) 12.2MP (ultrawide)
• Front Camera: 8MP
• Battery: 4,410 mAh (all-day battery)
• Connectivity: 5G
• Colours: Sage, Chalk, Charcoal

I’d like to point out that the battery in the Galaxy A54 is much bigger (5,000 mAh), and that the screen refresh rate is much greater (120hz) than the Pixel 6a (4,410 mAh and 60hz respectively). For those who care about the fluidity of a display and battery life, the Galaxy A54 may be worth considering.

Samsung Galaxy A54 vs iPhone SE 5G vs Google Pixel 6a: The Galaxy A54 and the Google Pixel 6a have come out on top.

Best camera: Samsung Galaxy A54, iPhone SE 5G or Google Pixel 6a

For this comparison, I put the Samsung Galaxy A54, iPhone SE 5G and Google Pixel 6a against each other in the exact same conditions.

To kick things off, here’s how each phone snaps a standard wide shot. The Pixel 6a produced a much more true-to-life shot, while the iPhone SE 5G was more embracing of darker colours, and the Galaxy A54 edited light into the shot quite heavily.

Here’s a macro shot comparison. Again, the Galaxy A54 is editing the shot’s colour quite heavily, while the Pixel 6a picks up much greater macro detail.

And another macro shot comparison with greater colour variation. Similar results to the above.

Here’s how each phone fares when zoomed into an object at the maximum possible zoom (standing one metre away).

And here’s a selfie test. Notice how artificially the Galaxy A54 raises the temperature of the photo. Regardless, the Pixel 6a appears to have picked up on the least detail of my face compared to the other phones. Also, yes, that’s a birthmark on my eye.

Let’s test zoom out with a landscape shot from each phone. Starting with the Galaxy A54.

Now the Pixel 6a.

And now the iPhone SE 5G.

Samsung Galaxy A54 vs iPhone SE 5G vs Google Pixel 6a: I think the Pixel 6a has won this comparison. None of the photos are bad, but the Pixel 6a has better quality in the places where it matters most, like in rear camera macro shots and in standard portrait orientation shots. I also like the natural colours the Pixel 6a produces.

The verdict

The Galaxy A54 has put up a good fight against its two closest competitors, matching the Pixel 6a in several ways and raising it in others.

If you care about internal specs, the Galaxy A54 might be the right budget handset for you, while if you care about photos, you might be more satisfied with the Pixel 6a.

Or, if you love Apple, you’ll likely still be satisfied with the iPhone SE 5G – in many ways, though, it doesn’t come close to these other phones.

Check out our Google Pixel 6a review over here, our review of the Apple iPhone SE 5G over here and stay tuned to Gizmodo Australia for our review of the Samsung Galaxy A54.