Galaxy A54 vs A56: Two debatable wins, one clear advantage for the 2023 model

When it debuted in 2023, the Galaxy A54 had a difficult task. It was the first in the A5x series to adopt a modern design language, and it also had to convince people that it didn't need a depth camera.

It's safe to say that the Galaxy A54 succeeded. The models that preceded it followed the same formula, so the A54 did things right. It still is a fairly decent mid-range phone, even today, and even as it's starting to show its age. But does it do anything better than the latest model?

To be fair, the Galaxy A56 is a tough phone to beat. It's a fantastic mid-range phone and the best in the series so far for many reasons, from battery life to performance. It's a great upgrade proposition for A54 users.

But even though the older Galaxy A54 can't outshine the 2025 model, it is fun to think of the ways in which the aging phone might be better. So, here are three areas where the Galaxy A54 arguably beats the A56. Two are debatable and one isn't.

On paper, flat phone frames have more advantages than curved frames, but one thing the Galaxy A54 does better is comfort.

Thanks to the slightly curved frame, the Galaxy A54 is more comfortable to hold and use with one hand than the Galaxy A56.

This advantage is debatable because the outcome depends on what you might value more: compactness or a bigger screen.

The newer Galaxy A56 boasts a superior 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display with a higher brightness level. It's technically superior in every specification, but not if you're looking for a smaller design.

The Galaxy A54's 6.4-inch display means that the phone itself is more compact, adding to that effect mentioned earlier. It is more comfortable to hold and use with one hand.

Last but certainly not least, the Galaxy A54 is better than the A56 in the area of expandable storage. And this one is not debatable.

Granted, a microSD card slot on a phone is not as important as it used to be. That's mainly because users can no longer install and run games from expandable storage.

But if you want that extra storage to store photos and videos, the Galaxy A54 has the A56 beat.

Is this enough to crown the Galaxy A54 as the better phone? Well, claiming this would be a stretch, to say the least.

The A54 is still a fine phone, but the newer Galaxy A56 is fantastic. Still, this goes to show that it is not perfect, and the A54 still has some perks of its own in 2025.