For years, Apple and Samsung have engaged in fierce competition, each vying for the prestigious title of the ultimate smartphone. As time passes and technology advances, both companies have dedicated themselves to relentless innovation, tirelessly striving to enhance their smartphones in every aspect imaginable, including speed, functionality, and user experience.
Two recent models from each company, the Samsung Galaxy A54, and the iPhone SE, have become very popular picks, especially for those who are on a tight budget. What makes these phones so great is that they have many of the features that any other Samsung or Apple smartphone might have, but they’re significantly cheaper.
Most smartphones from the two companies today, especially the newer models, will sell for around $800. These models, however, fall within the $375-$450 range. If you’re someone who is on a tight budget and you still need a smartphone (as we all do nowadays), these two are great options to consider.
However, which is the best one for you? Let’s break down how each smartphone stacks up so that you can compare the two for yourself.
Overall budget-friendly smartphone features
iPhone SE
- (Pro) Reasonably priced for the fast speed it gets
- (Pro) Excellent camera quality for taking pictures and videos
- (Pro) It’s compact and not big and bulky
- (Con) No Night Mode for the camera
- (Con) Less storage availability
- (Con) Less battery life
Samsung Galaxy A54
- (Pro) Features a larger 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display compared to the 4.7-inch iPhone SE offering a more immersive viewing experience for multimedia content
- (Pro) Has a larger battery capacity than the iPhone SE, which translates to longer battery life
- (Pro) Offers up to 128 GB of storage at its base price
- (Pro) Excellent camera quality for taking pictures and videos
- (Con) Does not perform as quickly as the iPhone SE based on its chipset
- (Con) A little more expensive than the iPhone SE
WINNER: Samsung Galaxy A54
Cost
iPhone SE
- (Pro) The iPhone SE was listed at the time of publishing on Amazon, Best Buy, and Verizon’s website for $429.99, which is cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy A54 on the Samsung website
Samsung Galaxy A54
- (Pro) At the time of publishing, the Samsung Galaxy A54 was priced on Amazon and Best Buy’s websites for $374.99, which is cheaper than the iPhone SE
- (Con) It is priced regularly on the Samsung website at $449.99, which is more expensive than the iPhone SE
WINNER: Samsung Galaxy A54
Storage
iPhone SE
- (Pro) Offers up to 256 GB of storage for all iPhone SE models
- (Con) You only get 60 GB of storage for the base price
- (Con) If you want more storage than the initial 60 GB on your iPhone SE, you have to pay an extra $50, which then would make it more expensive than the Samsung Galaxy A54
Samsung Galaxy A54
- (Pro) You get 128 GB of storage on the Samsung A54 for the prices listed above
- (Con) Only U.K. models can get up to 256 GB
- (Pro) Supports expandable storage via a microSD card slot, allowing you to easily increase the available storage space
- (Pro) You can purchase a microSD card that will give you up to 1 TB of storage
WINNER: Samsung Galaxy A54
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Battery life & charging speed
iPhone SE
- (Con) Operates on a 1,624 mAh battery
- (Con) Only lasts about 9 hours on a single charge and offers 20W charging.
Samsung Galaxy A54
- (Pro) Operates on a 5,000 mAh battery
- (Pro) Can last up to almost 12 hours on a single charge and can offer 25W charging
WINNER: Samsung Galaxy A54
Camera quality
iPhone SE
- (Pro) Has an A15 Bionic chipset, which makes the camera quality excellent
- (Con) Has a single 12MP lens with no ultra-wide shooter and no Night mode
Samsung Galaxy A54
- (Pro) Has a 3-lens camera, with a 50MP main camera and a 12MP ultrawide shooter
- (Pro) The camera has Night Mode
WINNER: Samsung Galaxy A54
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Better performance
iPhone SE
- (Pro) Equipped with the A15 Bionic chipset
- (Pro) Fastest performance for what you’re paying when it comes to loading pretty much anything like videos, games, and more.
Samsung Galaxy A54
- (Con) Still runs slower than the iPhone SE A15 Bionic chipset
WINNER: iPhone SE
Who wins overall?
Both phones are great, and you can get fantastic performance without breaking the bank no matter which phone you end up choosing. However, the Samsung Galaxy A54 is the winner here. It’s more affordable, takes higher-quality photos and videos, and charges faster, making it an excellent choice for those who want a smartphone and also want to save a good amount of money. At the time of publishing, this product had 57% of consumers giving the product 5 stars.
However, even with the Samsung Galaxy A54’s range of impressive features, let’s be honest, Apple customers are likely to stay loyal to the brand, no matter what comes along, due to their strong brand loyalty and preference for the Apple ecosystem. At the time of publishing, this product had 56% of consumers giving the product 5 stars.
Are you the type of person who needs the latest model? What do you love most about your smartphone? Let us know by commenting below.
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Related:
- Apple Watch vs. Fitbit – which reigns supreme for fitness?
- Samsung unveils Galaxy S23: Here’s why you should care
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