Nothing Phone 2 vs Samsung Galaxy A54 5G: Which should you buy?

The Nothing Phone 2 is a major step up for the fledgling company. With a good spec sheet and an eye-catching transparent design, Nothing is attracting the right attention from consumers and competition alike. How does the Nothing Phone 2 compare against the mid-range champion from Samsung, the Galaxy A54 5G? Are there enough reasons to consider spending more on a Nothing Phone 2 than on Samsung’s reliable mid-ranger? We explore these angles in this Nothing Phone 2 vs Galaxy A54 5G comparison.

The Nothing Phone 2 and the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G target two different market segments, and it should thus come as no surprise that they are two very different phones.

The Nothing Phone 2 targets the upper mid-range/premium mid-range space below the top-of-the-line flagships. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G sits squarely in the mid-range, hoping to benefit from the momentum in the sub-$500 smartphone market.

Starting from the front of the phones, both phones look very similar, with a flat display and a centered punch hole camera. The bezels on the Galaxy A54 5G are slightly thicker, especially the chin, while the Nothing Phone 2 has thinner, uniform bezels all around.

The display on the Galaxy A54 5G is very good, though. It is a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with an FHD+ resolution (2,340 x 1,080) and a 120Hz refresh rate. It gets decently bright, with 1,000 nits of peak brightness for HDR content. Samsung uses excellent displays on most of its phones, and other than missing LTPO tech, the Galaxy A54 5G’s display should suit the needs of most users.

If you want more, then the Nothing Phone 2 has you covered. It is a larger OLED display at 6.7-inches and has LTPO tech, allowing it to use variable refresh rates between 1Hz-120Hz. While the resolution remains FHD+ (2,412 x 1,080), it has a higher 1,600 nits of peak brightness for HDR content.

Both phones have Gorilla Glass 5 on the front for display protection. They also have a 240Hz touch sampling rate and support HDR10+.

Moving on to the internals, the Nothing Phone 2 pulls up far ahead of the Galaxy A54 5G, thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 SoC. This is a flagship-grade SoC in 2023, and it sits second in Qualcomm’s portfolio, under the top flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Even though it is not the absolute best, it remains an excellent choice for its performance-price ratio, and only a couple of SoCs out there can beat it.

In comparison, the Exynos 1380 SoC on the Galaxy A54 5G is a squarely mid-range SoC. It’s good enough for the average user, but it doesn’t compete against the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 in any way, whether for performance or efficiency. If you like to push your smartphones a bit through gaming or other prolonged use cases, then the Nothing Phone 2 is the better choice by a significant margin.

Further, Nothing extends its lead with more RAM and storage options. You can get 8GB or 12GB LPDDR5 RAM on the Phone 2, while the Galaxy A54 5G comes with just 6GB of RAM (Samsung does not bother disclosing the RAM tech). For storage, you can get 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of UFS 3.1 internal storage on the Phone 2, while the Galaxy A54 5G comes with only 128GB of UFS 3.1 internal storage.

However, the Galaxy A54 5G retains support for the microSD card slot, so you can expand your storage up to 1TB. This feature is rare among smartphones these days and has become a strong highlight for the Galaxy A54 5G.

What also works in the Galaxy A54 5 G’s favor is its IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. This phone has total protection from dust and can be immersed in freshwater up to 1m in depth.

In comparison, the Nothing Phone 2 has an IP54 rating, which means it has limited dust protection and can handle only a light spray of water. Note that water damage is not covered under warranty for either phone, so you will still have to handle both phones with care. But it’s good to know that the Galaxy A54 can handle the elements better than the Nothing Phone 2.

The winning streak for the Galaxy A54 5G continues with the software update promise. The phone runs One UI 5.1 based on Android 13, but Samsung has the best software update promise in the business. The Galaxy A54 5G will get four years of Android updates and five years of security updates.

Meanwhile, the Nothing Phone 2 comes with Nothing OS 2.0 based on Android 13, with three years of Android updates and four years of security updates. This is a year less than the Galaxy A54 5G. What works slightly in Nothing’s favor is that Nothing OS makes light changes to stock Android and is a great choice for people who do not like the heavy-handed changes in One UI.

There’s a noticeable size difference between the two phones. The Nothing Phone 2 is larger, with dimensions of 162.1 x 76.4 x 8.6mm and a weight of 201g. The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G measures 158.2 x 76.7 x 8.2mm and weighs 202g. The weight of the phones is similar, but the Nothing Phone 2 is taller and thicker.

Both phones take pretty different approaches to their design. The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G continues to play it safe with a forgettable design carried over from the flagship Galaxy S23 series. On the other hand, the Nothing Phone 2 has the company’s signature transparent design, unlike anything else on the market (other than the Nothing Phone 1, of course).

Another design win for the Nothing Phone 2 is the Glyph lighting system on the back of the phone. There are 11 LED strips on the back, with 33 individually addressable LED zones. This opens up a cool and unique way to interact with the phone. For example, with Essential Glyph Notifications, you can set some LEDs to persistently blink when you have notifications from some important apps until you clear the notification.

There is no such feature on the Galaxy A54 5G. What you get are different colors for the back, namely Awesome Graphite and Awesome Violet.

Talking about the build of the devices, with the Galaxy A54 5G, you are getting a plastic mid-frame sandwiched between glass panels on the front and back. The camera rings protrude a fair bit. Overall, it’s a very boxy design.

The Nothing Phone 2 has a better in-hand feel because it adds some curves to the mix. There is a metal mid-frame between the two glass panels. On the back, there is a slight chamfer from the metal frame going into the glass back, which surprisingly helps add to the phone’s premium feel. You could choose to protect the Nothing Phone 2 with a case, but that would take away from one of the primary selling points of the phone.

Which phone you prefer between the two is a question of how much attention you want to grab. The Nothing Phone 2 practically screams for attention with its unique transparent look and light-up LEDs. On the other hand, the Galaxy A54 5G is forgettable, but maybe that is what you are looking for, especially if you plan to cover the Galaxy A54 5G with a case anyway.

When it comes to cameras, the Nothing Phone 2 still has a slight lead, despite having one less camera. That is because the third camera is a 5MP macro camera on the Galaxy A54 5G instead of a more functional telephoto zoom camera. The Nothing Phone 2 can use the ultrawide camera for macro photography.

If the primary sensor is your preference, then the Nothing Phone 2 does great with its 50MP Sony IMX890, with f/1.88 aperture and OIS. The sensor is similar to the Sony IMX766 found on the Phone 1, but the company has continuously improved the quality of images you can get from it. The phone is also capable of shooting 4K at 60fps.

In comparison, the Galaxy A54 5G also has a 50MP sensor with f/1.8 aperture and OIS. Samsung does not disclose the camera sensor information for the Galaxy A54 5G. You can also get some great shots out of this primary sensor. Note that you will be limited to shooting 4K at 30fps on this phone.

For the ultrawide, the Nothing Phone 2 employs a 50MP sensor with an f/2.2 aperture and a 114° field of view. In comparison, the Galaxy A54 5G uses a 12MP sensor with an f/2.2 aperture and a wider 123° field of view. For an ultrawide camera, a wider field of view lets you capture more of the scene. A higher megapixel count also does not indicate quality; hence, we adjudge the Galaxy A54 5G as the phone with the better ultrawide camera.

The Galaxy A54 5G has a dedicated 5MP macro camera. The Nothing Phone 2 does not, but it can shoot macro shots with the ultrawide camera, going as close as 4cm.

For the front, the phones are very close. The Nothing Phone 2 has a 32MP, 1/2.74-inch sensor with an f/2.45 aperture. The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G has a 32MP, 1/2.8-inch sensor with an f/2.2 aperture.

Overall, it’s a close battle, but the Nothing Phone 2 has an arguable slight lead, namely on the back of its primary sensor.

The Nothing Phone 2 has a 4,700mAh battery, which plays well with the power-efficient Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip. Most users should get about six hours of screen-on time, with the phone lasting through a comfortable day of use, and some more.

The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G has a bigger 5,000mAh battery, and the performance ceiling on the Exynos 1380 is low. As a result, you can get a day and a half of battery life with the Galaxy A54 5G.

Samsung’s lead is evaporated with the charging situation, though. The Galaxy A54 5G offers only 25W wired charging. It takes about 85 minutes to fill the 5,000mAh battery.

On the other hand, the Nothing Phone 2 offers 45W USB PD PPS for wired charging. Nothing claims 55 minutes for a full charge, a significant half-hour difference on every charging cycle. Their claims are largely on point, as we could get a full charge closer to the hour, but the phone took a while for the last few percentage points. You also get 15W wireless charging and 5W reverse wireless charging on the Nothing Phone 2, which is entirely missed on the Galaxy A54 5G.

Neither phone comes with a charger in the box, so you will have to pick up a compatible charger to go along with your Galaxy A54 5G or Nothing Phone 2.

The Nothing Phone 2 comes with a significant price increase over the Nothing Phone 1, and that was to be expected considering the different market segments the phones target. While the Phone 2 is well priced at its $599 starting price, it can be out of budget for many users.

That’s where the Galaxy A54 5G steps in. It’s available at a cool $449 in one single variant. You can often spot the Galaxy A54 down to $350 if you’re willing to activate it immediately on supported carriers like Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Google Fi. That’s a great deal for the phone you are getting.

Pre-orders for the Nothing Phone 2 are live from July 11, 2023, while the phone goes on sale on July 17, 2023.

Nothing Phone 2 vs Samsung Galaxy A54 5G: Which phone should you buy?

The Nothing Phone 2 and the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G target different market segments. As a result, which phone to buy will essentially depend on your budget and, later on, your preference for any highlight features on these phones.

The Nothing Phone 2 is a marked improvement and comes closer to being a flagship than the Galaxy A54 5G. Nothing is charging more for that, but it makes sense because the company is also giving more in return. There’s a better display, better in-hand feel, a unique transparent look with Glyph lighting, a significantly better processor, more RAM and storage options, faster charging, and wireless and reverse wireless charging support.

On the other hand, the Galaxy A54 5G costs less. With that singular argument, you can gloss over some of the lead points of the Nothing Phone 2.

Even with specs that aren’t as strong, the Galaxy A54 5G is a good phone to recommend to average users. It is safe and does not attempt to fix what is not broken. There is no reimagination of the smartphone industry, and many people just want a phone that works. The Galaxy A54 5G is that phone, with Samsung’s branding on the back and a software update promise for many years that gives you the peace of mind you need.

There are some advantages that the Galaxy A54 5G does have over the Nothing Phone 2. The Galaxy A54 5G is one of the few phones in the market that still supports microSD card expansion. If you frequently find yourself in the rain, the Galaxy A54 5 G’s IP67 rating is also a better choice. The phone also has a bigger battery if you foresee being away from a charger for longer and frequently. Samsung’s update promise is also best-in-class and a valid reason to choose the Galaxy A54 5G over the Nothing Phone 2.

You should buy the Nothing Phone 2 if:

• You want a phone that is unique and grabs attention.
• You want a powerful processor for uses like gaming.
• You want fast charging and wireless charging.
• You are okay with spending more money on a new brand in the US market.

You should buy the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G if:

• You are on a tight budget.
• You want microSD card expansion.
• You want Samsung’s brand value alongside best-in-class software update promise.
• You want a phone with an IP67 rating.