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 two 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.
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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
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Budget-friendly smartphone 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
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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 micro SD card slot, allowing you to easily increase the available storage space
- (Pro) You can purchase a micro SD card that will give you up to 1 TB of storage.
WINNER: Samsung Galaxy A54
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The Samsung Galaxy A54 has a 12-hour battery life. (Samsung)
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
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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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The Samsung Galaxy A54 has a three lens camera. (Samsung)
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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
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The iPhone has a faster performance than the Samsung Galaxy. (Apple)
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. However, even with this 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.
Are you the type of person who needs the latest model? What do you love most about your smartphone? Let us know by writing us at CyberGuy.com/Contact.
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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.
