It’s been almost three years since Samsung unveiled its F Series line of smartphones in India. The F represents ‘full on’, with a value proposition that targets Gen Z consumers who want a fully loaded smartphone experience. The brand’s all-new Samsung Galaxy F54 5G is positioned as a smartphone that ticks key boxes with a strong value proposition. The focus during the first quarter of the year might have been on  Samsung’s flagship S23 series but Samsung is now busy lining up a series of launches that land at different price points. The F54 will do battle in the competitive Rs 25,000 – 30,000 price band. Does it have what it takes to deliver to demanding consumers at this price point? 

Shiny Appeal 

Colours have become a key element in the marketing mix for any smartphone. Samsung’s Stardust Silver is one of the coolest metallic shades on any smartphone. It creates a different melange of colours almost each time light hits the back panel. It might be finished in plastic but it still looks premium. It’s a tad slippery and has an affinity for fingerprints but I’d still be tempted to carry this device without a back case. The placement of the triple rear camera lenses might remind you of the S23 and S23+. We dig the minimalist appeal of this camera. The power button doubles up as a fingerprint sensor which we find mighty convenient.  The F54 scores on the design front and is one of the better-looking smartphones in this segment.  

Marathon Man 

Samsung manages to keep the heft just under 200 gm. The device feels good in your hand, despite a massive 6000 mAh battery under the hood. The Battery is one of the F54’s calling cards. It lasted about a day and a half with moderate usage during our tests and should sail through a day for heavy-duty users who keep their screen on throughout the day. There’s no charging brick in the box, just a USB-C cable. The device supports 25W charging but it doesn’t power up as fast as many of its rivals. Fast charging is soon becoming a thing and Samsung needs to arrive at that party soon.  

Full-On Appeal 

Binge-proof displays are almost a given with Samsung. The F54 is no exception. You get a vivid 6.7-inch Super AMOLED+ display (1080 x 2400 pixels / 393 PPI) with a 120Hz refresh rate that keeps things ultra-smooth. The F54 comes with a Vision Booster that improves display visibility based on the light intensity of the surroundings. The colours are gorgeous on this display that’s backed by a robust battery. There’s only one (bottom firing) speaker though. The rear camera is another big win for this device. The 108MP primary lens comes with OIS (Optical image stabilisation) and gives lowlight images a boost; this is an area where the F54 has an edge over rivals in this segment. The camera set-up includes an 8MP ultra-wide lens, a 2MP macro lens and a 32MP selfie shooter. Samsung also brings some of its flagship camera features like Nightography that add to the overall appeal of the F54’s camera package.  

Wrap Up 

The Galaxy F54 5G is powered by an Exynos 1380 processor and comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. It’s enough firepower for most users and hit a respectable score of almost 2800 in our Geekbench (multi-core) benchmark test. Samsung is also one of the only brands that offer four years of Android OS upgrades and 5 years of security updates at this price. It’s a great add-on to a device that comes with a vibrant display, a solid battery and a stylish design, making the F54 5G a strong contender in the sub-Rs 30,000 segment. 

The Samsung Galaxy F54 5G comes in Meteor Blue and Stardust Silver and costs Rs 29,999. There’s a Rs 2,000 discount on HDFC cards.