The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G is the South Korean firm’s newest addition to its Galaxy A sequence of smartphones, and it’s a midrange handset that runs on Android 14, and the corporate has promised as much as six main Android OS upgrades. Its direct opponents in the identical value section (beneath Rs. 20,000) are the Poco X6, Realme Narzo 70 Professional, Infinix Notice 40 Professional 5G, Moto G85, OnePlus Nord CE Lite, in addition to Samsung’s personal Galaxy M35 5G mannequin.
Pricing for the Galaxy A16 5G is about at Rs. 18,999 (8GB+128GB) and Rs. 20,999 (8GB+256GB), however how does it fare in opposition to related smartphones in a really aggressive value section? After spending a while with the handset because it was launched in India, listed here are my ideas.
Samsung Galaxy A16 5G: S-Tier Design
- Dimensions – 164.4 x 77.9 x 7.9 mm
- Weight – 192g
- Colors – Blue Black, Gold (On this assessment), Mild Inexperienced
Lately, Samsung’s midrange and premium midrange smartphones have began to resemble its flagship fashions. We noticed this with the Samsung Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35 (Evaluate), and now the Galaxy A16 is the most recent telephone from the corporate to bear a resemblance to the Galaxy S24. There are some notable variations, although — the Galaxy A16 5G has a polycarbonate again with plastic edges.
Samsung Galaxy A16 5G is provided with a triple rear digital camera setup
Samsung has geared up the Galaxy A16 5G with the Key Island on the proper fringe of the telephone, which homes the quantity rocker and energy buttons. The SIM tray and reminiscence card tray are positioned on the left edge, whereas the underside edge features a USB Kind-C port and a speaker grille.
This handset ships with out an included cowl, and that is the way it was used throughout the assessment. Whereas it is easy to grip with out utilizing a case, the plastic edges have a tendency to select up scratches after some time, so you will positively need to purchase a third-party cowl for the Galaxy A16 5G. You will additionally have to buy a charger, because the telephone solely ships with a USB Kind-C cable and a SIM ejector device.
Samsung Galaxy A16 5G Software program: Helpful Options, Pointless Bloatware
- Software program – One UI 6.1
- Model – Android 14
- Newest safety patch – September 1, 2024
The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G ships with One UI 6.1, primarily based on Android 14. It’s the identical software program that runs on the dearer Galaxy A35 and Galaxy A55 fashions. This implies you get assist for Samsung’s SmartThings, Pockets, TV and different functions. Sadly, it would not supply assist for Good Lock, which permits a fair higher stage of customisation and management over Samsung telephones.
The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G runs on One UI 6.1, which is predicated on Android 14 (Faucet to develop)
Like different smartphones accessible on this value section, the Samsung Galaxy A16 will obtain third-party functions after establishing the telephone when the default setup choices are chosen, so it is essential to concentrate while you’re establishing the telephone for the primary time. The telephone downloaded apps and video games like Paytm, CallApp, Water Kind, Adobe Photoshop Specific, Snapchat, and a handful of different apps that can be uninstalled.
When it comes to software program assist, the Galaxy A16 5G far exceeds expectations from any handset on this value class. Samsung says it’s going to present as much as six years of OS upgrades for the smartphone, which implies it needs to be updated till at the least 2030. It is really spectacular that Samsung has dedicated to updating the Galaxy A16 5G with six main Android OS updates, whereas its most costly A-series mannequin accessible as we speak — the Samsung Galaxy A55 — will get 4 upgrades.
Samsung Galaxy A16 5G Efficiency: Could possibly be Higher
- Processor – Mediatek Dimensity 6300
- Reminiscence – 8GB LPDDR4X
- Storage – 256GB UFS (Unspecified model)
The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G has a 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 6300 SoC, the successor to the Dimensity 6100+ launched in 2023. This chipset has two Cortex-A76 efficiency cores (2.4GHz) which might be barely quicker than those on final 12 months’s processor (2.2GHz), together with six Cortex-A55 effectivity cores (2GHz). It additionally has the identical Arm Mali-G57 MC2 GPU as MediaTek’s older chip.
The Cortex-A76 cores on the Dimensity 6300 seem like displaying their age, as I observed some lagging and stuttering in day-to-day use. Regardless of these visible stutters, the smartphone is usable when working apps like Chrome, WhatsApp, Google Maps, Instagram, and X (previously Twitter).
Samsung Galaxy A16 5G benchmark check outcomes (Faucet to develop)
You will not have the ability to use the Galaxy A16 5G to play resource-intensive video games similar to Name of Obligation: Cell or Free Fireplace Max — these titles don’t really feel as clean as different video games in the identical value section. Alternatively, it may run Asphalt Legends: Unite on the bottom graphics settings or informal video games like Offended Birds Pop! and Bubble Witch 3 with none points.
On artificial benchmark exams, the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G delivered decrease scores than different equally priced smartphones like Moto G85 and the Infinix Notice 40 5G. These outcomes usually are not shocking because the competitors is provided with extra succesful processors, such because the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 and the MediaTek Dimensity 7020.
In reality, Samsung’s personal Exynos 1380 SoC, which powers the handset (in addition to the Galaxy M35 5G) in different markets, has extra highly effective Cortex A78 efficiency cores. It will have been a a lot better match for the smartphone — contemplating it has a six-year lengthy software program assist window.
Here is a useful desk to indicate you the way the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G fares in opposition to different smartphones in well-liked benchmark exams.
| Benchmark | Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | Moto G85 | Infinix Notice 40 5G | OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 Single Core | 736 | 935 | 909 | 904 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi Core | 1938 | 2102 | 2025 | 2015 |
| AnTuTu v10 | 411,056 | 450,865 | 488,954 | 448,127 |
| PCMark Work 3.0 | 9,382 | 11,757 | 13,309 | 9,850 |
| 3DMark Wild Life | 1351 | 1569 | Didn’t run | 1508 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Limitless | 1335 | 1578 | Didn’t run | 1507 |
| 3DMark Sling Shot | 3603 | 4406 | Didn’t run | 4226 |
| 3DMark Sling Shot Excessive | 2629 | 3259 | Didn’t run | 3121 |
| GFXBench Automobile Chase | 56 | 19 | 16 | 17 |
| GFXBench Manhattan 3.1 | 24 | 33 | 29 | 30 |
| GFXBench T-Rex | 14 | 89 | 66 | 60 |
Whereas it will get much less vibrant in the course of the day in winter, the 6.7-inch Full-HD+ (1,080×2,340 pixels) Tremendous AMOLED show on the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G was vibrant sufficient after I took the telephone outside, besides when it was in direct daylight. The ambient gentle detection took a few seconds to reply after I took the telephone out of my pocket, however it cranked up the brightness to the utmost stage, and I might learn the contents of my display with none points.
The show on the Galaxy A16 5G is vibrant sufficient so long as lengthy as you keep away from direct daylight
I did not discover any touchscreen associated points whereas utilizing the Galaxy A16 5G. The refresh fee switches between 60Hz or 90Hz, however there is not any choice to routinely change between the 2. The upper refresh fee is unquestionably the one to go for, and it barely has a noticeable influence on battery life.
Samsung Galaxy A16 5G Cameras: First rate Daytime Pictures
- Major digital camera – 50-megapixel (f/1.8), AF, as much as 1080p/ 30fps video
- Ultrawide digital camera – 5-megapixel (f/2.2)
- Macro digital camera – 2-megapixel (f/2.4)
- Selfie digital camera – 13-megapixel
The first digital camera on the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G captures respectable photographs in the course of the day, particularly when capturing topics with ample pure gentle, however some fast-moving topics may seem blurry. Some colors seem a little bit extra vibrant than standard, however they give the impression of being nice when shared on social media. 
Samsung Galaxy A16 5G Digicam Samples. Prime to backside – Major, Ultrawide, Major (Faucet photographs to develop)
Sadly, the 5-megapixel ultrawide digital camera would not produce photographs which might be remotely pretty much as good as the first digital camera. Photos lack element, they usually can seem overexposed in vibrant eventualities. Even when there’s sufficient gentle, zooming in on the picture reveals a whole lot of smoothening.
Samsung has additionally geared up the handset with a 2-megapixel macro digital camera, which works reliably in the course of the day, however colors can seem a little bit washed out in comparison with the first digital camera. I needed to faucet on some topics within the viewfinder to ensure they have been in focus.
As soon as once more, the 50-megapixel digital camera on the Galaxy A16 5G is probably the most dependable when clicking photographs in low-light eventualities. The digital camera app has a built-in night time mode, however you will have to allow it manually. The mode would not work on the ultrawide digital camera, which delivers noisy and blurry photographs at night time.
Samsung Galaxy A16 5G Digicam Samples. Prime to backside – Low Mild, Macro (Faucet photographs to develop)
On the entrance, there is a 13-megapixel selfie digital camera that may be very dependable for selfies and video calls. It really works nicely in the course of the day, capturing clear photographs and colors which might be reproduced precisely. At night time, the digital camera nonetheless takes respectable photos if there’s sufficient gentle. In very low gentle eventualities, the selfie digital camera nonetheless captures a substantial quantity of element, with a little bit of softening.
The first digital camera on the Galaxy A16 lacks optical picture stabilisation (OIS), which is clear whereas capturing movies. You may seize movies in as much as 1080p decision at 30fps, and clips captured in the course of the day are usable when you aren’t shifting round too rapidly. The video high quality drops sharply in low-light eventualities.
Samsung Galaxy A16 5G Battery: Lasts Lengthy, Prices Slowly
- Battery Capability – 5,000mAh
- Wired Charging: 25W (USB Kind-C)
The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G is provided with a 5,000mAh battery that gives about two days of backup with conservative use. On days after I used the handset for longer durations (about 6 hours of display on time), the telephone delivered a few day and a half of battery life. That is on par with the course for smartphones on this value section.
Samsung Galaxy A16 5G offers over 24 hours of battery backup on a single cost
Like the corporate’s different smartphones, the Galaxy A16 5G would not ship with a charger within the field. Utilizing a third-party 18W charger, the telephone took almost two hours to cost — the battery stage was at 35 p.c after half-hour and 66 p.c after an hour.
In our HD video battery loop check, the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G lasted for 19 hours and 45 minutes, which is barely decrease than the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite (22 hours and 17 minutes) however larger than the Infinix Notice 40 (17 hours and 56 minutes). It is essential to do not forget that this can be a artificial check for offline video playback, and the telephone affords dependable battery backup for day-to-day use.
Samsung Galaxy A16 5G Evaluate: Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G resembles one of many firm’s most costly smartphones, and it subjectively seems extra “premium” than the competitors. It’s simple to carry, and it has a vibrant show. The handset additionally has a big battery, which delivers ample battery backup at a single cost.
Samsung Galaxy A16 5G faces a whole lot of competitors from different telephones beneath the Rs. 20,000 mark
You additionally get six years of software program updates — that is good, however provided that the smartphone stays snappy sufficient for as a few years. The presence of the Dimensity 6300 chipset and the lacklustre ultrawide digital camera are two components holding this smartphone again.
There are a handful of different smartphones beneath the Rs. 20,000 mark that supply arguably higher efficiency than the Galaxy A16 5G, together with the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite (Evaluate), the Infinix Notice 40 5G (Evaluate), and the Moto G85 (Evaluate).
Different equally priced handsets that you may think about embody the Poco X6 and the Realme Narzo 70 Professional. One other handset that you need to think about over the Galaxy A16 5G is the Galaxy M35 5G (Evaluate), which is provided with higher specs (together with an Exynos 1380 chipset) and is out there in the identical value section.