Samsung Galaxy A16 5G: So-So Smartphone or Super Savvy Investment?
Well, well, well! Look what the cat dragged in—Samsung’s latest entry-level smartphone, the Galaxy A16 5G! It’s been six months since the launch of its predecessor, the Galaxy A15 5G, and honestly, you’d think this newcomer would have shown up with fireworks, confetti, and a dazzling new design. But no, it’s just another day in the office. It’s like inviting your mate to the party just to find out he wore the same bloody shirt!
The Colorful World of Info
Let’s break it down, shall we?
- Size has gone up – Maybe it’s been hitting the gym? The A16 sports a 6.7-inch display that’s slightly larger than the A15’s 6.5 inches.
- Quality Oled screen – You’ll want sunglasses; it’s bright enough for a day on the beach! Christ, except only on an overcast day, of course.
- Decent daytime photos – Just don’t expect to win any competitions unless it’s a ‘most average picture’ contest!
- Tracking Updates – Samsung promises six years of updates! It’s like they’re committed to keeping your phone alive longer than your last relationship.
But Wait! The Downsides…
- Dated facade – Same old look. Style points? Zero.
- Really fair performance – Like a middle school report card—you passed, but just!
- Poor night photos – Take it out after dark and you’ll be more disappointed than when your favorite show gets cancelled.
Is It Just a Bigger A15 in Disguise?
Let’s not kid ourselves. The design remains identical to the A15 5G. Samsung’s idea of “new” just seems to involve bigger dimensions without a single bit of imagination. It’s like gaining weight and calling it a ‘new you’. And speaking of ‘weight’, it’s rather hefty—like your phone’s lingering on your finger when you’re trying to take a quick selfie!
Display Delight: Or Lack Thereof?
The A16 sports a quality display, no doubt. But it feels somewhat like a trick. You know, like the magician who only pulls out a rabbit because he’s out of real tricks? The brightness is decent, better than your mother-in-law’s cooking, but even a bit of reflection makes it hard to read under the sunlight. What’s up with that?
All About That Chip
Powered by an Exynos 1330 chip, this beast isn’t showing off any superpowers. It suffices to say it’s like going to the gym but only lifting weights that your grandma can manage. And holding your breath for gaming? Good luck! You’ll want to stick to Candy Crush rather than anything graphically demanding because it’ll stutter worse than your mate after a few drinks!
Photos By Day, Blurs By Night
If you’re planning to be a night owl with this camera, forget it! The A16 might as well come bundled with a sign that says ‘Please, no low-light photography.’ It’s like using a potato for a lens: you’ll see splashes of color but not a lot of clarity!
Battery Life: Hovering Like an Unsure Ex
And then we have the battery life. You’d expect progress with a new version, but nope! It’s as if someone pressed the pause button. 5000 mAh may seem robust, but if it’s stagnant like your uncle at a wedding, it’s not living up to its potential.
A Parting thought…
The Galaxy A16 5G is a decent smartphone for the price. However, if that’s the best you can say, it might be time to grab your wallet and look for something a bit more…shiny? It screams ‘value for money,’ but let’s be honest, it’s more like a ho-hum experience with a cherry on top. If you were thinking of investing in the A15 5G, the A16 is a lazy alternative; you might as well just swap out the kettle for a microwave and call dinner done!
Samsung has expanded its entry-level smartphone lineup with the launch of the Galaxy A16 5G. This new model is designed with longevity in mind, though it appears to lack some necessary features to truly achieve this goal.
Just six months after the debut of the Galaxy A15 5G, which hit the market last April, Samsung has swiftly introduced a successor. This rapid turnaround is particularly surprising for a budget smartphone, and it’s even more noteworthy given the substantial advancements the Galaxy A16 5G brings to the table within this category.
While only modest improvements in hardware can be found, Samsung is focusing on enhancing the software experience. Notably, this device omits the latest artificial intelligence features, as its processor does not support such capabilities. Instead, Samsung has made a bold commitment regarding software updates. Unlike many competitors in the under-250-euro price point that typically offer two to three years of updates, the Galaxy A16 comes with an impressive six years of security patches and system updates—just one year short of the premium S series devices. This commitment is rare and deserves recognition. However, the enduring durability of the Galaxy A16 over that span remains to be seen, especially since it seems already to struggle with the current Android version. We spent several days testing the Galaxy A16 5G variant (which also offers a more affordable 4G model at 219 euros), and our findings are summarized below.
Samsung Galaxy A16 5G test: a larger size for an identical design
The Galaxy A16 5G is arriving just six months after its predecessor, so there are no major design changes to admire. In fact, the A16 retains an identical design to the A15 5G. Its aluminum frame and glossy back continue to show fingerprints, while the three rear camera modules are neatly arranged in a vertical line at the top left corner—an unmistakable Samsung signature.
Samsung has expanded the dimensions of the A16 slightly, featuring a 6.7-inch display compared to the previous model’s 6.5 inches. This increase results in a slight height and width gain, with the device growing by 4.3 mm in length and 1.1 mm in width. However, it has also slimmed down from 8.4 mm to 7.9 mm in thickness, making it just as comfortable to hold. Its edges are designed with a flat and subtly beveled finish, and the right edge includes a protrusion to help users easily locate the volume and power buttons, which also serve as a fingerprint reader.
However, the front of the device presents some disappointment. The selfie camera placement at the top of the screen in a waterdrop notch and the pronounced chin at the bottom remind users that they are dealing with a budget model. Additionally, the sizable black borders around the display detract from the overall aesthetic appeal—a letdown given the high expectations set by prior impressions.
Another notable change is that the Galaxy A16 5G now comes equipped with an IP rating, specifically an IP54 index, which offers protection against dust and splashes—an upgrade that was missing from the A15 model.
Samsung Galaxy A16 5G test: a top Oled screen
The A16 boasts a larger 6.7-inch AMOLED panel, maintaining the FHD+ resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels. However, this slightly lowers the pixel density from 396 ppi to 385 ppi, a change that is imperceptible to the naked eye. The refresh rate remains the same at a maximum of 90 Hz and is not adaptive. Users will have to choose between Standard (60 Hz) for battery savings or High (90 Hz) for enhanced fluidity.
The brightness level is still commendable for a smartphone in this price range, ensuring that content is easily readable outdoors, despite some reflections on the screen.
Samsung Galaxy A16 5G test: performance too fair
Technical sheet
While the A15 5G did not impress with its speed, the A16 5G follows in similar footsteps. The A16 transitions from the MediaTek 6100+ chip to Samsung’s own Exynos 1330 SoC—a comprehensive eight-core processor manufactured using a 5 nm process. It comprises two Cortex-A78 cores operating at 2.4 GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 2 GHz, paired with a Mali-G68 GPU. However, with only 4 GB of RAM, the performance feels inadequate for a device priced at 250 euros in 2024.
Despite slight benchmark improvements compared to its predecessor, real-world experience with the A16 reveals significant performance issues. Users may notice the interface is often unresponsive, causing slow animations and requiring repeated gestures. While no applications crashed during our usage, the frustrating lag makes for a less than optimal experience.
Gaming performance is similarly underwhelming. When testing with Genshin Impact, the Galaxy A16 struggles to achieve 30 FPS even at the lowest detail settings. Increasing graphical fidelity results in further complications, limiting this device primarily to light gaming experiences.
Samsung Galaxy A16 5G test: decent photos during the day, mediocre at night
On the photography side, Samsung opted for continuity rather than innovation. The A16 5G employs a familiar setup, including a 50 Mpx wide-angle sensor (f/1.8), a 5 Mpx ultra-wide-angle sensor (f/2.2), and a 2 Mpx macro lens (f/2.4). The selfie camera, unchanged from its predecessor, features a 13 Mpx sensor (f/2.0).
Under good lighting conditions, the primary camera captures sharp images with satisfactory detail and brightness, making for reliable everyday snapshots. However, the absence of optical zoom means users must rely on digital zoom options, which degrade image quality as users approach higher magnifications.
The ultra-wide-angle captures acceptable images for smaller displays, although detail loss becomes apparent on larger screens.
In low-light situations, the A16 5G struggles significantly, producing grainy images with unnatural color representation due to aggressive software processing. Users will likely find that nighttime photography fails to meet expectations.
Samsung Galaxy A16 5G test: stagnating autonomy
The battery technology remains unchanged for the Galaxy A16 5G, continuing with a robust 5000 mAh cell. Samsung claimed to have optimized battery usage for the new model, suggesting the potential for extended battery life. However, our testing contradicts this claim, with the A16 managing only around 12 hours in the PCMark benchmark compared to its predecessor’s performance that exceeded 19 hours. In practical use, we could expect roughly a day and a half of normal usage, including an extended photo session, which mirrored the experience with the A15 5G.
Charging speed shows slight improvement, as the device can still handle a 25W charging speed, same as the A15. Using an Anker 45W charger—since one isn’t included—charged the device from 0 to 100% in 84 minutes, with 54% recovered in about half an hour—a better performance than the earlier model.
Samsung Galaxy A16 5G: a smartphone designed to last, really?
While Samsung’s objectives for extending software longevity for budget smartphones are commendable, the A16 5G’s performance raises eyebrows. The Exynos 1330 processor exhibits signs of struggle early in its lifecycle, compounded by the limitation of just 4 GB of RAM. Although the storage can be expanded via microSD cards, the RAM cannot be upgraded, leaving doubts over its ability to support future Android iterations, particularly through 2030.
Despite its shortcomings, the Galaxy A16 5G is positioned as a cost-effective smartphone within the budget category. The larger screen size is a positive feature, but users seeking a more capable processor to alleviate performance slowdowns may be disappointed. While the photo quality meets basic needs in good lighting, nighttime performance falls short. Overall, for those considering an upgrade from the A15 5G, the A16 5G represents a reasonable option, albeit with limited advancements in technology. One can’t help but wonder why Samsung didn’t label this model as the A15 Plus given the minor nature of the improvements.
Exynos 1480 AnTuTu
To the A15’s performance in similar conditions. This stagnation in battery life may be attributed to the larger display and potential inefficiencies in the Exynos 1330 SoC.
In practical daily use, the device comfortably lasts a full day under moderate usage, including social media browsing, video streaming, and some light gaming. However, users who are heavy on multitasking or gaming may find themselves reaching for the charger by the evening. The 5000 mAh battery, while substantial, does not seem to deliver significant improvements over its predecessor, making its efficiency a point of contention for those expecting a marked increase in battery performance.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G offers a familiar experience for those who appreciated the A15, but it does not break new ground. The smartphone features impressive aspects like a vibrant AMOLED screen and decent performance during moderate use. However, the limitations in performance, particularly in gaming and the overall responsiveness of the interface, may deter potential buyers, especially at its price point of around 250 euros.
For photography enthusiasts, decent daylight performance is marred by poor low-light capabilities, while the battery life, despite its solid capacity, shows little advancement. In sum, while the Galaxy A16 5G is a solid choice for casual users who prioritize display quality over raw power, those seeking improved performance and versatility may want to consider alternative models or brands that offer more competitive specifications within the same price range.
