Samsung Galaxy A16 5G review: Sticks to the midrange formula

The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G is the latest addition to the South Korean company’s Galaxy A series of smartphones, and it’s a midrange handset that runs Android 14, and the company has promised six major Android OS upgrades. Its direct competitor in the same price segment (under Rs 20,000) is Poco

The price of Galaxy A16 5G has been set at Rs. 18,999 (8GB+128GB) and Rs. 20,999 (8GB+256GB), but how does it perform against similar smartphones in the highly competitive price segment? After spending some time with the handset after its launch in India, here are my thoughts.

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G: S-tier design

• Dimensions – 164.4 x 77.9 x 7.9 mm
• Weight – 192 grams
• Color – Blue Black, Gold (in this review), Light Green

In recent years, Samsung’s midrange and premium midrange smartphones have begun to resemble its flagship models. We saw this with the Samsung Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35 (Review), and now the Galaxy A16 is the company’s latest phone to resemble the Galaxy S24. However, there are some notable differences – the Galaxy A16 5G has a polycarbonate back with plastic edges.

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G is equipped with triple rear camera setup

Samsung has equipped the Galaxy A16 5G with a key island on the right edge of the phone, which houses the volume rocker and power button. The SIM tray and memory card tray are located on the left edge, while the bottom edge includes a USB Type-C port and a speaker grille.

The handset comes without a cover and was used that way during the review. While it’s easy to hold without using a case, the plastic edges do get scratched after a while, so you’ll definitely want to buy a third-party cover for the Galaxy A16 5G. You’ll also need to buy a charger, as the phone only comes with a USB Type-C cable and a SIM ejector tool.

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G Software: Useful Features, Unnecessary Bloatware

• Software – One UI 6.1
• Version – Android 14
• Latest security patch – September 1, 2024

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G comes with One UI 6.1 based on Android 14. This is the same software that runs on the more expensive Galaxy A35 and Galaxy A55 models. This means you’ll get support for Samsung’s SmartThings, Wallet, TV, and other apps. Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer support for Good Lock, which allows an even greater level of customization and control on Samsung phones.

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G runs on One UI 6.1, which is based on Android 14 (Tap to enlarge)

Like other smartphones available in this price segment, the Samsung Galaxy A16 will download third-party applications if the default setup option is selected after setting up the phone, so this is very important to pay attention to when setting up the phone for the first time. The phone has downloaded apps and games like Paytm, CallApp, Water Sort, Adobe Photoshop Express, Snapchat and some other apps which can also be uninstalled.

In terms of software support, the Galaxy A16 5G far exceeds expectations for any handset in this price range. Samsung says it will provide up to six years of OS upgrades for the smartphone, which means it should remain updated until at least 2030. It’s really impressive that Samsung has committed to updating the Galaxy A16 5G with six major Android OS updates, while its most expensive A-series model available today – the Samsung Galaxy A55 – will get four upgrades.

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G performance: could be better

• Processor – MediaTek Dimensity 6300
• Memory – 8GB LPDDR4X
• Storage – 256 GB UFS (unspecified version)

The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G is powered by the 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 6300 SoC, which is the successor to the Dimensity 6100+ introduced in 2023. This chipset has two Cortex-A76 performance cores (2.4GHz) which are slightly faster than last year’s processor (2.2). GHz), with six Cortex-A55 efficiency cores (2GHz). It also has Arm Mali-G57 MC2 GPU, like MediaTek’s older chip.

It appears that the Cortex-A76 cores on the Dimensity 6300 are showing their age, as I noticed some lag and stuttering in day-to-day use. Despite these visual hindrances, the smartphone is usable when running apps like Chrome, WhatsApp, Google Maps, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter).

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G benchmark test results (tap to enlarge)

You won’t be able to use the Galaxy A16 5G to play resource-intensive games like Call of Duty: Mobile or Free Fire Max – these titles don’t feel as smooth as other games in the same price segment. On the other hand, it can run Asphalt Legends: Unite at the lowest graphics settings or casual games like Angry Birds Pop! And Bubble Witch 3 without any problems.

On synthetic benchmark tests, the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G delivered lower scores than other similarly priced smartphones like the Moto G85 and Infinix Note 40 5G. These results are not surprising as competitors are equipped with more capable processors, such as the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 and the MediaTek Dimensity 7020.

In fact, Samsung’s own Exynos 1380 SoC, which powers the handset in other markets (as well as the Galaxy M35 5G), has more powerful Cortex A78 performance cores. This would have been much better for the smartphone – considering it has a six-year long software support window.

Here’s a handy table that shows you how the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G performs against other smartphones in popular benchmark tests.

While its brightness diminishes during the day in winter, the 6.7-inch full-HD+ (1,080×2,340 pixels) Super AMOLED display on the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G was bright enough when I took the phone outside, except for When it was in direct sunlight. It took a few seconds for the phone to detect ambient light when I took it out of my pocket, but it turned the brightness up to the maximum level, and I could read the contents of my screen without any problems.

As long as you avoid direct sunlight, the Galaxy A16 5G’s display remains bright enough

I didn’t notice any touchscreen-related issues while using the Galaxy A16 5G. The refresh rate switches between 60Hz or 90Hz, but there’s no option to automatically switch between the two. The higher refresh rate is definitely worth choosing, and it doesn’t have any noticeable impact on battery life.

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G cameras: good daytime photography

• Main camera – 50-megapixel (f/1.8), AF, up to 1080p/30fps video
• Ultrawide camera – 5-megapixel (f/2.2)
• Macro camera – 2-megapixel (f/2.4)
• Selfie camera- 13 megapixel

The primary camera on the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G captures good photos during the day, especially when shooting subjects in ample natural light, but some fast-moving subjects may appear blurry. Some colors appear a little more vibrant than usual, but they look great when shared on social media.

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G camera samples. From top to bottom – Primary, Ultrawide, Primary (tap images to enlarge)

Unfortunately, the 5-megapixel ultrawide camera doesn’t produce photos that are as good as the primary camera. Images lack detail, and may appear overexposed in bright landscapes. Even with adequate lighting, zooming in on the image reveals a lot of smoothing.

Samsung has also equipped the handset with a 2-megapixel macro camera, which works reliably during the day, but colors can appear a little faded compared to the primary camera. I had to tap on some subjects in the viewfinder to make sure they were in focus.

Once again, the 50-megapixel camera on the Galaxy A16 5G is most reliable when clicking images in low-light scenarios. The camera app has a built-in night mode, but you have to enable it manually. This mode doesn’t work on ultrawide cameras, which result in noisy and blurry shots at night.

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G camera samples. Top to bottom – low light, macro (tap images to enlarge)

There is a 13-megapixel selfie camera on the front which is very reliable for selfies and video calls. It works well during the day, capturing clear photos and colors that are accurately reproduced. The camera takes good pictures even at night, when there is adequate lighting. In very low-light scenarios, the selfie camera still captures a fair amount of detail with little softness.

The primary camera on the Galaxy A16 lacks optical image stabilization (OIS), which is evident when capturing videos. You can capture video up to 1080p resolution at 30fps, and clips captured during the day are usable if you’re not moving around too fast. Video quality drops rapidly in low-light scenarios.

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G battery: lasts longer, charges slowly

• Battery Capacity – 5,000mAh
• Wired Charging: 25W (USB Type-C)

The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery that provides about two days of backup with normal usage. On days when I used the handset for extended periods of time (about 6 hours of screen on time), the phone delivered about a day and a half of battery life. This is par for the course for smartphones in this price segment.

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G offers more than 24 hours of battery backup on a single charge

Like other smartphones from the company, the Galaxy A16 5G does not come with a charger in the box. Using a third-party 18W charger, the phone took about two hours to charge – the battery level was at 35 percent after 30 minutes and 66 percent after an hour.

In our HD video battery loop test, the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G lasted 19 hours and 45 minutes, which is slightly less than the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite (22 hours and 17 minutes), but better than the Infinix Note 40 (17 hours and 17 minutes). is more than. 56 minutes). It’s important to remember that this is a synthetic test for offline video playback, and the phone offers reliable battery backup for day-to-day use.

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G review: Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G looks like one of the company’s most expensive smartphones, and it looks more “premium” than the competition. It is easy to hold and has a bright display. The handset also has a large battery, which gives ample battery backup on a single charge.

The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G faces a lot of competition from other phones priced under Rs. 20,000 points

You also get six years of software updates – that’s nice, but only if the smartphone remains fast enough for so many years. The presence of the Dimensity 6300 chipset and the weak ultrawide camera are two factors holding this smartphone back.

There are some other smartphones under Rs. 20,000 points that arguably offers better performance than the Galaxy A16 5G, including the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite (Review), Infinix Note 40 5G (Review), and the Moto G85 (Review).

Other similarly priced handsets you can consider include the Poco X6 and Realme Narzo 70 Pro. Another handset that you should consider compared to the Galaxy A16 5G is the Galaxy M35 5G (Review), which comes with better specifications (including the Exynos 1380 chipset) and is available in the same price segment.