Samsung Galaxy A16 4G Review: A Budget Phone Worth Considering

Samsung Galaxy A16 4G offers solid features for a budget phone, with a large display, good battery, and long-term software updates.

Riya Singh December 3, 2024

0 74 4 minutes read

Samsung Galaxy A16 4G is upgraded version of A15, featuring a larger 6.7-inch 90Hz Super AMOLED display and better protection against dust and water with IP54 rating. It has same Mediatek Helio G99 chip as the A15, but with longer software support—up to 6 major Android updates, compared to 4 on the A15. A16 has a 50MP main camera, 5MP ultra-wide, and 2MP macro, plus a 13MP front camera. It runs Android 14, One UI 6.1 and has a 5,000mAh battery with 25W fast charging. The 3.5mm headphone jack is no longer included.

Here are the key specs:

Display: 6.7” Super AMOLED, 90Hz, 1080p resolution
Chipset: Mediatek Helio G99, 6nm
Memory: 128GB/4GB RAM, 256GB/6GB RAM, expandable via microSD
Cameras: Phone has a 50MP main camera, 5MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro (rear) and a 13MP front camera.
Battery: 5,000mAh, 25W fast charging
Software: Android 14, One UI 6.1
Water and dust resistance: IP54
Other: Fingerprint sensor, 5G model available

Samsung Galaxy A16 4G Specification

Category	Details
Network 🌐	GSM / HSPA / LTE
Launch 📅	Announced: Oct 15, 2024, Released: Nov 20, 2024
Body 🏋️‍♂️	164.4 x 77.9 x 7.9 mm, 200 g, Plastic frame
Display 📱	6.7-inch Super AMOLED, 90Hz, 1080 x 2340 pixels
OS & Chipset ⚙️	Android 14, Mediatek Helio G99, 6GB RAM
Storage 💾	128GB/256GB, microSD support
Main Camera 📸	50 MP + 5 MP + 2 MP, 1080p video
Selfie Camera 🤳	13 MP, 1080p video
Sound 🔊	Loudspeaker, No 3.5mm Jack
Battery 🔋	5000 mAh, 25W charging
Sensors 🧭	Fingerprint, Proximity sensor
Price 💵	$182.97 / £167.14
Performance 🚀	AnTuTu: 387422, GeekBench: 1920
Battery Life ⏳	14 hours of active use

Samsung Galaxy A16 4G Design, build quality and handling

Galaxy A16 4G resembles the A15 4G but is slightly larger, featuring a 6.7-inch AMOLED display. Despite its size, it doesn’t feel bulky and features Samsung’s familiar design. Phone has a flat glass front, plastic frame and a matte plastic back. Cameras are arranged in three separate rings without a camera island.

A16 4G also introduces IP54 protection, meaning it’s dust-resistant and can handle light water splashes though it can’t be submerged. It comes in three colors: Blue Black, Light Green and Light Gray.

Phone has a 90Hz display with Full HD resolution, a hybrid dual-SIM tray, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and a bottom-facing speaker. Matte frame is smudge-resistant and A16 feels solid with a good grip. It’s an overall great choice for a budget phone.

Samsung Galaxy A16 4G Display, Battery life, Charging speed and Speaker

It runs Android 14 with One UI 6.1 and has a 5,000mAh battery that supports 25W fast charging. It’s bright, reaching up to 808 nits and offers two refresh rate options: 90Hz (High) and 60Hz (Standard). It doesn’t support HDR.

Phone has a 5,000mAh battery that lasts a long time. It lasts about 14 hours and 43 minutes during active use with over 11 hours of web browsing, nearly 17 hours of video streaming and over 11 hours of gaming.

It does not come with a charger, however it does support 25W rapid charging. It takes about 79 minutes to fully charge with 25W adapter.

Bottom-facing speaker on A16 4G produces clean sound with sharp highs and distinct bass.

It supports dual Nano-SIM cards and has a hybrid slot for either a SIM or microSD card but no eSIM support. For location, it supports GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS and QZSS. It supports dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3 and NFC (region-dependent). Some markets offer FM radio receiver but ours doesn’t. 3.5mm headphone jack is removed.

Type-C port supports USB 2.0 with a 480 Mbps data transfer speed but doesn’t support video output. It also supports USB Host/OTG. Phone’s virtual proximity sensor turns off the screen during calls.

Samsung Galaxy A16 4G Software, performance

Galaxy A16 4G uses Android 14 with One UI 6.1. Samsung promises six major Android updates for this phone, which is a strong advantage compared to other budget devices.

It has a similar One UI experience to Samsung’s high-end phones, but lacks features like Always On Display. One UI 6.1 includes a redesigned Quick Panel, improved notifications, a simpler camera app and better gallery tools.

A16 4G is powered by a MediaTek Helio G99 chip and comes with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage, which is expandable with a microSD card. Performance is good for entry-level use, running smoothly with fewer slowdowns compared to some competitors. It’s not the best for gaming but it handles everyday tasks well.

Phone performs well in stress tests, maintaining 83% of its maximum CPU and 98% of its GPU performance under heavy use. However, with base 4GB RAM version, some apps may take longer to load and occasional lag or stutter can be noticeable.

Samsung Galaxy A16 4G Camera, photo and video quality

Samsung Galaxy A16 4G has a basic triple camera setup. It has a 50MP main camera, a 5MP ultrawide, and a 2MP macro camera. Ffront camera is 13MP.

Main camera produces decent 12.5MP photos with good colors but dynamic range could be better. Photos of people can look unnatural with overly smooth skin. Portraits are okay, but background blur is a bit too strong.

5MP ultrawide camera offers soft, blurry images with poor detail and contrast. 2MP macro camera can take social media-worthy photos, but it’s tricky to use due to its narrow focus.

Selfie camera is also basic with fixed focus and 1080p video, but the quality isn’t great, especially with skin texture.

In low-light conditions, camera struggles and doesn’t perform well.

Samsung Galaxy A16 4G Pros and Cons

✅Pros	❌Cons
🛡️ Sturdy design with IP54 protection	🌑 Dim display, no HDR video
🔄 Up to six major OS updates	❌ No automatic refresh rate or Always On
📸 Good main camera for photos/videos	🔊 No stereo speakers
🔋 Long battery life	🐢 Modest performance
💾 Includes microSD, NFC, FM radio	📉 Basic 5MP ultrawide, no 4K video
✅	🔄 Virtual proximity sensor

Conclusion

Galaxy A16 4G is a decent phone, but there’s nothing special about it. It has a slightly bigger screen and better water resistance than last year’s A15 but it still uses the same chip and cameras which are just okay.

Main improvement is the promise of six major software updates but it’s unclear if the phone will perform well after so many updates.

Other phones at this price like Xiaomi Redmi Note 13, offer better features like a 120Hz display and a 108MP camera. Even other Samsung models like A25 and A35 are better for the same price.