Samsung Galaxy A16 Review: Great Battery Life

Worth When Reviewed

$149.99

Finest Costs Right now: Samsung Galaxy A16

$149.49

Samsung’s Galaxy A16 is a minor improve over final yr’s A15, providing a bigger 6.7-inch AMOLED show, fundamental IP54 water and dirt resistance, and a stable battery life.

Nonetheless, regardless of these small refinements, the core {hardware} stays largely unchanged. It nonetheless runs on the MediaTek Helio G99 chipset, which struggles when in comparison with newer price range processors. The cameras stay fundamental, with a weak 5Mp ultrawide and an pointless 2Mp macro sensor.

The shortage of stereo audio system, 4K video recording, and correct video stabilisation places it at a drawback in opposition to rivals just like the Redmi Word 13, Poco X6, and even Samsung’s barely increased specced Galaxy A16 5G, that are among the many greatest price range telephones.

In the end, whereas the A16 provides a refined software program expertise and nice battery life, it seems like a cellphone from final yr that hasn’t stored up with the competitors.

Design & Construct

• Bigger design with IP54-rated splash resistance
• Matt plastic again feels sturdy and resists fingerprints
• No stereo audio system or premium supplies

Samsung hasn’t dramatically modified the design from final yr’s A15, however the Galaxy A16 is barely greater because of its bigger 6.7-inch display screen. The matt plastic again feels well-built and resists fingerprints higher than shiny finishes. I notably appreciated the Gentle Inexperienced colourway my unit got here in. It appears nearly like mint, and there’s a slight shimmer if you maintain the machine beneath sure lights. There are additionally darker blue and gray color choices to choose from.

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The cellphone retains Samsung’s signature floating digital camera design, the place the three rear lenses are stacked vertically with no digital camera island. The body is flat and minimalistic, with the facility and quantity buttons raised for straightforward entry. I don’t notably look after this aspect notch for the buttons. There’s no actual purposeful purpose for it, and it doesn’t look nice.

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The most important new addition is IP54 splash resistance, which implies the A16 can deal with gentle rain and dirt publicity. Nonetheless, this doesn’t imply it’s waterproof – so don’t count on it to outlive a dunk in water.

At 200g, the cellphone in all fairness heavy, however its weight distribution is well-balanced, making it comfy to carry for prolonged durations.

Nonetheless, there’s no stereo speaker set-up – a significant omission in 2025. Telephones just like the Redmi Word 13 and Poco X6 supply twin audio system, making them higher for media consumption.

Display & Sound

• 6.7-inch Tremendous AMOLED show delivers vibrant colors and deep blacks
• 800-nit peak brightness ensures good outside visibility
• No HDR assist and solely a single bottom-firing speaker

The A16’s show is its second strongest function, behind the superb battery life. The 6.7-inch Tremendous AMOLED panel provides nice color replica, deep blacks, and wonderful distinction. With a Full HD+ (1080 x 2340) decision, the show is crisp and sharp – excellent for streaming, gaming, and studying.

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The 90Hz refresh fee makes scrolling really feel clean, however not like some rivals, there’s no adaptive refresh fee, which means it stays at 90Hz on a regular basis, barely impacting battery effectivity.

Brightness is spectacular for a price range cellphone, with a measured 808-nit peak brightness, making it usable open air even in brilliant daylight. Nonetheless, HDR assist is lacking, which means providers like Netflix and YouTube gained’t supply the highest-quality playback.

The most important letdown is audio. With solely a single bottom-firing speaker, the sound lacks depth, bass, and stereo separation. In distinction, equally priced Xiaomi and Poco rivals supply twin audio system, making them higher for watching movies and gaming.

Specs & Efficiency

• Chipsets are power-efficient and deal with fundamental duties properly, however are previous
• Expandable storage through microSD card
• Slower than equally priced telephones just like the Poco X6

Samsung has taken an uncommon method with the Galaxy A16, equipping the cellphone with two completely different chipsets, relying on the area. Some fashions include the MediaTek Helio G99, whereas others function Samsung’s in-house Exynos 1280. Whereas each are mid-range processors, their efficiency varies considerably in real-world use.

The Helio G99 is a 6nm chip with an octa-core CPU (2x Cortex-A76 at 2.2GHz and 6x Cortex-A55 at 2.0GHz), paired with a Mali-G57 MC2 GPU. It performs properly for on a regular basis duties like messaging, net looking, and social media, but it surely struggles beneath heavy multitasking.

The Exynos 1280, however, is a 5nm processor with a extra power-efficient design and a barely stronger Mali-G68 MP4 GPU, giving it a modest edge in graphics efficiency and battery effectivity.

In benchmarks, the Exynos 1280 persistently scores increased than the Helio G99 in CPU-heavy duties however nonetheless falls behind trendy mid-range processors just like the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2. The Mali-G68 GPU additionally outperforms the Mali-G57 MC2, providing smoother gameplay in some instances. Nonetheless, each chipsets should not very best for gaming, with frequent body drops in demanding titles.

Reminiscence and storage additional restrict the cellphone’s potential. The bottom mannequin ships with 4GB RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage, which feels sluggish in comparison with UFS 3.1 present in some opponents. There’s a 6GB RAM variant, which helps with multitasking, however Samsung’s RAM Plus function (digital RAM) does little to enhance efficiency.

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Total, the Galaxy A16’s efficiency is underwhelming in 2025, particularly when in comparison with equally priced opponents just like the Redmi Word 13 or Poco X6, each of which supply newer and extra highly effective chipsets. With a Geekbench 6 multi-core results of 1920, the handset sits fairly a means beneath the Poco X6 which makes use of the Snapdragon 7s Gen chip and has a multi-core rating of 3480. The Galaxy A16 even scores round 100 factors decrease than its 5G counterpart.

Day-to-day efficiency is often nice for duties like net looking, social media, and streaming, however in additional demanding apps, you’ll discover slowdowns. There have been some events the place simply even doing the fundamentals felt sluggish – there’s no different method to put it. Gaming is proscribed to low-to-medium settings, and the cellphone struggles with heavy multitasking. Even working one thing comparatively tame like Crops vs. Zombies made this cellphone begin to battle and actually warmth up.

Should you’re in a area the place the Exynos 1280 variant is out there, it’s the higher alternative, however neither model stands out in a crowded price range market. Whereas 4GB RAM is manageable, the 6GB RAM model is the higher alternative for longevity. Storage is expandable through microSD, which is a welcome function.

Samsung Galaxy A16 benchmarks

Battery Life & Charging

• 5000mAh battery simply lasts as much as two days with average use.
• Sluggish 25W charging places this cellphone behind opponents.
• No wi-fi or reverse charging.

Samsung continues to ship wonderful battery life in its price range telephones, and the Galaxy A16 isn’t any exception. Its 5000mAh battery, mixed with an energy-efficient chipset, permits for at the very least two full days of utilization on a single cost. For gentle to average use (social media, messaging, and video streaming), it’s potential to stretch battery life past 48 hours. Even with heavy use, together with gaming and GPS navigation, the cellphone comfortably lasts a full day.

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The Exynos 1280 variant has barely higher energy effectivity than the Helio G99 model, because of its 5nm structure, which means customers in areas with this chipset may see longer screen-on occasions. Nonetheless, the distinction isn’t large, and each variations of the A16 4G supply a number of the greatest endurance on this value vary.

The charging expertise is much less spectacular. Samsung helps 25W wired charging, however no charger is included within the field. Utilizing Samsung’s official 25W charger, the cellphone reaches round 50% in half-hour and takes roughly 80 minutes for a full cost. This isn’t sluggish, but it surely lags opponents just like the Poco M6 Professional (67W) and OnePlus Nord CE4 (100W), which cost considerably quicker.

In contrast to some competing price range telephones, the A16 doesn’t supply wi-fi charging or reverse wired charging. Whereas wi-fi charging is uncommon at this value, some price range Xiaomi and Motorola fashions supply reverse wired charging, permitting customers to share their cellphone’s battery with equipment or different gadgets.

In the end, battery life is among the A16’s greatest strengths, however Samsung’s sluggish charging speeds and lack of an included charger damage its competitiveness.

Cameras

• First rate foremost digital camera, however weak secondary sensors
• Poor low-light efficiency, even with a devoted night time mode
• Restricted video capabilities

The Galaxy A16 retains the identical triple-camera setup as its predecessor, that includes a 50Mp main sensor, a 5Mp ultrawide lens, and a 2Mp macro digital camera. Whereas the primary sensor produces good leads to daylight, the secondary cameras really feel like afterthoughts.

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Daylight pictures from the primary digital camera are sharp and vibrant, with Samsung’s ordinary punchy color tuning that makes blues and greens stand out. Dynamic vary is respectable, however not as robust as Samsung’s higher-end gadgets. In good lighting, particulars are well-preserved, and noise is minimal. They’re not the sharpest pictures you’ll ever see, however they’ll suffice. Zooming in, you get fairly grainy outcomes – even at simply 2x. Attempt to go additional than that, and photographs are just about unusable.

Low-light efficiency, nevertheless, is a weak level. With out optical picture stabilisation (OIS), the A16 struggles with movement blur and noise in darker environments. Samsung’s night time mode helps brighten pictures and enhance dynamic vary, however particulars stay gentle, and highlights typically get blown out. Competing telephones just like the Redmi Word 13 and OnePlus Nord CE4 supply higher low-light efficiency because of superior picture processing and stabilisation.

The 5Mp ultrawide digital camera is disappointing, producing gentle, low-detail pictures with poor dynamic vary. Colors don’t all the time match the primary digital camera, and distortion is seen on the edges of pictures.

The 2Mp macro digital camera is even weaker, requiring excellent lighting circumstances to seize something remotely usable. And even then, the pictures aren’t something to brag about. Portrait mode is weaker nonetheless, with edge detection so dangerous I might have finished a greater job manually drawing across the object.

Video recording is proscribed to 1080p at 30fps, with no 4K, no 60fps, and no digital stabilisation. This makes video shaky and missing intimately, placing it far behind opponents in video efficiency.

For informal customers, the primary digital camera is ok for on a regular basis pictures, however the lack of robust secondary cameras, poor night time mode, and weak video capabilities make it a poor alternative for images lovers.

Software program & Options

• Unmatched software program assist at this value with six years of Android updates promised
• One UI 6.1 is feature-packed however sluggish
• Lacks premium Samsung options

One other huge benefit of the Galaxy A16 is its software program assist. Samsung is promising six main Android updates, which means it’ll obtain updates till Android 20, a degree of assist unmatched by another price range cellphone.

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Whereas One UI 6.1 is feature-rich, it suffers from occasional lag and comes preloaded with Samsung’s bloatware. It’s lots much less egregious than from different price range cellphone producers. The shortage of premium options like At all times-On Show and Samsung DeX additionally makes the software program really feel artificially restricted in comparison with pricier Samsung gadgets.

One other huge absence is Galaxy AI, which you will or might not be apprehensive about. Because it’s Samsung’s huge software program focus in the meanwhile, it’s price mentioning. Meaning you gained’t have entry to options like Reside Translate, Circle to Search, and the remainder. Nonetheless, you possibly can obtain apps like Google Gemini to get the chat expertise, in the event you so need.

Total, Samsung’s long-term assist is implausible, however the software program expertise itself isn’t the smoothest within the price range area.

Worth & Availability

The Samsung Galaxy A16 is out there for £169/$149.99 and is available in three colors: Blue Black, Gentle Inexperienced, and Gentle Gray. It has two configurations:

• 4GB RAM + 128GB storage
• 6GB RAM + 256GB storage

You should purchase it from Samsung and Amazon within the UK, however within the US, official shopping for choices seem restricted. Nonetheless, we did discover it accessible on Amazon from a third-party vendor. If it doesn’t seem to be the right match for you, try our high suggestions from among the many greatest price range telephones.

Word although that the Galaxy A16 will not be the identical because the Galaxy A16 5G, which encompasses a completely different chipset and higher connectivity choices.

Must you purchase the Samsung Galaxy A16?

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The Samsung Galaxy A16 is a stable however uninspiring price range smartphone that does little to shake up the entry-level market.

Its strongest promoting factors are its battery life and long-term software program assist, each of which outshine most opponents. The 5000mAh battery ensures at the very least two days of use, and Samsung’s promise of six years of Android updates is a rarity on this value section. Nonetheless, these positives include main compromises.

Efficiency is mediocre at greatest, with each chipset fashions struggling in opposition to newer mid-range opponents. Gaming efficiency is weak, app load occasions are sluggish, and 4GB of RAM on the bottom mannequin causes frequent refreshes. The show, whereas an honest AMOLED panel, lacks HDR assist and automated refresh fee switching, making it really feel outdated. The cameras are one other weak spot, with solely the 50MP foremost sensor delivering respectable outcomes.

Whereas it’s not a foul cellphone, the Galaxy A16 fails to face out in an more and more aggressive price range section. Different telephones at this value supply stronger efficiency, higher shows, and superior digital camera programs.

Should you prioritise software program updates and battery life above all else, the A16 4G is an inexpensive possibility. However for many customers, higher decisions exist for a similar cash.

Specs

• Display: 6.7-inch Tremendous AMOLED, 1080×2340 decision, 90Hz refresh fee
• Processor: MediaTek Helio G99 or Exynos 1280 (region-dependent)
• Reminiscence: 4GB / 6GB RAM
• Storage: 128GB / 256GB, microSD assist
• Rear Cameras: 50Mp (f/1.8, PDAF) + 5Mp ultrawide (f/2.2) + 2Mp macro (f/2.4)
• Entrance Digicam: 13Mp (f/2.0)
• Battery: 5000mAh, 25W wired charging
• Software program: Android 14 with One UI 6.1, as much as 6 main OS upgrades
• Dimensions: 164.6 x 77.9 x 7.9mm, 200g