Samsung Galaxy A16 5G review

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Introduction

The new Galaxy A16 5G is not the cheapest Galaxy up on offer, but it is close. This means it's based on budget-grade hardware, and there were inevitably some compromises to be made. So our task is to discover potential shortcomings or deal breakers and see if the phone is worth getting.

Before we get into the review itself, we should make a point that we are reviewing the 5G model, and our review findings might not apply to the regular Galaxy A16 4G model, mainly because it uses a different chipset.

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G • Samsung Galaxy A16

Speaking of chipsets, the Galaxy A16 5G itself is in an odd situation and is available with either a Samsung Exynos 1330 or a Mediatek Dimensity 6300, depending on the market. We've already seen the Exynos 1330 inside the Galaxy A14 5G, but no device with the Dimensity 6300 has passed through the office. This is quite unfortunate since we can't compare the two chips, even roughly.

Our Galaxy A16 5G review unit is running on an Exynos 1330 chip. We have the base 128GB model, but it does, thankfully, have expandable storage. However, its 4GB of RAM is a lot more worrisome in terms of future-proofing.

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G specs at a glance:

• Body: 164.4x77.9x7.9mm, 200g; Glass front, plastic back, plastic frame; IP54, dust and splash resistant.
• Display: 6.70" Super AMOLED, 90Hz, 800 nits (HBM), 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 385ppi.
• Chipset: Exynos 1330 (5 nm) or Mediatek Dimensity 6300 (6 nm): Octa-core (2x2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) or Octa-core (2x2.4 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G68 MP2 or Mali-G57 MC2.
• Memory: 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
• OS/Software: Android 14, up to 6 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, AF; Ultra wide angle: 5 MP, f/2.2; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 13 MP, f/2.0, (wide).
• Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 5000mAh; 25W wired.
• Connectivity: 5G; Hybrid Dual SIM; Wi-Fi 5; BT 5.3; NFC.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); Virtual proximity sensing.

Unboxing

The Galaxy A16 5G comes in a pretty unremarkable two-piece, mostly white cardboard box. To be honest, it is a bit flimsy, though it did protect the phone well enough during shipping. There is a total absence of plastic, which is nice to see from an ecological point of view. Plus, all of the printing is done with soy ink.

As is the current trend, you don't get much in the way of accessories. The Galaxy A16 5G only comes with a basic, passive, 3A white USB Type-C to Type-C cable and a SIM ejector tool. There is no charger in the box, nor is there a case.