We have a new mid-range phone from Samsung — the Galaxy A16 5G. And this could be one of the best reasonably-priced phones you can buy this festive season. One of the top features on the phone is its OS and security upgrade cycle — you get it for six generations.
Snappy performance
It looks like one of the more expensive Galaxy A series models. There is a flat plastic back with a glossy finish, the flat frame is made of plastic and the frame has a signature contour around the buttons that is part of the A series design language. And there is ingress protection — the A16 is IP54 rated splash proofing. Another change is that there’s a larger display — this time around it’s a 6.7-inch AMOLED with 1080p resolution and 90Hz refresh rate out of the box. The display is sharp enough and contrasty and it has no unpleasant colour shifts when you look at it from an angle.
Take high-quality shots with a 50MP main camera and take selfies with a 13MP front camera
Samsung has slimmed down the bezels a bit compared to the A15. The panel is quite good when it comes to brightness, at least for a budget phone. Having 90Hz refresh rate on a budget device smoothens the swiping and scrolling experience.
A quibble: Samsung has done away with the headphone jack and you don’t get stereo speakers either, though the single speaker is quite loud and there is enough clarity.
The distinguishing feature of the phone from that of rivals is One UI 6.1 on top of Android 14, the same as on the flagships and you get many of the big features, minus, of course, things like Samsung DeX.
Brownie points to Samsung for offering longer software support — six major Android updates. That’s a lot for an affordable phone and it’s important to keep an eye out on the hardware a couple of years down the line.
Powering the phone is MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processor with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage (review unit, you can also buy a 128GB variant), expandable via microSD slot. The phone holds its own and it’s a breeze working through daily apps. Gaming performance is not too bad though this is not being marketed as a gaming device.
With the upgraded 2.4 GHz CPU, you can power through your foes fast and stream your favourite show
Battery life is also quite good, thanks to the 5,000mAh battery, which gives around 12-13 hours of battery life. The phone supports up to 25W wired charging and there’s no charger in the box. You can go from zero to 47 per cent in 30-odd minutes and a full charge in around 80 minutes.
Camera department
Coming to the camera, there is a 50MP main snapper, a 5MP ultra-wide and a 2MP macro camera. The front camera has a 13MP sensor that can record 1080p videos at 30fps.
The main camera offers colours that pop and even though there is some sharpening, pictures have a good dynamic range while the colour of the sky is maintained well. Even skin tones are accurate enough for a budget phone. In low light, the phone does well and there is good performance from the ultra-wide camera. However, the macro lens is not of any use.
The design language mirrors the more expensive phones in the Galaxy A series
Make the call
It’s near-impossible to not be awed by the value of the Galaxy A16 5G. It does almost everything so well for so little, and that’s precisely what we should be asking more of from our gadgets.
At a glance
Device: Samsung Galaxy A16 5G
Price: Upwards of Rs 18,999 (you can also get discounts)
High notes
Long software upgrade cycle
Snappy processor for everyday usage
Bright display
Good camera performance
Muffled note
No 3.5mm headphone jack
