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Verdict on the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G: A handy everyday smartphone for under $200

The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G's sturdy plastic case feels good to the touch thanks to its rounded edges, and it also looks stylish. (Image source: Notebookcheck)
The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G's sturdy plastic case feels good to the touch thanks to its rounded edges, and it also looks stylish. (Image source: Notebookcheck)
An affordable smartphone that is supplied with updates for a long time—these two things don't usually go together. However, the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G proves that this is possible. The budget phone costs less than $200 and comes with 6 years of updates. During our test, the Galaxy A16 5G also showed that it offers solid features despite its low price.

Samsung's Galaxy A series consists of its most affordable smartphones. If you are looking for a particularly inexpensive 5G phone, then the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G may be the perfect choice for you. With 128 GB of storage, the 6.7-inch smartphone costs $199.99 if you buy it directly from the Samsung online store. Other retailers may already be selling it for even less.

Good connectivity including 90-Hz OLED, 5G, Bluetooth 5.3 and NFC

For its price, Samsung's budget phone offers buyers a lot of value for their money. For example, it features a 2340 x 1080 pixel OLED display with a 90-Hz refresh rate, which displays content beautifully sharp and smooth. We also liked the rest of its features during our test: The Galaxy A16 5G is fitted with a triple camera with a 50-MP resolution which shoots decent photos in daylight, as well as a good selection of interfaces such as 5G, dual SIM, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC and microSD. eSIMs are not supported by the smartphone, on the other hand.

Its 5000-mAh battery is charged at up to 25 watts and helps the smartphone achieve good runtimes. During our test, one full charging cycle took around 1.5 hours. However, you'll have to source the right power adapter yourself, as none is included—you don't get anything more than a USB-C cable and a SIM tool.

Fast enough for everyday tasks

Equipped with the Samsung Exynos 1330 and 4 GB RAM, the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G can be classed as one of the faster smartphones in its price class. Although demanding apps quickly overwhelm the phone, you won't be let down by the Gallaxy A16 5G if you're looking to use it mostly for everyday tasks such as social media, online banking or surfing the web.

Samsung promises updates until 2030

A long update period also speaks in favor of the Samsung phone. The Galaxy A16 5G is set to receive 6 operating system upgrades (calculated from the pre-installed Android 14 onwards) and security updates for a period of 6 years, which are set to be rolled out quarterly. So, in theory, frugal buyers will not have to look for a new smartphone until 2030 if they opt for Samsung's budget phone.

Read our full review of the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G here.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2025 01 > Verdict on the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G: A handy everyday smartphone for under $200
Manuel Masiero, 2025-01-21 (Update: 2025-01-20)