Samsung Galaxy A16 Full Review: Is It Still Worth It in 2025?

When Samsung launched the Galaxy A16 a few months ago, it flew under the radar for many smartphone enthusiasts — and for good reason. The phone closely resembles its predecessor, the Galaxy A15, with only minor improvements. At first glance, it seemed like a copy-paste upgrade. But after spending some hands-on time with the device, it’s clear there are a few differences that may or may not justify your attention.

In this in-depth review, I’ll share my full experience with the Galaxy A16 — what Samsung has done right, where it still falls short, and whether or not it’s worth your money in 2025.

Build & Design: Slight Improvements, Same Old Feel

When it comes to design, the Galaxy A16 doesn’t stray far from Samsung’s tried-and-true formula. However, compared to the Galaxy A15, there are a few small upgrades in the build quality.

While it still features a plastic body, the back panel now feels a bit more refined. The A15 was more prone to scratches, whereas the A16 seems to resist everyday wear slightly better. Samsung has also added an IP54 rating, giving it light dust and splash resistance — a welcome touch at this price point.

The side frame offers a more curved finish, resembling the design language seen in the A54 and A55 models. It makes for a slightly better in-hand feel. While the overall look is subjective, Samsung continues to maintain a clean and consistent design language. However, the lack of a headphone jack might be a dealbreaker for some, especially if you’re still using wired headphones.

The SIM tray is hybrid — meaning you can either use two SIM cards or one SIM with a microSD card for storage expansion.

Fingerprint Sensor & Display: Functional, But Dated Choices

Unlike other brands that offer in-display fingerprint sensors even at mid-range prices, Samsung has stuck to a side-mounted fingerprint sensor on the A16. It’s accurate but slightly slower than competitors, which could affect the experience for those who prioritize speed.

The display is where Samsung still shines. The Galaxy A16 features a Super AMOLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate, offering vibrant colors, excellent contrast, and solid outdoor visibility. The only downside? Thick bezels and an outdated dew-drop notch at the top.

Despite the older notch design, the display performs well during media consumption. Whether you’re watching YouTube or Netflix, the visuals are crisp and colorful. YouTube playback goes up to 1440p (2K resolution), though there’s no HDR support, which limits the dynamic range in certain videos.

Netflix streams in Full HD, so binge-watchers will be satisfied with the overall viewing experience.

Speakers & Audio: Just Barely Okay

The Galaxy A16 comes with a single bottom-firing speaker. While it’s loud enough for casual listening, the sound quality is flat, with no noticeable bass. A stereo speaker setup would’ve significantly improved the audio experience.

There’s also no Always-On Display (AOD) feature — something we’ve come to expect even in budget devices. Samsung has once again skipped it, just like in the A15.

Battery Life & Charging: Solid Endurance, No Charger Included

Samsung has packed a 5,000mAh battery into the A16, which easily lasts a full day with moderate use. Light users could even stretch it to a day and a half. Battery life is a strong point, but there’s a catch: no charger in the box.

Samsung, in its push for environmental responsibility, no longer includes chargers with many of its phones. If you want to fast-charge your device, you’ll need to buy a 25W Samsung charger separately, which can cost an extra RS 1,500–RS 2,000. With that charger, the phone takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes to fully charge — not bad, but not the fastest in the segment.

Software & UI: The Best Part of the A16

The highlight of the Galaxy A16 is undoubtedly its software experience. It comes with One UI 6 based on Android 14, and Samsung promises 6 years of software support — an impressive commitment in this price range.

Samsung’s UI is polished, feature-rich, and user-friendly, especially for fans of the brand. It’s one of the most refined Android skins available, making everyday use smooth and enjoyable.

If software longevity and reliability matter to you, the Galaxy A16 delivers well beyond expectations in this department.

Performance: Same Old Hardware, Nothing New

This is where things start to feel repetitive. The Galaxy A16 is powered by the MediaTek Helio G99 — the same chipset used in the Galaxy A15. There’s no upgrade here. While it handles day-to-day tasks like messaging, browsing, and media consumption decently, it’s not designed for heavy workloads or gaming.

In AnTuTu benchmarks, the phone scores between 410,000–420,000 points, which is respectable but far from impressive. It comes with 8GB LPDDR4x RAM and 256GB UFS 2.2 storage, which offers decent multitasking and app load times.

You can play light or casual games, but anything graphically intense will be a challenge. Also, the device lacks gyro sensors, which could affect gaming or VR-related usage.

Final Verdict: Should You Buy the Galaxy A16?

The Samsung Galaxy A16 is a safe, reliable choice for users who want a long-term phone with great software and a good display — but only if you find it at a discounted price.

At launch, it was overpriced for what it offered. Now that prices have dropped to around RS 30,000–RS 35,000 for the 8/256GB variant, it’s starting to make more sense. However, it still reuses old hardware, lacks stereo speakers, has no HDR support, and doesn’t include a charger in the box.

But if your priorities are great software, a vivid AMOLED screen, solid battery life, and you’re not into heavy gaming or demanding tasks, the Galaxy A16 could be the dependable daily driver you need.