Introduction
The Galaxy A15 was the most significant upgrade of this series, with a high-resolution 90 Hz AMOLED, 25W fast charging and more RAM. The Galaxy A16 continues to improve the model with a larger screen, intrusion protection and long-term software support.
The new Galaxy A16 4G looks and feels a lot like the Galaxy A15 4G, but is now bigger with a 6.7-inch 1080p 90Hz Super AMOLED display. Then there’s the degree of protection – a first for the Galaxy A1x phones. It’s IP54 for basic dust and splash resistance, which may not be excellent, but it’s certainly more than nothing.
The new A16 4G runs on the Helio G99 chip, the same as the one in the Galaxy A15 4G. There is also a Galaxy A16 5G, which has a different chip with a 5G modem.
The rest of the specs are also identical to those of the Galaxy A15 4G: a trio of rear cameras (50 MP primary + 5 MP UW + 2 MP macro), a 13 MP selfie, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and a 5,000 mAh battery with 25W fast charging.
The Galaxy A16 4G boots Android 14 with One UI 6.1, and Samsung promises up to 6 major Android upgrades (vs. 3 major updates on the A15).
Let’s take a look at the spec sheet.
Specifications of the Samsung Galaxy A16 at a glance:
- Body: 164.4×77.9×7.9mm, 200g; Glass front, plastic back, plastic frame; IP54, dust and splash proof.
- Display: 6.70″ Super AMOLED, 90Hz, 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 385ppi.
- Chip set: Mediatek Helio G99 (6 nm): Octa-core (2×2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 and 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G57 MC2.
- Memory: 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
- Operating system/software: Android 14, up to 6 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1.
- Reversing camera: Macro: 50MP, f/1.8, AF; Ultra wide angle: 5MP, f/2.2; Macro: 50MP, f/1.8, AF.
- Front camera: 13 MP, f/2.0, (wide).
- Video recording: Rear camera: 1080p at 30 fps; Front camera: 1080p at 30 fps.
- Battery: 5000mAh; 25W wired.
- Connectivity: LTE; Hybrid dual SIM card; WiFi 5; BT 5.3; NFC; FM radio (market/region dependent).
- Miscellaneous: Fingerprint reader (side mounted); Virtual proximity detection.
There is one feature that has been retired since the A15, and that is the 3.5mm audio jack. Perhaps this was the cost of intrusion protection, or perhaps it was simply a cost-cutting issue; there’s no way to know for sure. But it will definitely be a bummer for many users.
Unpacking the Galaxy A16 4G
The Galaxy A16 4G comes in a thin paper box, which is environmentally friendly. The bundle includes a white USB-C cable and a SIM ejector.
The Galaxy A16 supports fast charging up to 25W, but there is no power adapter in the box.