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The Galaxy A16 5G has launched, but you could be forgiven for missing it.
Samsung’s new budget phone is listed on the company’s French and Dutch sites, but without any official launch event or press release.
Considering how good January’s Galaxy A15 5G and A15 (4G) were, we have high hopes for its successor, which is only available with 5G for now.
Here’s everything we know about the release date, pricing and specs that could make this entry-level model stand out from the crowd.
When will the Samsung Galaxy A16 be released?
The Galaxy A16 5G is already listed on Samsung’s regional websites, including Samsung Netherlands (via SamMobile) and Samsung France (via GSMArena), suggesting the phone is about to be officially released elsewhere.
While an exact release date has not yet been given, SamMobile indicates that shipments will begin by end of October 2024. Samsung typically rolls out its devices gradually to different markets, so other regions such as India and Thailand may receive the A16 5G shortly after the European launch.
However, despite previous generations being available in the UK and US, there’s no word on when the A16 5G might arrive in those markets.
Since then, Samsung has also unveiled the Galaxy A16 (4G LTE) in France. However, at the time of writing, the phone does not appear to be available there.
As a reminder, this is when the previous models came out:
Samsung France / Samsung Netherlands
How much will the Samsung Galaxy A16 cost?
The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G has a suggested retail price of €229 (Netherlands) or €249 (France) in Europe. This is a slight increase compared to the Galaxy A15 5G, which was launched for around €190-200.
According to a previous leak from a European retailer (via SamInsider), the Galaxy A16 4G will cost €209.90 (approximately $223/£183). Both models will have 128 GB of storage space.
GSMArena suggests that the 128GB model will be paired with 4GB of RAM, while the 256GB version will offer 8GB.
Here’s how much the previous models cost at launch:
Prices for other regions have not yet been officially announced, but should be in line with European prices, adjusted for local taxes and currency conversions.
What specifications and features will the Samsung Galaxy A16 have?
The Galaxy A16 5G brings a number of notable improvements in terms of design, performance and software support. Here’s an overview of what the device has to offer.
Design
The Galaxy A16 5G has a slim design measuring just 7.9mm thick, although this slimness comes at the cost of losing the 3.5mm headphone jack.
It is available in multiple colors including Midnight Blue, Turquoise and Grey, offering a modern aesthetic.
The phone also has an IP54 rating, meaning it’s protected against dust and water splashes, although it’s not completely waterproof.
As expected, the right side features the ‘Key Island’ where the power and volume buttons are located, which is higher compared to the rest of the right side. This allows you to easily access these important controls via touch.
The power button also doubles as a fingerprint scanner. The back houses a vertically aligned triple-camera setup, plus an LED flash.
Display
The phone features a larger 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display, an upgrade over the 6.5-inch panel on the Galaxy A15 5G.
With a Full HD+ resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate (both unchanged), the Galaxy A16 5G should deliver vibrant visuals and smooth scrolling.
Samsung France / Samsung Netherlands
The front camera is housed in a small waterdrop notch, which maintains the minimal bezel design.
Performance
Under the hood, the A16 5G varies its processor depending on the region. In Europe, it features the Exynos 1330 chipset, while GSMArena reports that markets like India and Thailand are expected to receive the Dimensity 6300 variant.
Both versions come with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, expandable via Micro-SD card up to an impressive 1.5TB, a first for Samsung Galaxy phones.
Samsung France / Samsung Netherlands
While we don’t yet know how these processors will work in practice, recent leaks shed some light on this.
The Geekbench listing (via MySmartPrice) revealed the performance of the Galaxy A16 5G with MediaTek’s Dimensity 6300 chipset.
Its single-core and multi-core scores of 514 and 1464 respectively suggest a performance boost over its predecessor, making it more than suitable for everyday tasks and moderate gaming.
Cameras
The camera setup on the Galaxy A16 5G is quite versatile for a budget phone. The rear camera system includes a 50MP main camera, a 5MP ultra-wide lens and a 2MP macro lens.
On the front there is a 13 MP selfie camera in the waterdrop notch. The Galaxy A15 5G had exactly the same setup.
Samsung France / Samsung Netherlands
Samsung may introduce incremental improvements in image processing and software features, but that remains to be seen.
Battery and charging
The Galaxy A16 5G comes with a robust 5,000 mAh battery and supports 25W fast charging.
According to a report from Android Headlines, it is likely that both the 4G and 5G models will come with a 25W charger in the box.
However, as is the case with most budget phones, there’s no wireless charging.
Software
The phone comes with Android 14 and One UI 6.1, ensuring the latest features and security right out of the box.
However, it’s unlikely to include a Galaxy AI, which is reserved for Samsung’s more expensive phones.
One of the most impressive aspects of the Galaxy A16 5G is its software support. Samsung offers six years of Android updates and security patches, which is the best promise of any budget phone.
This extended support means the Galaxy A16 5G will stay up to date until at least 2030, making it an attractive choice for those who don’t want to upgrade their phone often.
Samsung France / Samsung Netherlands
This is everything we currently know about the Galaxy A16. In the meantime, take a look at the best budget phones available right now to see what Samsung will be up against.