Samsung Galaxy A16 5G

For photography, the Samsung Galaxy A16 is equipped with a triple camera setup comprising a 50MP primary sensor, a 5MP ultra-wide lens, and a 2MP macro sensor. The dedicated ultra-wide lens assists users in capturing landscape shots with a wider field of view, giving Samsung devices an edge over most smartphones within the segment. The camera performance, however, is average at best with the smartphone only offering better colour reproduction in lowlight than two of its closest competitors - the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite and Moto G85.Read on for a detailed analysis of the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G camera performance with its closet arch-rivals.DaylightIn daylight conditions, the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G and Moto G85 produce images with cooler tones, adding a slight dramatic effect. However, the former stands out with better dynamic range and finer details. But the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite outperforms both smartphones in terms of superior details and colour accuracy. This could be credited to the OnePlus smartphone's 108MP primary camera instead of 50MP.PortraitNone of the smartphones in this comparison provide good edge detection for portrait shots using the primary camera. Each phone relies on computational processing to separate the foreground from the background, but the results are subpar, with noticeable warping around the subjects' edges — a common issue among affordable smartphones. However, the Moto G85 stands out for its slightly higher contrast and superior facial detailing.SelfieThe Moto G85 outshines both the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite and the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G to deliver better selfies. The handset does deliver slightly dramatic images, with boosted colours, but the overall results look satisfying with an acceptable level of facial detailing for the price.Low lightIn low light, all three smartphones are capable of capturing long-exposure images with their respective night modes. However, they struggle to keep up with the details and colour accuracy. Owing to its larger sensor size, the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite produces slightly sharper images than the two. It even handles lens flare more efficiently, though its colours, particularly the reds, do not appear sharp. For those prioritising colour accuracy in low-light shots, the Samsung Galaxy A16 does the best job of keeping hues close to natural.

The Samsung Galaxy A16 draws power from MediaTek's Dimensity 6300 SoC paired with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. This budget-friendly chipset performed smoothly, with no noticeable stuttering or lag during basic activities. The device also handled light multitasking, social media scrolling, and streaming without issues. However, power users might want to consider other options.The Galaxy A16 5G delivers modest synthetic benchmark results for the price, especially when compared to the iQOO Z9 (review) - currently selling for as low as Rs 18,499.While the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G isn't really a gaming phone, it is still capable of running graphically demanding titles such as BGMI, Call of Duty, and Real Racing 3 with better frame rates than some of the competitors within the segment. That said, its thermal management needs improvement. I noticed an increase in the phone's temperature after playing the respective games for 30 minutes each.As for the software, the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G runs Android 14-based One UI 6.1.1 out of the box. The handset is guaranteed six years of major OS and security updates, which is exceptional for a sub-Rs 20K-worth smartphone. The software experience is consistent with other Samsung devices released this year, allowing users to enjoy a uniform experience across devices. That also means you will get loads of third-party apps, including those from Microsoft's suite.Being a budget-focused device utilising a modest chipset, the Galaxy A16 5G lacks the richness of the Galaxy AI. However, you can still enjoy features like NFC, connected experience, Quick Share, and more.SmartphonePre-installed appsOS updatesSamsung Galaxy A16536 years OS + 6 years securityMoto G85342 years OS + 4 years securityOnePlus Nord CE4 Lite502 years OS + 3 years security

The Samsung Galaxy A16 comes with a 5,000mAh battery, delivering 9 hours and 42 minutes of screen time on the PCMark battery test—a respectable score, if not the best. Battery optimisation for multimedia consumption is solid; streaming a 30-minute YouTube video consumes just 4 percent of the battery, which is competitive within its class. While gaming for 90 minutes, the handset's battery was depleted by 25 percent in aggregate.Heavy users will need to recharge the device at least once during the day. However, for regular tasks like checking emails, browsing, social media scrolling, and video streaming, the handset can last an entire day with about 20–25 percent battery remaining.Samsung continues to skip the charger box. During our charging test, the Galaxy A16 5G took 79 minutes to go from 20 to 100 percent.SmartphoneCharging speedCharging time (20-100 percent)Samsung Galaxy A16 5G25W79 minutesMoto G8533W62 minutesOnePlus Nord CE4 Lite80W50 minutes