Samsung’s Galaxy A16 5G offers a fresh experience by running Android 14 with the new One UI 6.1 overlay, bringing a handful of updates and improvements to users. A major highlight here is Samsung’s extended software support promise, with six major Android OS updates expected for the device.
This extended support puts the A16 5G ahead of many other budget smartphones, giving it impressive longevity in the fast-evolving Android ecosystem. However, the budget hardware could face performance challenges as newer, more demanding Android versions roll out over the years.
While Samsung’s Galaxy AI functionality is still reserved for flagship models, One UI 6.1 on the Galaxy A16 5G comes with several notable upgrades. Some of these enhancements include a redesigned Quick Panel for easier access to settings, improved notification display, a more user-friendly camera interface, and expanded gallery editing tools.
The Galaxy A16 5G receives a nearly complete version of One UI 6.1, providing a user experience that closely mirrors what you’d find on Samsung’s higher-end Galaxy S series.
Features exclusive to flagship devices, like Samsung DeX, remain out of reach, but the essential One UI experience remains intact with homescreen customization, multitasking capabilities, lockscreen tweaks, and a range of Samsung-specific widgets and themes.
Performance Overview and Benchmarks
When it comes to performance, the Galaxy A16 5G’s hardware varies by region, featuring either the Exynos 1330 or the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset.
Our review model uses the Exynos 1330, a 5nm chip built for efficiency with an octa-core setup (2×2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 and 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) and a Mali-G68 MP2 GPU.
For those getting the MediaTek variant, the Dimensity 6300 is a 6nm octa-core chip with similar CPU core architecture (2×2.4 GHz Cortex-A76 and 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) and a Mali-G57 MC2 GPU.
Both configurations provide sufficient processing power for everyday tasks, though they’re unlikely to shine under high-performance demands.
The device is available in either a 4GB RAM with 128GB storage version or an 8GB RAM with 256GB storage option. Storage uses UFS 2.2 technology, which delivers better speeds than the slower eMMC technology often found in budget models.
Additionally, storage can be expanded with a microSD card, which adds flexibility, especially for users with larger multimedia libraries. Our unit has 4GB of RAM, which shows signs of limitations in multitasking and may be less future-proof for a device expected to last through six Android updates.
CPU and GPU Performance
In CPU testing, the Exynos 1330 performs fairly well for its price range, offering a solid single-core performance comparable to Samsung’s Exynos 1380 and Exynos 1280 chips. Other budget chipsets, such as the Dimensity 6080 and Helio G99 Ultra, show similar levels of performance, as do Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 695 and Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 processors.
The AnTuTu benchmark results put the Galaxy A16 5G in a mid-range performance category, alongside the Redmi 13 5G, Xiaomi Poco M6 Pro, and Redmi Note 13 5G.
Its Mali-G68 MP2 GPU, while decent for casual gaming and media tasks, falls short of the graphical power available in the Exynos 1280 and 1380, which have more GPU cores and thus better graphics performance.
While benchmark numbers reveal that the Galaxy A16 5G can handle a range of apps and tasks, there are some performance concerns in real-world usage.
Running One UI 6.1 on the 4GB RAM model feels somewhat constrained, with occasional slowdowns and minor stutters, suggesting that the 8GB variant might be better suited for users looking for smoother multitasking.
