Samsung Galaxy A16 launches in the US with 6 major Android updates for $199

Ben Schoon | Jan 2 2025 - 7:45 am PT

Samsung is kicking off the new year with the launch of its budget-oriented Galaxy A16 in the US, which also offers the most Android updates per dollar compared to anything else on the market.

The Galaxy A16 is not a particularly flashy device. It has a 6.7-inch AMOLED display at 90Hz and is powered by Exynos 1330 under the hood – swapped out from the MediaTek chips used in other regions. There’s also a 5,000 mAh battery under the hood with 25W fast charging. The main bottleneck, it seems, will be from the RAM allotment, which is just a mere 4GB. But there is 128GB of storage and microSD expansion.

Beyond the internals, Samsung is also equipping Galaxy A16 with a 50MP rear camera paired with a 5MP ultra-wide shooter and a 2MP macro camera. There’s also a 13MP selfie camera.

Samsung’s latest budget device is also IP54 rated, meaning it can handle a splash of water, something you won’t always find in devices that cost under $200.

The biggest value proposition, though, is to the software update policy. Samsung is offering the Galaxy A16 a full 6 years of Android updates and security patches. Specifically, the company says users can expect to “receive 6 generations of One UI and Android OS upgrades, as well as 6 years of security updates.” With the device launching on Android 14 (One UI 6), that technically means it’s a little behind the curve, but it’s still a tremendous offer for such a low-cost device.

Galaxy A16 will be available in black and blue color variants in the US starting on January 9 from Samsung.com and other retailers/carriers.

Alongside the Galaxy A16, Samsung also today announced that the Galaxy Fit 3 will be available in the US starting on January 9. The fitness tracker has a 1.6-inch display in a form factor similar to the Fitbit Charge series, offers up to 13 days of battery life, and costs just $59.99.