Galaxy A26 vs A16: You might want to pay the higher price
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Intro
Towards the end of last year, Samsung released the budget-friendly Galaxy A16 for $200, and now the company has also announced the slightly more expensive and better-equipped Galaxy A26, going for $300.
So, the question is what do $100 more give you in return? Well, as usual, the A26 is comes with a much better processor, which is one of the main differentiating factors when comparing these two handsets. But there's so much more.
The A26 also comes with a higher display refresh rate, and its screen is protected with Gorilla Glass Victus+, unlike the A16.
Also, Samsung has somehow managed to keep the weight of the Galaxy A26 the same as the Galaxy A16, despite the fact that it has a glass back panel instead of a plastic one.
These upgrades, and several more, might make you want to pay those extra hundred bucks after all...
Galaxy A26 vs Galaxy A16 differences:
| Galaxy A26 | Galaxy A16 |
|---|---|
| Significantly faster Exynos 1380 processor and 6 GB RAM | Weak Exynos 1330 chip that's mostly suitable for light use only; 4 GB RAM |
| Brighter and smoother 120Hz display | Not as bright display with 90Hz refresh rate |
| Better dust and water resistance with an IP67 rating | IP54 dust and water resistance |
| Triple camera setup with 50 MP main, 8 MP ultra-wide and 2 MP macro | Triple camera setup with 50 MP main, 5 MP ultra-wide and 2 MP macro |
| 5000 mAh battery capacity and 25W charging; no wireless charging | 5000 mAh battery capacity and 25W charging; no wireless charging |
| 6 years of OS upgrades | 6 years of OS upgrades |
Table of Contents:
Read more:
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- Samsung Galaxy A36 5G vs Galaxy A16 5G: Twice the price, double the phone?
- Galaxy A16 5G Review: Some improvements, but one red flag remains
Design and Size
The Galaxy A26 is much better for durability
Samsung usually uses the same design for its A1x and A2x series, but this time things are different. After Samsung announced the Galaxy A26, we now know for certain that it has a singular camera module with all three cameras inside of it (similar to the Galaxy A56 and A36), instead of the three protruding lenses you have on the Galaxy A16.
Other than that, though, both phones have boxy bodies with flat sides and a slight bump where the power and volume keys are. The power button is also where the fingerprint scanner lives on both phones, which tends to be accurate but somewhat slow.
Size-wize, these phones are rather big, with the Galaxy A16 measuring 164.4 x 77.9 x 7.9 mm and the A26 at a similar size of 164 x 77.5 x 7.7 mm. Interestingly, the weight between the two is the same, 200 g, which is surprising considering that tha A16's back is made out of plastic vs the glass one on the A26.
Surprisingly, Samsung made the Galaxy A26 water resistant enough to pass the IP67 rating certification. That means the device is fully dust-tight and can withstand immersion in up to 1 meter of (fresh) water for 30 minutes. That's the same as the A36 and even the A56.
The Galaxy A16, on the other hand, comes with an IP54 dust and water resistance rating, which means it is not even fully protected from dust particles.
Display Differences
Just like the A16, the Galaxy A26 also keeps the tear-drop notch at the top center of the display. It also still has thick bezels like those of the A16, including the massive chin.
Where the A26 differs, however, is in its 120Hz display refresh rate, which offers a smoother user experience compared to the 90Hz on the Galaxy A16. We were hoping to see a substantial increase in the screen brightness too, but that is not the case.
Performance and Software
The major reason to go for the A26
If there's anything that would justify spending more money on the A26, it is its processor. You get the Exynos 1380 chipset from Samsung, which is considerably more powerful than the Exynos 1330 of the A16.
If it is better performance you are looking for, then the A26 is worth the investment. The A16 is more suitable for folks that simply want to browse the web, check emails and chat.
The A26 should also come with more memory, 6 GB of it to be exact, compared to the 4 GB of the A16. This helps the phone function more smoothly and load things quicker.
In terms of features, you won't find many on the A16. That's most likely due to its rather slow chipset, but we found it to be a bit surprising that the phone doesn't even have screen recording. On the other hand, the A26 supports some of Samsung's AI features.
The A16 launched with Android 14 and Samsung's One UI 6.1 custom layer on top, but the A26 comes with Android 15 and One UI 7. The good thing is that Samsung has promised 6 years of OS updates for the A16 and the A26. That's some serious commitment given these are budget phones we are talking about, so it will be interesting to see how well the company keeps its promise given the delays for Android updates we've seen recently.
Camera
Some small differences
It's hard to deliver a good camera experience at such a price point, but nowadays at least the main camera does a good-enough job for family snapshots and videos. For some reason though, Samsung still insists on putting a useless 2 MP macro camera on these budget phones—the A16 has one and the A26.
The A16 also comes with a 5 MP ultra-wide camera, which is somewhat decent during the day. Meanwhile, the A26 inherits the 8 MP ultra-wide from its predecessor, which did a better job during our camera testing compared to the A16 one.
Overall, however, the camera experience between these two phone shouldn't be drastically different, but if you want a slightly better ultra-wide camera, then the A26 is the pick to go for.
Battery Life and Charging
Should be very similar to each other
The Galaxy A16 comes with a 5,000 mAh battery, which is also what we expect the A26 to have. During our battery tests of the A16 it got an estimated 6 hours and 12 minutes of battery life, which is quite a bit better than the A25. So, we are hoping that Samsung has also improved the battery life of the A26—maybe the new chip will do the trick.
Charging-wise, the A26 comes with 25W wired and no wireless charging support, just like the A16.
Specs Comparison
Here's a quick overview of the Galaxy A26 vs Galaxy A16 specs.
| Galaxy A26 | Galaxy A16 |
|---|---|
| Size, weight 164 x 77.5 x 7.7 mm, 200 g | Size, weight 164.4 x 77.9 x 7.9 mm, 200 g |
| Screen 6.7" OLED 120Hz refresh rate | Screen 6.7" OLED 90Hz refresh rate |
| Processor Exynos 1380 (5nm) | Processor Exynos 1330 (5nm) or Mediatek Dimensity 6300 (6nm) in some countries |
| Versions: 6/128GB 6/256GB LPDDR4X | Versions: 4/128 GB 4/256 GB LPDDR4X |
| Cameras: 50 MP main 8 MP ultra 2 MP macro 13 MP front | Cameras: 50 MP main 5 MP ultra 2 MP macro 13 MP front |
| Battery: 5000 mAh* | Battery: 5000 mAh |
| Charging: USB-C 25W wired No wireless | Charging: USB-C 25W wired No wireless |
Just like with previous years, the most obvious difference when comparing these two spec sheets is the processor. There's also the slightly higher RAM on the A26 and the slightly higher resolution of its ultra-wide camera. The A16 also has a slower display refresh rate in comparison.
Summary
So, there you have it. For just hundred bucks more you get a device that you will surely be more happy with. The best thing the A26 has going for it, like usual, is that faster processor. Even if you don't use your phone for anything more than web surfing, chat and calls, the extra horsepower of the Exynos 1380 will have a positive effect on your experience with the phone.
The A16 is not a bad option if you really want to spend as little as possible though. In fact, it is one of the best phones at that price point you can get. It can be a great back-up phone. That said, if you want a new affordable daily driver, it sounds like the A26 is the better option.
Of course, nothing is too certain until we actually get to test out the A26, so stay tuned for the full comparison.
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