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 we have the Galaxy A26 for $300.
So, the question is what do $100 more give you in return? Well, as usual, the A26 comes with a much better processor, which is one of the main reasons you'd want to go for it instead of the A16. However, there's more you get for those extra hundred bucks...
The A26 also comes with a higher display refresh rate, and its screen is protected with Gorilla Glass Victus+. Not to mention that 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.
Galaxy A26 vs Galaxy A16 differences:
| Galaxy A26 | Galaxy A16 |
|---|---|
| Faster Exynos 1380 processor | Weak Exynos 1330 |
| 6 GB RAM | 4 GB RAM |
| 120Hz display | 90Hz refresh rate |
| 1083 nits brightness | 736 nits brightness |
| IP67 rating | IP54 |
| Cameras: 50 MP main 8 MP ultra-wide 2 MP macro | Cameras: 50 MP main 5 MP ultra-wide 2 MP macro |
| 5000 mAh battery | 5000 mAh battery |
| 25W wired charging | 25W wired charging |
| 6 years of OS upgrades | 6 years of OS upgrades |
| 6/128 GB for $299 | $199.99 |
Table of Contents:
Read more:
- Samsung Galaxy A16 5G vs Galaxy A15 5G: What's new?
- 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 Display Quality
The Galaxy A26 is more durable and has a better display
You can clearly tell the A26 from the A16, unlike their predecessors. | Image by PhoneArena
Samsung usually uses the same design for its A1x and A2x series, but this time things are a little different. The Galaxy A26 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.
The A26 is slightly thinner, but it is mostly unnoticable. | Image by PhoneArena
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.
Both phone still feature a thick lower bezel. | Image by PhoneArena
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 that 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.
Display Measurements:
Our display tests revealed yet another reason to go for the A26 instead of the A16, and that's the display's brightness. The cheaper model can be hard to see when you are outside, but that was less of an issue with the A26.
Performance and Software
The primary reason to go for the A26
The A26 is much more capable, especially for gaming. | Image by PhoneArena
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.
The difference was noticeable not only on paper, but while using the phones too. We noticed less lag on the A26, and it was quicker at opening applications compared to the A16.
While for single-core tasks the two phones are almost evenly matched, there is a significant difference whenever multiple cores are being utilized. That means things like photo and video editing, browsing multiple websites, or swapping between apps happens more smoothly on the A26.
If you want to play mobile games, the Galaxy A26 and its Exynos 1380 processor are much better equipped. Our benchmark test results make that clear, with the A26 showcasing more than double the graphical performance.
The A26 also comes 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
Barely any differences
Samsung has unified the three lenses under a single camera module. | Image by PhoneArena
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.
PhoneArena Camera Score:
While the A16 did just a tiny bit better in our camera benchmark, the camera performance between the two phones is generally the same. Let's take a look at some samples for a more real-life comparison.
Camera Samples
The results from our camera tests are further supported by results in these photo samples. For some reason, the cheaper Galaxy A16 exposes the image better, showing more of the subject when there is a high-contrast scenario.
Video Quality
While the A16 has the advantage in the photo samples, the A26 seems to be exposing the image better during video recording. The footage from the A26 is more jittery, though, at least when shooting in 4K.
Battery Life and Charging
The more powerful chipset of the A26 results in less battery life
The A26 chargers slightly faster. | Image by PhoneArena
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.
PhoneArena Battery and Charging Test Results:
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 (although the latter is rather irrelevant). The A16 also has a slower display refresh rate in comparison.
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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 can serve as extra peace of mind that the phone will handle better down the line.
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 you can get at its price point. It can be a great back-up phone, for example. That said, if you want a new affordable daily driver, the A26 is clearly the better option, and worth the extra $100.
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