Samsung Galaxy A16 Cons: 4 Reasons not to buy

The Samsung Galaxy A16 offers a budget-friendly entry point into the Android world, but it’s not without its shortcomings. Based on my usage of around 1 month, here is list the of Samsung Galaxy A16 Cons.

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Samsung Galaxy A16 Cons – 4 Reasons for not to buy

1. Display Limitations:

• Display Auto brightness : The display has good brightness. However, when auto brightness is enabled, screen brightness goes too low. I need to manually adjust it to make the screen legible. It may be device specific issue.
• No HDR Support: The lack of HDR support means you’ll miss out on the richer, more vibrant colors and enhanced contrast that HDR content offers.

2. Performance & Features:

• Limited Performance: The processor, while sufficient for basic tasks, I have encountered occasional stutters and slowdowns, impacting the overall smoothness of the user experience.
• No Adaptive Refresh Rate: The display lacks an adaptive refresh rate, which can help conserve battery life and improve smoothness in certain scenarios. Users need to set refresh rate between 60Hz or 90Hz.
• No Always-On Display (AOD): The absence of an AOD feature means you’ll need to wake the phone to check the time and notifications, which can be less convenient.
• Lacks built in screen recorder: Samsung is providing built in screen recorder for many other Galaxy A series phones such as Galaxy A35, Galaxy A55 etc. But this phone lacks screen recorder.
• Cannot enable WiFi and Hotspot together: When WiFi is enabled Hotspot will turn off. Competitor phones in this price segment has this feature where you can enable both Hotspot and WiFi.

3. Camera Limitations:

• No 4K Video Recording: The stock camera app lacks the ability to record 4K videos, limiting the quality of your video recordings.
• Basic Ultrawide: The 5MP ultrawide camera performance is average and not reliable.

Other Considerations:

• No Stereo Speakers: The phone features a single speaker, which can result in a less immersive audio experience, especially when watching videos or playing games.
• Virtual Proximity Sensor: The use of a virtual proximity sensor can sometimes lead to unintended screen activations during calls, impacting the user experience.
• Hybrid SIM card slot: There is no dedicated microSD card slot.

The Samsung Galaxy A16 offers a decent value proposition for budget-conscious buyers. However, the limitations mentioned above are important factors to consider before making a purchase decision. If these drawbacks significantly impact your priorities (e.g., display quality, camera capabilities, performance), you might want to explore alternative options within the same price range.