I get pleasure from evaluating flagship smartphones to funds units. It highlights how a lot we overestimate what we do on our telephones. Most of us do not want a fraction of the uncooked efficiency we pay a premium for, and all the things we use our telephones for day by day could be achieved with much less out-of-pocket expense.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely and Galaxy A16 are prime examples. The Galaxy S25 Extremely is undoubtedly a greater smartphone than the Galaxy A16, nevertheless it additionally prices over $1,100 extra. I wish to showcase the advantages of each, so you’ll be able to greatest decide if you really want to spend that rather more, or if you will get by with a telephone that’s surprisingly succesful for beneath $200.
Learn our assessment
A powerful telephone for a premium worth
The Galaxy S25 Extremely has loads going for it
Samsung calls for all the cash for the Galaxy S25 Extremely, however not less than the expertise delivers. The machine options the most effective show I’ve ever seen on a telephone, with its anti-reflective layer enhancing visibility — my finger seems to be touching the content material. I really like that Samsung has returned the vibrancy to its shows, because the Galaxy S25 Extremely will increase the saturation, making films and video games look improbable.
The efficiency is all the things you’d anticipate from a flagship telephone powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite. The Galaxy S25 Extremely chews via all the things I throw at it, with loads of headroom to spare. It is able to on-device Galaxy AI features, and in case you like picture or video modifying in your telephone, the Galaxy S25 Extremely is as much as the duty.
For those who’re an enormous cellular gamer, the additional cash spent on the Galaxy S25 Extremely is price it. Efficiency-intensive video games like Genshin Influence run easily on excessive settings, with constant body charges. For those who’re taking part in Pokémon GO all day, it is overkill; nonetheless, for severe avid gamers in search of the most effective expertise, the Snapdragon 8 Elite is the chipset you wish to energy your smartphone.
Futureproofing can also be a consideration. When the Galaxy A16 begins to indicate its age, the Galaxy S25 Extremely ought to nonetheless be operating robust. For those who plan to maintain your machine for a number of years, it could be price spending extra.
The cameras on the Galaxy S25 Extremely are additionally considerably higher and extra versatile than the Galaxy A16. I want Samsung upgraded extra than simply the ultrawide sensor this 12 months, however I nonetheless love the pictures I get from its 200MP main sensor. Whereas Google’s computational images could be too stark for my tastes, Samsung provides a heat tone to the images on the Galaxy S25 Extremely, making them superb for social media. You additionally get significantly better telephoto and ultrawide pictures from the Galaxy S25 Extremely than you do with Samsung’s funds providing.
Galaxy AI does not attraction to everybody. I can not stand it, and in my expertise, Now Temporary on the Galaxy S25 Extremely is ineffective in its present kind. If AI goes to show helpful, corporations have to develop it so I haven’t got to double-check each reply it offers. It additionally cannot be quicker for me to only full a process myself as a substitute of parsing queries repeatedly till I get the consequence I need.
Nonetheless, Samsung is all the time including options, and there might come a time when Galaxy AI proves beneficial. The Galaxy S25 Extremely will possible be capable of deal with new options as they’re launched, and it is cheap to imagine Samsung is extra prone to launch new options on telephones with highly effective {hardware}.
The corporate already guarantees seven years of software program help and upgrades for the Galaxy S25 Extremely, and I can see the machine getting lots of the new options for a great portion of that point. Software program help issues, and the Galaxy S25 Extremely will run easily for longer than any funds mannequin in Samsung’s lineup.
Initially, I used to be involved about energy effectivity with the Snapdragon 8 Elite, however these fears turned out to be unwarranted. The battery life on the Galaxy S25 Extremely is superb. I can not fairly get a full two days of blended use on a single cost, however I get shut. It additionally options “quicker” 45W wired charging in comparison with 25W on the Galaxy A16. It consists of wi-fi and reverse wi-fi charging, options not current on the funds Samsung mannequin.
Samsung’s flagship telephone consists of extra creature comforts. It is IP68-rated for mud and water resistance, offering added peace of thoughts. It is also protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the back and front, with a titanium body for a premium really feel. The Galaxy S25 Extremely seems like a $1,300 smartphone, and that issues to some patrons.
The Galaxy A16 is able to greater than you assume
Shiny show and respectable efficiency
I highlighted the Galaxy S25 Extremely’s show and for good motive, however the Galaxy A16 additionally consists of the most effective display I’ve seen on a tool beneath $200. Its 6.7-inch Tremendous AMOLED show is brighter and extra color-accurate than final 12 months’s panel. Video games look superb, and whereas the distinction is not as deep because the display on its dearer sibling, it is nonetheless an pleasant expertise. We use our screens 100% of the time after we’re on our telephones, and I find it irresistible when machine producers put high-quality panels on funds units.
I do not need anybody to misconceive me. The Exynos 1330 powering the Galaxy A16 is positively a funds chipset, particularly with solely 4GB of RAM. You’ll encounter slowdowns, and video games will lag, nevertheless it’s not unusable. Instagram scrolls are clean, and Pokémon GO runs effectively — I had no issues firing out curveballs at cussed Pikachu.
I want the Galaxy A16 had barely extra RAM, as you’ll discover the system aggressively closes apps to unencumber area, however apart from that, the telephone will get the job achieved. You will not get the newest and biggest AI options, and modifying images would take per week, however who cares? Most day by day duties are dealt with simply, and I’ve an additional $1,100 in my pocket. If you would like a telephone to be a telephone, the Galaxy A16 needs to be your selection.
Because of its funds chipset, the Galaxy A16 conserves energy, permitting me to get nearly two days of utilization on a single cost. Samsung outfitted the Galaxy A16 with a sizeable 5,000mAh battery. Whereas it does not have the quickest charging speeds at solely 25W, I am happy with its general battery efficiency.
It is a disgrace that some options are reserved for funds telephones in 2025, however I will take what I can get. The Galaxy A16 nonetheless features a microSD card slot for expandable storage. Sadly, Samsung did away with the three.5mm headphone jack, however I am glad not less than one fan-favorite choice stays.
It was that funds telephones acquired horrible software program help. We have been lucky to obtain one to 2 years of OS upgrades and probably a further 12 months of safety updates. Fortunately, that is modified, and Samsung guarantees six years of help and upgrades for the Galaxy A16. That is improbable information for individuals who hold their machine for years, and I am glad to see prolonged help coming to cheaper units. Optimized smartphones with dependable software program updates should not be unique to $1,000 smartphones, and it is welcome to see that mindset shift from corporations.
The Galaxy A16 technically has three digicam sensors, however I solely depend one in all them as viable. High quality drops off too sharply on its ultrawide lens, and the macro sensor is borderline unusable.
Nonetheless, you may get a strong picture in good lighting from its 50MP main sensor. Photos are surprisingly vibrant and crisp, capturing the second or scoring a number of likes on Instagram. Not everybody wants DLSR-equivalent efficiency from their smartphone, and in case you hold your expectations in verify, the Galaxy A16 will impress you.
We’re skilled to spend extra
Evaluating the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely to the Galaxy A16 is drastic, and there are quite a few midrange options to select from alongside the spectrum. Nonetheless, it highlights how shut most telephones are, and it begins a dialog about what you really want from a tool. We’re skilled to spend extra on highly effective smartphones that we do not make the most of to their fullest potential. For those who’re a savvy purchaser trying to save a number of {dollars}, it is price contemplating succesful options.
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- SoC
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
- RAM
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12GB
- Storage
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256GB, 512GB, 1TB
- Battery
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5,000mAh
- Ports
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USB-C
- Working System
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Android 15 and One UI 7
Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Extremely leaves the Observe-like design behind for the very first time. With flat edges, curved corners, and a large 6.9-inch show, this can be a trendy flagship via and thru — and sure, that S Pen remains to be right here too.
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- SoC
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Exynos 1330
- RAM
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4GB
- Storage
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128GB
- Battery
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5,000mAh
- Working System
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One UI 6.1, Android 14
- Entrance digicam
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13MP
The Samsung Galaxy A16 options a big 6.7-inch show in a slimmer design and now comes with an IP54 score for water and mud resistance. Identical to Samsung’s flagships, it provides 6 years of OS and safety updates. Below the hood, it is powered by Samsung’s personal Exynos 1330 chipset. The funds smartphone additionally retains key options from its predecessor like a 5,000 mAh battery, microSD slot, and triple-lens digicam.
