Samsung A16 5G promises 6 years of Android updates

Budget phones aren’t renowned for receiving years of software updates, but the newly-announced Samsung Galaxy A16 5G phone is bucking that trend.

The company has announced the affordable Galaxy A16 5G phone which promises a massive six years of Android updates and security patches. Support is promised until October 31 2030.

That’s only one year fewer than the brand new Galaxy S24 and Galaxy Z Flip/Fold 6 phones get, treading new ground for longevity for this device that ships with Android 14 on board, along with the Samsung On UI 6.1

The successor to last year’s Galaxy A15 5G includes a 6.7-inch AMOLED display (up from 6.5-inches on the Galaxy A15) with a Full HD+ resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate.

Samsung’s Exynos 1330 processor is confirmed for the European market, which is backed by 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage that can be boosted by a 1.5TB SD card. There’s a large battery with 5,000mAh capacity too, meaning you should comfortably get through the day.

The cameras are listed as 50-megapixel (main), 5-megapixels (ultrawide) and 2-megapixels (macro) as well as a 13-megapixel selfie camera housed within a waterdrop notch. The phone has an IP54 rating against dust and water ingress and maintains a pretty slim form factor at just 7.9mm thick.

Samsung has announced the phone in some countries, like the Netherlands for just 229 Euros, while you can grab it in France for 249 Euros. UK selling arrangements are yet to be announced.

It seems unlikely we’ll see a device easier to recommend for people seeking a long-lasting smartphone without splashing too much cash.