Samsung Galaxy A15 vs A16: what's the best cheap smartphone?

Gone are the days where you'd have to spend a small fortune to get a good phone. You won't get every bell and whistle if you buy a cheaper model but, provided you choose carefully, you won't be disappointed. 

Launching at £199, the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G was one of the cheapest phones on the market in 2024 and one of the most popular, in part because of regular discounts that saw it available for around £150. We loved it for its five years of security support and other solid specs at a bargain price. But now the A16 5G has arrived, marketed as an upgrade to the A15, its days could be numbered.

We've put the new phone through our test labs to see if it's a worthy upgrade, and see if you could still save money and go for the A15. Plus, check out more cheap models we recommend for less than £200.

Read our review of the Galaxy A15 5G, and the Galaxy A16 5G, or browse all our Samsung mobile phone reviews to see how these A-range phones compare.

Samsung Galaxy A16 vs A15: what's new?

Both of these phones have the a triple-rear camera system, large batteries, and start from 128GB of storage, but the A16 claims to have some encouraging upgrades.

The screen on the A16 is 0.2-inches bigger (6.7 vs 6.5 inches), which doesn't sound like much but bigger is often better for heavier smartphone users. There's a faster processor too. But our favourite change is Samsung's decision to up its security and software update period. With the A16 you will get the latest Android OS features and important security patches for six years (vs the A15's five for security updates and four for OS updates). Six years of support is very rare for a phone of this price. If you're happy to use the A16 for at least five years, this equates to less than £40 a year for the handset.

Find out how much support your handset has left with our phone support calculator. 

Both devices are made out of sturdy materials and neither feels cheap to hold. But the A16 is even thinner than its predecessor, measuring just 7.9mm. So even with a bigger screen, the A16 practically weighs the same as the A15.

The similarities don't stop there. In fact, they both have the same camera systems. The rear cameras include a 50Mp main camera combined with a 5Mp ultra-wide camera to widen the view that the lens captures, and a new 5Mp macro camera to improve the clarity of close-up shots. The more limited 13Mp front-facing cameras sit subtly at the top of the screen.

Both launched for £199, though we imagine the A15 will see some discounts now it's been out longer than a year.

Our lab tests put the features on these phones through their paces. We've judged the camera quality in 10 different shooting environments and we found out if the A16's upgrades came at a cost to its battery life. Read on to find out who wins in the battle of these value Samsung smartphones.

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy A16 or A15?

Usually you'd expect an upgraded phone to be a natural successor, but our lab tests reveal exactly why you'll want to weigh up your choice carefully, even for a phone as cheap as the A16.

Which? members can log in to see our expert verdict. Not yet a member? Join Which? now to get instant access.

Where to buy the the Samsung Galaxy A16 and A15

These are very popular phones and so they are currently sold out at a number of retailers. But when they are available, you can compare Sim-free prices below.

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G Sim-free

Samsung Galaxy A15 5G Sim-free

Samsung Galaxy A15 4G Sim-free

Want to spend even less? The Samsung Galaxy A15 is also available without 5G. It's very similar to the 5G version, but it doesn't have all the camera features or a gyroscope for the most accurate location tracking. Read our Samsung Galaxy A15 4G review for more details. Buy it from the retailers below.

Which? Great Value phones are the phones that impressed in our tests and are at least 20% cheaper than the average phone.

Other cheap phones for under £200

Which? members can see our top-rated phones under £200 below, or check our pick of the best mobile phone deals in the sales.

Thinking about switching brands? Find out which are more likely to stay fault-free in our guide to which mobile phone brand to buy in 2024.

When should you spend more on a mobile phone?

While it's now entirely possible to get great phones for less, there are still benefits to spending a bit more on a mobile. Here's what you can expect at different price points.

Lower-range phones: £100-£300

Some of the best technology from phones in recent years is already filtering down into cheaper devices. There are plenty that are easy to use, running on the latest software, and are solid enough to handle everyday stresses.

Cheaper phones traditionally have the best battery lives, and many still live up to this promise.

The most common compromise on these phones is camera quality. Pictures might not be brought into focus very well, and we've seen some video software looks jittery. But many are still likely to give you decent non-specialist snaps.

See all of our mobile phone reviews £100 to £300

Mid-range phones: £300-£600

The best mid-range phones are great all-rounders with comfortable battery lives. However, we've noticed that a lot of them seem to have first-class screens nowadays as well. It's also possible to find fast charge models that fully charge in less than 20 minutes.

Cameras are likely to be higher quality in this price range, but can vary, so be sure to check out our reviews for the best that don't scrimp on performance.

Our mobile phone reviews £300 to £600

Premium phones: £600+

If you want the finest cameras with adaptable modes, you'll need to opt for a premium phone. The best cameras make easy work of brightening pictures taken in the dark, or keeping them crystal clear when you zoom in. You'll also get a high-resolution screen with buttery-smooth browsing. You can set the screens to be incredibly bright, making them easy to read - even in direct sunlight.

Cameras aside, you also have to pay the big bucks if you want a phone with a foldable screen. Samsung might be on its fifth generation of its Galaxy Z Flip and Fold phones, but they've actually gone up in price this year, rather than down.

Though premium phones are very expensive, they are usually given the longest security update periods. So if you're happy to keep your phone for longer, this can help spread out the cost of a pricey device over time.

Our mobile phone reviews £600+

News, deals and stuff the manuals don't tell you. Sign up for our Tech newsletter, it's free monthly