Samsung Galaxy A16 Camera: Best Settings and A16 vs A17

Samsung’s Galaxy A16 was the first budget Galaxy phone to get six generations of Android upgrades promised.

• There’s a Galaxy A16 5G and a cheaper 4G model simply called the Galaxy A16, and both have the same cameras according to Samsung’s specs.
• Its cameras include a 50MP main camera, 5MP ultrawide and 2MP macro, with no optical camera stabilisation.
• Note: This article is about Samsung’s Galaxy A16 phone, not Apple’s A16 chip.
• We list the Galaxy A16’s camera specs and share what reviewers said about them, as well as our suggested settings. We also compare it with the newer Galaxy A17 and the older Galaxy A15.
• Unless otherwise noted, menu names and paths refer to One UI 9, which came to the Galaxy A16 from October 2026.

Galaxy A16 camera specs: 5G and 4G models

Video recording tops out at 1080p30 across all cameras per Notebookcheck, which matches the info found on Samsung’s spec sheets. Samsung’s US support page for the A16 (along with the A26, A36 and A56) lists 4K30 support for the A16 5G, however. We’d expect 1080p here.

The main camera sensor is Samsung’s smallish 1/2.76-inch ISOCELL JN1 per GSMArena. Notebookcheck found images are pixel-binned to 12.5MP by default, with an option to shoot in 50MP mode.

What Galaxy A16 photos look like

Colour rendition and white balance were accurate and balanced in good light, according to Notebookcheck, though it thought images were a little on the dark side with average sharpness and detail levels. Tech Advisor noted that Samsung’s colour is more natural than before and found reasonable dynamic range and exposure in bright conditions. Notebookcheck tested the 4G version of the Galaxy A16 and had broadly similar results.

Unfortunately, low-light performance suffers. Notebookcheck called out sub-par low-light photos as a negative, with subjects in its test image nearly vanishing at 1 lux. Tech Advisor also saw detail and sharpness levels diminish in low-light settings such as pubs and restaurants, and Night mode images weren’t clear enough as a result of not having OIS to help with longer exposures.

The 5MP ultrawide camera wasn’t highly thought of either, with Tech Advisor detecting a lot of noise and missing detail, while Notebookcheck felt it was only good for taking the odd snapshot. The 2MP macro camera produces passable photos on the phone according to Notebookcheck but not when zoomed in. Tech Advisor reckons the 2x zoom (cropped from the main camera) is OK but a little grainy, with 4x and 10x images getting fuzzy.

On the positive side both Tech Advisor and Notebookcheck thought selfies from the 13MP camera were decent in good lighting.

Best Galaxy A16 camera settings

Note: Menu paths may vary slightly depending on your phone model and software version. The menu paths below are from Samsung’s One UI 9 user guide for phones in the Galaxy A15, Galaxy A16 and Galaxy A17 family as of October 2026.

To access Camera settings on your Galaxy phone, open Camera, then tap Quick controls (four dots) > Settings icon.

Note: Feature names shown in this article are from the user guide for Galaxy A16 5G. Feature names may vary slightly on other Galaxy phones or after software updates.

How to get sharp photos without OIS

Especially indoors, most blurry pictures are the result of camera shake. Since the A16 doesn’t offer optical stabilisation, it’s up to you to avoid this. Here are a few tips that might help:

• Use Quick controls’ timer and prop your phone up on a bag, wall or table for sharp shots of still scenes.
• Get in closer or zoom in up to 2x for tighter portraits. Try to avoid using digital zoom beyond 2x as it can make the image grainy and exacerbate camera shake.
• Hold your phone with both hands and keep your elbows tucked in for stability. Tap one of the volume buttons to take the shot with less camera shake.
• Photographing kids, pets or sports? Swipe the shutter button to the edge of the screen and hold it down to shoot in rapid succession, and choose the best shot afterwards.
• Position your subject near a window or in an area with good lighting, because the brighter the scene, the faster the shutter speed and the less likely your photo is to be blurred by camera shake.

Once it’s dark outside, tap the moon in Photo mode (One UI 9 will show this when it’s dark enough) to switch Night on/off. Alternatively, you can find Night under More, where you’ll also see the amount of time the shutter will be open for (so you know how long to keep steady!). You can also add Night to your list of main camera modes by tapping More > Edit and dragging Night wherever you want it. Make sure to keep the camera steady until the photo’s been taken, ideally by resting it on something. Our Night mode guide explains how the phone picks that time, and our blurry photo fixes cover every other cause of soft pictures.

Pro mode, portraits and video on the A16

Pro mode (under More) offers control over ISO, EV, WB and colour tone, which is handy for locking WB and keeping ISO as low as possible when taking a series of indoor shots, so they all look similar. The Samsung A16 5G camera manual lists those controls, but there’s no shutter speed adjustment to be found in it. There’s no RAW option in the menu, so you’re stuck with JPEG (or HEIF if you enable High efficiency pictures). Our Pro mode guide explains each control.

Background blur can be controlled with the slider bar when shooting in Portrait mode. As ever, it works best at 1x with a few metres between subject and background, so check your results (especially round bits of hair) by zooming in before moving on. If you’re shooting outdoors, open shade is best for flattering facial tones.

Video tops out at FHD/30fps according to Samsung’s spec sheets, with Slow motion (HD/120fps) and Hyperlapse tucked away under More. Again, 1x is best. With no OIS here, we’d switch on Video stabilisation (Samsung’s term for anti-shake) and keep any panning to a minimum.

Galaxy A16 vs A17 and A15 cameras

Samsung’s A17 5G sticks with the same 5MP ultrawide, 2MP macro and 13MP selfie cameras as the A16, but adds optical image stabilisation (OIS) to the 50MP main camera, something Samsung highlights on the A17’s spec sheet. Video capture tops out at 1080p and 30fps. Samsung says pictures taken at night using the A17’s main camera can be up to 2.5 times brighter than before. Otherwise, according to Android Central’s A17 vs A16 5G comparison, the phones are very similar, with the A17 slightly slimmer and lighter at 7.5mm thick and 192g, versus 7.9mm and 200g for the A16. Both use an Exynos 1330 processor in the US.

OIS can help to prevent blur when taking photos in low light or indoors, as the camera can use slower shutter speeds without motion from your hands being noticeable. It won’t, however, help you take a sharp picture of your darting toddler, and has no effect on video resolution or the ultrawide camera. Our Galaxy A17 settings guide covers the newer phone.

Tech Advisor points out that the A16’s camera set-up, a 50MP f/1.8 main camera, 5MP f/2.2 ultrawide, 2MP macro and 13MP selfie camera, is exactly the same as on the A15, as is the case with both versions of the A16 according to Notebookcheck. The A16 does offer a larger 6.7-inch display, IP54 dust and splash resistance and will receive six major Android upgrades, instead of four for the A15 5G. Our Galaxy A15 camera guide has tips for that phone.

Should you buy the Galaxy A16 for photos?

Buy the Galaxy A16 if it’s significantly cheaper than the Galaxy A17 and you mostly take photos in daylight outdoors. Everyday shots are decent, selfies are good, and Samsung promises six generations of Android upgrades and six years of security updates. A January 2026 comparison by Android Central found the phone offered good value for money against the A17.

Buy the Galaxy A17 if it’s similarly priced to the Galaxy A16, especially if you take a lot of photos of people indoors or at night, as OIS is the main difference between the two phones that will impact image quality. Consider stepping up to a more expensive phone if you’d like 4K video recording and a better ultrawide camera. The Galaxy A35 has a stabilised main camera, an 8MP ultrawide and 4K video at 30fps, and our Galaxy A36 camera guide covers the newer mid-ranger.

Whichever you choose, know what the A16 can't do:

• Take 4K or 60fps videos (at least, that’s what Samsung’s spec sheets say and what Notebookcheck found in its test).
• Take optically zoomed photos: there’s no telephoto lens here, so expect digital crops after 2x to be on the softer side.
• Take sharp photos at night without propping the phone up (no OIS here).
• Take photos in RAW (there’s no RAW mode in the camera app’s list of settings).

Frequently asked questions