What you need to know.

• The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G and Galaxy Fit 3 are coming to the US next week, priced at $199.99 and $59.99, respectively.
• Samsung is offering six generations of full OS upgrades on the Galaxy A16 5G, a first for a product at this price point.
• The Galaxy A16 5G also features a new Exynos processor, an IP rating, and a larger screen.

Samsung is bringing two popular budget devices, the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G and the Samsung Galaxy Fit 3, to the US next week, it announced in a press release today. Both the budget smartphone and the fitness tracker will be available at retailers across the country from January 9, 2025. As the successor to last year’s Galaxy A15 5G, the new Galaxy A16 5G offers a longer software support window and greater durability at the same price.

The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G builds on the improvements made with the Galaxy A15 5G, which was the first to include an OLED screen. This time, the Galaxy A16 5G has a larger 6.7″ FHD+ Super AMOLED display, which still offers a 90Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 800 nits. The design of the handset is similar, but there are some hidden changes in this year’s budget smartphone.

Specifically, Samsung is moving from the Mediatek Dimensity 6100+ chipset to a chip on its Exynos 1330 system. This is why Samsung is able to offer the best-in-class software support for a $199 smartphone with the Galaxy A16 5G. You will get six generations of One UI and Android OS upgrades. The smartphone starts with One UI 6, which is based on Android 14. Even if one of the six generations promised that Android 15 is already here is canceled, it’s still remarkable — and Samsung also delivers six years of security updates.

The company also managed to make the Galaxy A16 5G more durable, as it is now rated for IP54 protection against dust and water ingress. It won’t offer the same level of protection as the IP68 and IP69 flagships, but it’s impressive for a smartphone at this price point.