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Samsung Galaxy A16 5G launched in the Philippines: Specs, Price and Availability
Samsung launched Galaxy A16 and A16 5G in the Philippines. It follows the recent debut in the United Kingdom after a handful of more markets. The devices come with decent specs and features at an affordable price tag.
The new Samsung Galaxy A16 5G and LTE will be available in the Philippines at ₱13,990 and ₱9,990, respectively. The 5G variant is available for purchase, starting today, while you have to wait til December 3rd to own the LTE-only model.
Display
Samsung’s new Galaxy A16 phones sport a 6.7-inch FHD+ sAMOLED display. The Super AMOLED screen provides scenes with true-to-life colors and sharp clarity, making the display ideal for watching videos, gaming, or browsing.
Camera
The phones have a triple camera setup, featuring a 50MP main sensor accompanied by a 5MP ultra-wide and 2MP macro lens. Its front camera has a 13-megapixel resolution, unlocking a decent selfie-snapping experience.
Processor, Battery & Charging
Samsung’s A16 phones pack MediaTek chipsets, with the 5G model bringing Dimensity 6300 and 4G using Helio G99. Both models equip robust 5000mAh battery with 25W fast charging capability for all-day long performance.
Design
The new Galaxy A15 5G/LTE comes with immersive visuals, sleek designs, and secure, reliable experiences. The smartphones adopt Samsung’s signature design, featuring refined, rounded corners and a linear camera lens layout.
The Galaxy A16 series also introduces an improved, sleeker design, with a thinner body measuring just 7.9mm—down from 8.4mm in last year’s A15 series. The streamlined bezels further emphasize the AMOLED display.
Apart from this, the Key Island design offers a sleek look and feel. It also contributes to an easy and intuitive grip on the device, making it comfortable to hold. Previously, the Key Island was only available on Galaxy A55 and A35 models.
Colors
Available in a range of colorways, the Galaxy A16 5G offers Blue Black, and Gold. The Galaxy A16 LTE on the other hand comes in Black, Grey, and an online exclusive color — Light Green, giving users plenty of stylish options.
Software
Boots Android 14-based One UI 6.1, eligible for 6 generations of major Android and 6 years of regular security patches.
Owners of select Samsung Smart TVs, monitors, The Premiere 7 & 9 projectors, or The Freestyle 2nd Gen can stream Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Flight Simulator 2024 and hundreds of other games with Gaming Hub Xbox Game Pass.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Flight Simulator 2024 are two of the most popular games of 2024. Thanks to Samsung Gaming Hub, you don’t need to download any of the Xbox Game Pass titles, no meaning no storage required – just jump in and play.
The company has also built an engaging gameplay experience designed by fans, for fans through The Six, challenging players’ knowledge and providing another way to interact with the world of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
Notably, Samsung’s Gaming Hub is available on a variety of Samsung screens. It includes the AI-powered 2024 TV lineup, monitors, projectors, The Premiere, and The Freestyle 2nd Gen projector, offering instant access to console-free gaming.
Anyone with a Samsung Smart TV will be able to use their remote to jump in and play. This way, Gaming Hub provides a co-branded experience, giving Call of Duty fans another way to engage with the franchise they love.
For starters: The Six offers daily trivia where players can answer a series of six questions in competition with other players around the world. Correct answers with the fastest response time will achieve higher scores.
Samsung could launch the Galaxy ixi-O AI Phone next year. The company has collaborated with LG Uplus to develop a custom smartphone. The device is said to feature Galaxy AI and LG Uplus’s AI call assistant ixi-O.
Sources citing KEDGlobal revealed that Samsung and LG Uplus working together to develop the Galaxy ixi-O AI Phone. It’s a big development in the smartphone industry, while the handset is highly likely to be Korea-limited.
Samsung fans are well aware of the Galaxy AI feature suite. ixi-O is an AI-powered digital assistant developed by Korean carrier LG Uplus. The company plans to enter the smartphone market, featuring its own-developed AI assistant.
The report indicates that Samsung and LG Uplus’ ixi-O AI Phone will launch as early as next year. The development project focuses on crafting a “real AI phone” that goes beyond simply integrating AI assistant services into a smartphone.
ixi-O comes with useful features such as AI call answering, detecting voice phishing in real-time, recording and summarizing phone calls and converting voice conversation into text – all within an on-device environment.
Image: ixi-O AI | LG Uplus Newsroom
Based on specifications, the Galaxy ixi-O AI Phone will be based on a Galaxy phone available globally. The design will match with a global Galaxy smartphone, but the software may be tweaked as per the carrier’s requirements.
A custom Galaxy phone isn’t shocking or impossible in South Korea. Samsung releases Quantum, Buddy, and Jump-branded phones in the market. The company collaborates with Korean carriers to bring these devices to mainland Korea.
The carrier introduced an on-device AI-powered ixi-O assistant earlier this month. LG Uplus will initially target its consumer base for the new AI Phone. However, the AI Assistant may be expanded to a broader audience across Korea.
Samsung could use Gauss2-based Galaxy AI on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The company’s next-gen Generative AI model is 1.5 to 3x faster than the first-gen Gauss model. The DX division is already using Gauss2 to ramp up internal productivity.
Gauss2 offers improved performance and efficiency in simultaneously handling various data types. In the previous article, we’ve demonstrated its three distinct models that cater to different purposes: Compact, Balanced, and Supreme.
Samsung says the second-gen Gauss model offers equal or superior performance in response generation than leading open-source generative AI models. That said, the Galaxy AI will become faster and smarter with the inclusion of Gauss2.
Thanks to faster processing speed, Gauss2 enables quicker AI response generation. This way, the Galaxy user won’t have to wait much time. The company stated that it will continue to expand the reach of its AI-based services across all product lines.
That said, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is likely to boast Gauss2-based Galaxy AI. This upgrade will result in even faster processing of tasks and execution. Features like composition, image generation, and translation would benefit from Gauss2.
Earlier, we broke the news that Samsung is crafting an advanced AI technology. The Gauss2 press release indicates that the future Galaxy AI iteration could be integrated with knowledge graph technology to offer relevant results.
The Galaxy S24 series also uses Google’s Gemini Nano AI model. The fruitful collaboration offers futuristic capabilities on Galaxy devices. Samsung is rumored to use an enhanced version of Gemini Nano across the Galaxy S25 lineup.
Meanwhile, Samsung’s development may have indulged Gauss2 capabilities on the Galaxy S25 series. Integrated with new processors and optimized software, the company’s AI model would offer faster, reliable, and smarter results.