The Galaxy A16 5G is finally available in the USA, and Samsung is even offering an attractive bundle that includes the new Galaxy Fit 3 tracker for only $30 extra. However, if you plan on upgrading to the Galaxy A16 5G from an older model, you need to be aware of one downgrade:
The Galaxy A16 5G is the first in the A1x series to lack a 3.5mm headphone port.
If you're now pairing your Galaxy A15 (or an older A1x model) with wired headphones, that will no longer be possible once you upgrade to the Galaxy A16. Not unless you use a USB-C-to-3.5mm dongle. Your other option is to switch to wireless headphones or earbuds.
The cheapest Galaxy Buds on sale right now are the Galaxy Buds FE. They usually cost $99, but as it happens, they're $30 off at the time of this writing.
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Although the lack of a 3.5mm audio port is a new development for the Galaxy A1x series, Samsung has been moving away from this standard with other Galaxy phone models for over half a decade now.
The first Samsung smartphones without a 3.5mm headphone port were the W2018 and W2019, which were exclusive to China. The Galaxy A8s followed.
Samsung then removed the 3.mm port from popular high-end flagships starting with 2019 and slowly applied a similar no-3.5mm design to upper Galaxy A models in the following years. The new Galaxy A16 5G is now catching up with its pricier siblings.
The downside to lacking a 3.5mm port is obvious, but there are some upsides to using wireless earbuds. One is the wire-free convenience. Wireless earbuds also offer more clever features, available in the Galaxy Wearable app, and can improve through firmware updates.
In any case, if you are using an older Galaxy A1x model and you're planning to leverage Samsung's trade-in program to upgrade to the Galaxy A16 5G, you will get some upgraded features, but it's best to be aware of this new limitation regarding your choice of headphones.
