Samsung Galaxy M16 5G vs Galaxy M12
48
out of 100
VS
38
out of 100
Here we compared two budget smartphones: the 6.7-inch Samsung Galaxy M16 5G (with MediaTek Dimensity 6300) that was released on February 27, 2025, against the Samsung Galaxy M12, which is powered by Exynos 850 and came out 4 years and 4 months before. On this page, you will find tests, full specs, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the devices.
Select the amount of RAM to evaluate performance and value for money more precisely
Key differences
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy M16 5G
- Water-resistant body (IP54 classification)
- 2x better performance in AnTuTu Benchmark (514K versus 255K)
- 43% higher pixel density (385 vs 270 PPI)
- Newer Bluetooth version (v5.3)
- More recent OS version: Android 15 versus 13
- Compatible with Wi-Fi 5 wireless networks
- The phone is 4 years and 4 months newer
- Has 33% more RAM: 4GB versus 3GB
- Slow-motion recording at 120FPS
- Super AMOLED display (versus competitor's PLS TFT)
- Supports higher wattage charging (25W versus 15W)
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy M12
- Includes a 3.5 mm headphone audio jack port
Review
Display
Screen quality, color accuracy, brightness
Camera
Photo and video recording quality
Performance
CPU and memory performance (apps, system)
Gaming
Capabilities for playing modern games
Battery
Battery life, charging type and speed
Connectivity
Networks, ports, data transmission
Scores with a red asterisk (*) are approximate and may change in the future as we gather more data.
Select your primary usage scenario to get a more accurate NanoReview Score
Value for money (Beta)
Tests and specifications
Comparison table of technical specifications and testsDisplay
| Type | Super AMOLED | PLS TFT |
| Size | 6.7 inches | 6.5 inches |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels | 720 x 1600 pixels |
| Aspect ratio | 19.5:9 | 20:9 |
| PPI | 385 ppi | 270 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 90 Hz | 90 Hz |
| Adaptive refresh rate | No | No |
| Max rated brightness | 800 nits | 450 nits |
| HDR support | No | No |
| Screen protection | Tempered glass | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Screen-to-body ratio | 86% | 82% |
| Display features | - DCI-P3 | - |
| RGB color space | - | 93.3% |
| Response time | - | 39 ms |
| Contrast | - | 926:1 |
Screen space comparison
Galaxy M16 5G
6.7″ (19.5:9 ratio) = 17.1 in2
Galaxy M12
6.5″ (20:9 ratio) = 15.8 in2
~8% more screen space
Peak brightness test (auto)
Design and build
| Height | 164.4 mm (6.47 inches) | 164 mm (6.46 inches) |
| Width | 77.9 mm (3.07 inches) | 75.9 mm (2.99 inches) |
| Thickness | 7.9 mm (0.31 inches) | 9.7 mm (0.38 inches) |
| Weight | 191 g (6.74 oz) | 214 g (7.55 oz) |
| Waterproof | IP54 | No |
| Rear material | Plastic | Plastic |
| Frame material | Plastic | Plastic |
| Colors | Black, Blue, Green, Pink | Black, Blue, Green |
| Fingerprint scanner | Yes, in-button | Yes, in-button |
Screen-to-body ratio
Performance
| Chipset | MediaTek Dimensity 6300 | Samsung Exynos 850 |
| Max clock | 2400 MHz | 2000 MHz |
| CPU cores | 8 (2 + 6) | 8 (8) |
| Architecture | - 6 cores at 2 GHz: Cortex-A55 - 2 cores at 2.4 GHz: Cortex-A76 |
- 8 cores at 2 GHz: Cortex-A55 |
| L3 cache | 2 MB | - |
| Manufacturing | TSMC | Samsung |
| Lithography process | 6 nanometers | 8 nanometers |
| Neural processor (NPU) | Yes | No |
| Graphics | Mali-G57 MP2 | Mali-G52 |
| GPU shading units | 64 | 16 |
| GPU clock | 1072 MHz | 1001 MHz |
| FLOPS | ~137.2 GFLOPS | ~48 GFLOPS |
Benchmarks
Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)
Compute Score (GPU)
| Compute Score (GPU) | 1401 | - |
| Single-core score | 730 | 481 |
| Multi-core score | 2010 | 1522 |
AnTuTu Benchmark 11
| CPU | 205604 | 102962 |
| GPU | 60254 | 18064 |
| Memory | 93127 | 78853 |
| UX | 155368 | 55507 |
| Total score | 514353 | 255386 |
| Samples | Less than 3 | Less than 3 |
PCMark 3.0
| Web score | 8786 | 5973 |
| Video editing | 4846 | 5745 |
| Photo editing | 16711 | 9202 |
| Data manipulation | 7945 | 4789 |
| Writing score | 11058 | 5649 |
Recent User Tests
Samsung Galaxy M16 5G
No benchmark results yet
Samsung Galaxy M12
| Date | Benchmark | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 📘 2026-02-10 (evgn) | AnTuTu 11 | 255386 |
Memory
| RAM size | 4 GB | 3 GB |
| Memory type | LPDDR4X | LPDDR4X |
| Memory clock | 2133 MHz | 1866 MHz |
| Channels | 2 | 2 |
| Storage size | 128 GB | 32 GB |
| Storage type | UFS 2.2 | eMMC 5.1 |
| Memory card | MicroSD | MicroSD |
| Memory card max size | Up to 1536 GB | Up to 1024 GB |
Software
| Operating system | Android 15 | Android 11 (Can be upgraded to Android 13) |
| ROM | One UI 7.0 | One UI Core 5.0 |
| OS size | 20.2 GB | 14 GB |
| OS updates | 6 years | 2 years |
| Security updates | 6 years | 4 years |
Battery
| Capacity | 5000 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Max charge power | 25 W | 15 W |
| Battery type | Li-Ion | Li-Ion |
| Replaceable | No | No |
| Wireless charging | No | No |
| Reverse charging | No | No |
| Fast charging | Yes (47% in 30 min) | Yes (40% in 60 min) |
| Full charging time | 1:22 hr | 2:30 hr |
| Web browsing | - | 08:56 hr |
| Watching video | - | 12:59 hr |
| Gaming | - | 05:13 hr |
| Standby | - | 121 hr |
General battery life
Main camera
| Matrix | 50 megapixels | 48 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 8160 x 6120 | 8000 x 6000 |
| Zoom | Digital | Digital |
| Flash | LED | LED |
| Stabilization | Digital | Digital |
| 8K video recording | No | No |
| 4K video recording | No | No |
| 1080p video recording | Up to 30FPS | Up to 30FPS |
| Slow motion | 120 FPS (720p) | No |
| Angle of widest lens | - | 123° |
| Lenses | 1) Standard: 50 MP 2) Ultrawide: 5 MP 3) Macro: 2 MP |
1) Standard: 48 MP 2) Ultrawide: 5 MP 3) Macro: 2 MP 4) Depth: 2 MP |
| Camera features | - Bokeh mode - Pro mode |
- Bokeh mode - Pro mode |
| Image resolution | 50 MP | 48 MP |
| Aperture | f/1.8 | f/2.0 |
| Sensor | Samsung ISOCELL S5KJN1 | Samsung S5KGM2 |
| Sensor size | 1/2.76" (≈ 0.36 inch) | 1/2" (≈ 0.5 inch) |
| Pixel size | 0.64 micron | 0.8 micron |
| Autofocus | Phase autofocus | Phase autofocus |
| Stabilization | Digital | Digital |
| Image resolution | 5 MP | 5 MP |
| Aperture | f/2.2 | f/2.2 |
| Sensor | SmartSens SC501 | - |
| Sensor size | 1/5" (≈ 0.2 inch) | 1/5.0" (≈ 0.2 inch) |
| Pixel size | 1.12 micron | 1.12 micron |
| Stabilization | Digital | Digital |
| Image resolution | 2 MP | 2 MP |
| Aperture | f/2.4 | f/2.4 |
| Stabilization | No | No |
Selfie camera
| Megapixels | 13 megapixels | 8 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 4160 x 3120 | 3264 x 2448 |
| Aperture | f/2.0 | f/2.0 |
| Focal length | 26 mm | - |
| Sensor | GalaxyCore GC13A0 | CMOS |
| Sensor size | 1/3.1" (≈ 0.32 inch) | - |
| Pixel size | 1.12 micron | - |
| Autofocus | No | No |
| Stabilization | No | No |
| Video resolution | 1080p (Full HD) at 30 FPS | 1080p (Full HD) at 30 FPS |
| Depth sensor (TOF 3D) | No | No |
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi standard | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11 b/g/n) |
| Wi-Fi features | - Dual Band - Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display |
- Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot |
| Bluetooth version | 5.3 | 5 |
| Bluetooth features | LE | PBAP/PAB, PAN, OPP, MAP, HSP, HID, HFP, DIP, AVRCP, A2DP |
| USB type | USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| USB version | 2 | 2 |
| USB features | - Charging - USB-Storage mode - OTG |
- Charging - USB-Storage mode - OTG |
| DisplayPort | No | No |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo |
| NFC* | Yes | Depends on the region |
| Infrared port | No | No |
| Number of SIM* | 2 | 2 |
| Type of SIM card | Nano | Nano |
| Multi SIM mode | Standby | Standby |
| eSIM support* | No | No |
| Hybrid slot | No | No |
| LTE Cat* | - | 7 |
| 5G support | Yes | No |
Sound
| Speakers | Mono | Mono |
| Headphone audio jack | No | Yes |
| FM radio | No | Yes |
| Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes |
Speakers test
Max loudness
Other
| Category | Budget | Budget |
| Announced | February 2025 | November 2020 |
| Release date | March 2025 | April 2021 |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $135 | $180 |
| Successor | - | - Samsung Galaxy M16 5G |
| SAR (head) | 0.99 W/kg | 0.54 W/kg |
| SAR (body) | 1.19 W/kg | 1.39 W/kg |
| Sensors | - Proximity sensor - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Compass - Fingerprint |
- Proximity sensor - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Fingerprint |
| Bundled charger | Not included | - |
*Disclaimer! NFC, GSM network support, and some other specs can be different depending on the country.
Conclusion
After analyzing all the data, we think that the Samsung Galaxy M16 5G is definitely a better buy.
Cast your vote
Total votes: 6