A minor refresh
The new Samsung Galaxy A17 5G gets a more premium fit and finish, the latest Android, and optical stabilization for the main camera. The U.S. sadly gets just one variant with 4GB of RAM which seems too little to run full-blown Android.
Pros
- Available for much lower than $199 thanks to deals
- Optically stabilized main camera should deliver better results
- Slimmer and lighter than A16 5G
- Same six OS upgrades promised
Cons
- Barely any change compared to A16 5G
- U.S. variant has just 4GB RAM
- Questionable performance
Still good value
Even with the A17 in the picture, the Galaxy A16 continues to be a solid choice as it features more RAM. The specs and features are nearly identical to the newer model, and it's cheaper than the Galaxy A17.
Pros
- Six Android OS upgrades promised
- IP54 rating
- Sharp AMOLED display for the price
- Very affordable
- Large 5,000mAh battery
Cons
- Performance is not great
- Only one color sold in the U.S.
- Ships with Android 14
Samsung has added a new budget smartphone to its 2026 lineup called the Galaxy A17 5G. Just like the very popular Galaxy A16 5G that came before it, this model too is set to receive six generations of Android OS upgrades. The fact that it ships with Android 16 means you have many years' worth of use, even if your budget is lower than $200.
With the Galaxy A16 5G being barely a year old and still sold online, buyers now have to decide between the Samsung Galaxy A17 vs. Galaxy A16. It's actually not a very tough choice, and you'll soon see why, but there are a few important differences between the two that you ought to know about before swiping your card.
Samsung Galaxy A17 vs. Galaxy A16: Design and display
The Samsung Galaxy A17 5G looks practically the same as the Galaxy A16 from the front. You still have thick bezels, an ugly chin, and that old-style waterdrop notch for the front camera. The rear camera island is now gone in favor of a clustered setup. In a way, it looks a bit different and nicer (?) perhaps. What's objectively better is the thickness and weight, both of which have gone down. This means the Galaxy A17 is just a tad bit lighter and slimmer when you take it with you.
There doesn't seem to be any changes made to the display of the Galaxy A17. Just like the Galaxy A16 5G, this too features a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate, 800 nits of peak brightness, and Full HD+ resolution. You might have some trouble viewing content on the screen under direct sunlight, but other than that, it should be decent in other scenarios.
The Galaxy A17 5G comes in two shades, Blue and Black. The phone also gets an IP54 rating for dust and water resistance, and there's Corning Gorilla Glass Victus over the display for scratch protection.
Samsung Galaxy A17 vs. Galaxy A16: Hardware & specs
The core specs of the Samsung Galaxy A17 5G are very similar to the Galaxy A16 5G. Both phones are powered by the Exynos 1330 chip and come with 128GB of storage. Samsung is bringing just one variant to the U.S., and this has just 4GB of RAM. This is not a great spec to have, especially on a phone running regular Android and not the stripped-down Go Edition.
While we haven't tested the Galaxy A17, user comments on Samsung's Galaxy A16 U.S. store page show buyers being unhappy with the slow and laggy performance. The A16 also came with 4GB of RAM (6GB at best), so we suspect a similar situation with the A17 as well.
Samsung has priced the Galaxy A17 at the same $199 as the A16, but it has already gone on sale and is retailing for $170. If you don't have a hard budget cap, I'd recommend spending a bit more (roughly $200) to get the global variant, which comes with 8GB RAM. Just be sure to cross-check the supported 5G bands with your carrier.
Category |
Samsung Galaxy A17 |
Samsung Galaxy A16 |
|---|---|---|
OS |
Android 16 (One UI), up to 6 OS upgrades |
Android 14 (One UI), up to 6 OS upgrades |
Colors |
Black, Blue |
Black |
Screen Size |
6.7 inches |
6.7 inches |
Screen Resolution |
2,340 x 1,080 |
2,340 x 1,080 |
Screen Type |
FHD+, Super AMOLED |
FHD+, Super AMOLED |
Refresh Rate |
90Hz |
90Hz |
Processor |
Exynos 1330 |
Exynos 1330 |
RAM |
4GB |
4GB |
Storage |
128GB (expandable up to 1TB) |
128GB (expandable up to 1TB) |
Cameras |
50MP main (OIS), |
50MP main, |
Speakers |
Yes |
Yes |
Battery |
5,000mAh |
5,000mAh |
Wireless Charging |
No |
No |
Bluetooth |
5.3 |
5.3 |
Water Resistance |
IP54 |
IP54 |
Cellular |
5G |
5G |
Size |
164.4 x 77.9 x 7.5 mm |
164.4 x 77.9 x 7.9 mm |
Weight |
192 grams |
200 grams |
There have been no changes made to the battery capacity on the Galaxy A17 5G. It has the same 5,000mah size as the Galaxy A16 5G. Given the AMOLED display and entry-level SoC, I think you should easily be able to get two full days on a single charge. Charging speed is a decent 25W for a budget phone, but remember you'll need to buy the charger separately.
The Galaxy A17 supports 5G and you can either buy it unlocked or via the three big carriers in the U.S.. The phone supports expandable storage, but you'll need to give up one of the SIM slots for it. There are no headphone jacks on either the A17 or A16, so you'll need to shop from this list if you need this feature.
Samsung Galaxy A17 vs. Galaxy A16: Software
The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G was the one that set the bar for six OS upgrades on a budget phone, and the Galaxy A17 5G continues the trend. Samsung is confident it can deliver six years of security patches for a phone costing less than $200, and that's a highly commendable feat.
The Galaxy A16 5G shipped with Android 14, which means it's already had two out of the six OS upgrades. This gives the Galaxy A17 an advantage since it ships with Android 16, so there's still a long way to go before it stops getting OS updates. A few basic AI features are present too, like Circle to Search and potentially more as newer versions of One UI roll out.
Samsung Galaxy A17 vs. Galaxy A16: Cameras
Samsung hasn't fiddled with the cameras on the Galaxy A17 5G too much over the A16, except for one crucial addition. The main 50MP camera on the A17 is now optically stabilized, which means low-light shots should be sharper and have less blurring. Everything else has stayed exactly the same. The ultrawide camera is only 5MP, so quality is going to be pretty weak. There's a third 2MP camera as well, but I wouldn't expect much from this.
The front camera gets a 13MP sensor on both phones, with video recording topping out at 1080p. It's the same story with the rear cameras too, for video recording, which shows the limitation of the chipset.
For a $199 phone, though, it's hard to expect much more. If you're buying this, it's definitely not for the photography experience, so I don't think many would complain.
Samsung Galaxy A17 vs. Galaxy A16: Which one should you buy?
The Samsung Galaxy A17 5G feels like the better bargain than the A16 thanks to better camera tech, Android 16, and the lighter design. I'd still be wary about getting the model officially sold by Samsung in the U.S. since 4GB of RAM is simply too low for a good Android experience. If you can pop over to a Best Buy or Samsung store near you and get a feel of the phone in person, that would be ideal.
The Galaxy A16 5G is still a good bargain, as it's virtually identical to the A17, and it's now cheaper and still has many OS upgrades left under its belt. Once again, if you can get a higher RAM variant of the phone, get that instead of the 4GB one. If you plan on keeping this phone for many years, that extra helping of RAM will certainly help keep future Android generations running smoothly.
Same as the A16, but slightly improved
The Samsung Galaxy A17 5G is only marginally better than the A16, and the U.S. variant only gets 4GB of RAM. If you have to buy it, make sure you get the 8GB variant online.
A great bargain buy
The Samsung Galaxy A16 is even cheaper now and still have many more Android OS upgrades left. It's very similar to the A17 which makes it a good alternative if you want to keep spends to a minimum.
