The Samsung Galaxy A16 is the brand’s latest mid-range smartphone, priced at Rs 18,999. The OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite (review) is another popular device, priced similarly at Rs 19,999, and these phones share some similarities. Both phones come with rather modest processors for their price. MediaTek Dimensity 6300 powers the Samsung Galaxy A16, while the Snapdragon 695 drives the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite.
To compare the performance output of both these phones, we put them through a bunch of tests, including both benchmark and real-world performance checks. For benchmark tests, we use popular tools like AnTuTu and Geekbench to measure overall performance. We also tested each phone’s sustained peak performance using the Burnout benchmark app. Additionally, we tested the phones’ gaming performance, measuring their average FPS and tracking temperature increases. Read on to know the results.
Geekbench
The Geekbench benchmark test is a popular way to assess a smartphone’s CPU performance. The test is broken down into two parts: single-core and multi-core. Single-core performance measures everyday tasks like web browsing and app loading, while multi-core performance focuses on more demanding activities like gaming, video editing, and photo editing.
| Samsung Galaxy A16 | OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite | |
| Geekbench single-core | 735 | 914 |
| Geekbench multi-core | 1948 | 2056 |
The OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite registers a better score compared to the Samsung Galaxy A16 in the single-core test and a nearly on-par score in the multi-core test. While the scores have a slight variation, you’ll not notice much difference in both phone’s real-world performance. Even so, the point here goes to the Nord CE4 Lite due to its superior single-core performance.
Winner: OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite
AnTuTu
The AnTuTu benchmark is a widely used tool for measuring a smartphone’s overall performance by testing various aspects like CPU, GPU, memory, and user experience. It assigns individual scores to each category and combines them for an overall score.
| Samsung Galaxy A16 | OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite | |
| AnTuTu score | 411561 | 475981 |
The AnTuTu scores of both phones are quite close to each other, with the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite once again in a slight lead. The disparity in scores is largely because the Nord CE4 Lite scores better than the Galaxy 16 in nearly all aspects like CPU performance, GPU performance and memory scores. Based on these scores, the former should deliver slightly better performance in tasks, although the difference won’t be too large.
Winner: OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite
CPU throttle
A CPU throttle test helps us determine how well a device performs under sustained load and if there’s any performance throttling with high temperatures. We use the Burnout benchmark test, which, as per its namesake stress tests a phone’s processor and registers its performance output under throttling.
| Samsung Galaxy A16 | OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite | |
| Burnout score (higher is better) | 62.2 percent | 55.4 percent |
The Samsung Galaxy A16 performs slightly better in the stress test compared to the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite. The difference is not very substantial, however, and in real-world usage, both phones will deliver roughly equal performance when put under stress. For comparison’s sake, however, the Galaxy A16 is the winner here.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy A16
Gaming test: FPS and thermals
One of the best metrics to judge a phone’s real-world performance is by simply playing games. We played three moderately demanding games for 30 minutes each at the same graphical settings on both phones to see which device does a better job. Here are some average FPS numbers that reflect the performance in each game:
| Games | Graphical settings | Samsung Galaxy A16 | OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite |
| COD: Mobile | Medium graphics + High frames | 51.5 FPS average | 53.6 FPS average |
| Real Racing 3 | Standard | 79.47 FPS average | 56.27 FPS average |
| BGMI | HD graphics + High frames | 27.09 FPS average | 28.9 FPS average |
Another important factor here is a phone’s cooling mechanism while gaming. We noted the temperature increase while playing each game on both phones. The Samsung Galaxy A16 showed a massive temperature increase while gaming. On the other hand, the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite’s temperature increase was within normal parameters. The latter does a better job both in terms of average FPS and thermal regulation.
| Temperature increase in Celsius | |||
| COD: Mobile | Real Racing 3 | BGMI | |
| Samsung Galaxy A16 | 13.6 degrees | 10.3 degrees | 9.7 degrees |
| OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite | 7.9 degrees | 6.6 degrees | 6.4 degrees |
Winner: OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite
Verdict
In our performance comparison, the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite is the clear winner owing to its better performance in both benchmarks and real-world performance. The phone scores better in AnTuTu and Geekbench tests, delivers slightly better FPS in games and has more efficient thermal management compared to the Samsung Galaxy A16. If you’re choosing between these two under Rs 20,000 and prioritise performance, the Nord CE4 Lite is the better pick. For those who need a top-tier performance in this range, you might also consider options like the iQOO Z9 or CMF Phone 1, which excel in this area.
Smartphones tested by: Ujjwal Sharma and Aditya Pandey
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