Not Samsung, but I do have a Redmi 2 (also MSM8916) since I can get one for roughly $10.
On paper, the performance is closer to PinePhone (not Pro), and it would definitely be a lot less powerful than a PinePhone Pro running RK3399(S). They also typical has only 2 GB of RAM (some have even less), and that's definitely going to be noticable. It should be fine for light use and thinkering though.
Some Samsung phones might have networking issues, and some might not even be unlockable, but I'm not really sure about it either, so definitely check before buying.
Also, not all MSM8916 is built the same - some works better than the other. Devices from the community category should be somewhat usable, but be ware of those in the testing category, since they might have major functionalities missing (e.g. touch).