Samsung Electronics Co. (005930.KS) revealed its first so-called trifold smartphone, showing its engineering prowess in foldable smartphones even as the broader category has yet to take on with mainstream consumers.
The phone, known as the Galaxy Z TriFold, belongs to a tiny group of folding phones that can change into larger tablet-sized computers thanks to two hinges.
On December 12, Samsung will first release it in South Korea for 3.59 million won, or roughly $2,450. It plans to offer the phone in the US, but hasn’t yet discussed price. The TriFold will also be available in other areas, including China, Taiwan, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.
Samsung introduced the device at a presentation in Seoul on Tuesday, several months before Apple Inc. is expected to announce its first folding iPhone.
The Apple (AAPL) product, anticipated next fall, will feature a book-style design, similar in idea to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7, which went on sale in July.
Following the announcement, suppliers of smartphone components, including as LG Innotek Co. and AAC Technologies Holdings Inc., saw increases, with Samsung rising as much as 2.9% on Tuesday.
“Samsung’s first trifold model will ship in very limited volume, but scale is not the objective,” said Counterpoint Research analyst Liz Lee.
“With competitive dynamics set to shift materially in 2026, especially with Apple’s expected entry into the foldable segment, Samsung is positioning this device as a multi-fold pilot to reinforce its technology leadership.”
Foldable handsets still account for barely 2.5% of the global mobile market, however they had their greatest quarterly shipments in the three months ended September, according to Counterpoint. During that time, Samsung saw one of the largest increases in shipments and grew its market share to 64% of all foldables.
Huawei Technologies Co. was first to join the trifold sub-category, with its Mate XT in 2024 and an updated Mate XTs this year that costs nearly as much as the Galaxy Z TriFold.
Although it lacks Samsung's extensive Android app compatibility, it will face fierce competition in China, the largest market for foldable phones to yet.
Samsung’s tablet has a distinct hinge design, folding inward from two sides whilst the Mate models take on a Z form when being folded.
When closed, the TriFold’s outer screen gives similar dimensions to a standard smartphone. However, when unfolded, its 10-inch display which is bigger than the panel on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 offers a tablet-like experience.
When the device is in tablet mode, each screen can run a different application on its own. This is the same as having three different 6.5-inch bar-style phones next to each other.
You can also run a desktop-like experience directly on the huge inner display by using Samsung's DeX software, which has been modified for this specific hardware type.
(Other Samsung phones must be hooked into an external monitor to activate DeX mode.) In DeX, the TriFold may handle as many as four different workspaces that can each run five programs simultaneously.
To forestall concerns about potential breaking, Samsung said it has upgraded the phone’s hinges, aluminum frame and display technologies to increase long-term durability. In the event that a display repair is eventually required, the business will additionally provide a one-time 50% discount.
The TriFold is 3.9 millimeters (0.15 inches) thin at its thinnest point. It features a 5,600 milliamp-hour battery inside, which is the most capacity Samsung has used in a folding phone to far.
When the TriFold display is fully open, the battery can play videos continuously for up to 17 hours. However, in specifications published with Bloomberg, the business didn’t disclose how long it expects the battery to survive with ordinary usage.
The TriFold was easy to use during a quick hands-on session. The phone promptly alerts the user with on-screen messages and tactile vibrations if they start folding it wrongly, such as by closing the right side before the left.
The company has furnished the TriFold with its suite of Galaxy AI software features, including Generative Edit, Photo Assist, Writing Assist and more. A six-month trial of Alphabet Inc.'s Google AI Pro membership will be given to purchasers.
Although early sales of Samsung's latest foldables exceeded those of previous models, they are still quite small in comparison to more reasonably priced conventional devices such as the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
If the firm keeps with the same launch timetable it’s used in recent years, it will likely debut the Galaxy S26 series early next year.
