What happened? After months of leaks and anticipation, Samsung has officially unveiled the Galaxy Z TriFold, its first tri-folding smartphone and a global competitor to the Huawei Mate XTs Ultimate.
- The device features a 10-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a peak brightness of 1600 nits and an adaptive refresh rate of 120 Hz.
- The 6.5-inch FHD+ top screen (borrowed from the Fold 7) is even brighter at 2600 nits, supports 120Hz, and offers a higher density of 422ppi than the inner panel’s 269ppi.
- It’s powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3nm), not Qualcomm’s latest chip, but still delivering near-flagship CPU and GPU performance.
- The tri-fold phone also features a 200-megapixel main camera as well as a 12-megapixel ultra-wide and 10-megapixel 3x telephoto camera. The phone also features dual 10MP selfie shooters on the inside and cover screen.
Why is this important? The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold marks a significant leap beyond the fold-and-flip range, thanks to a clever three-panel dual-hinge design that folds twice and surprisingly fits in your pocket.
- To achieve this, Samsung uses two different sized hinges with a dual-rail structure that allows the device to fold smoothly despite the uneven weight distribution.
- The handset features a reinforced Advanced Armor aluminum frame that provides additional stability and securely separates the internal displays when closed.
- Samsung has secured an IP48 rating against dust and water for the foldable device, which is good, but not quite as good as the IP68 rating of some of the latest dual foldables.
- For Samsung, the Galaxy Z TriFold is a tool to strengthen the company’s position as the world’s leading manufacturer of foldable devices.
Why should I care? It’s not just the tablet-sized foldable screen and powerful Snapdragon chip; The TriFold also has a three-cell 5,600mAh battery (45W wired and 15W wireless charging), which is larger than the one Samsung provides with the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
- Thanks to the large screen, you can do virtually any task on the TriFold that you would on a tablet or laptop.
- With built-in Samsung Dex Mode, which no longer requires an external monitor, you can use the large screen to do multiple things at once.
- For travelers or people who don’t like carrying multiple devices, the TriFold combines the power and screen real estate of a tablet with the familiar One UI 8 user interface.
Okay, what’s next? The Galaxy Z TriFold is “expected” to be available in Korea starting December 12, 2025. After that, the company will release the devices in other markets including China, Taiwan, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the US
- Therefore, there is no definitive launch date for the US market yet, but the company has at least confirmed its arrival.
- In South Korea, the device is priced at 3,594,000 won (approximately $2,449) for the only variant with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
- However, since the TriFold is about 50% more expensive than the Fold 7 in Korea, it could become one of the most expensive consumer smartphones in the US at around $3,000.
