Samsung Debuts Its First Trifold Months Ahead of Foldable iPhone

Samsung has introduced its first smartphone, a so-called trifold smartphone, showcasing its engineering prowess in foldable devices, even though the broader category has yet to catch on with mainstream consumers.

Called the Galaxy Z TriFold, the device is part of a small subset of folding phones that feature two hinges, allowing them to fold into larger, tablet-sized devices. Samsung will first launch the device in South Korea on December 12, priced at 3.59 million won (about $2,450). It plans to sell the phone in the US but did not share pricing. TriFold will also be available in other markets such as China, Taiwan, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.

Samsung unveiled the device at an event in Seoul on Tuesday, several months before Apple is expected to announce its first foldable iPhone. Bloomberg reported that the Apple product, which will be released next fall, will have a book-style design, similar in concept to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, which went on sale in July.

Huawei was the first to enter this subcategory with its Mate XT in 2024 and this year’s updated Mate XTs that cost as much as the Galaxy Z TriFold. While it doesn’t have Samsung’s wide Android app compatibility, it will pose strong competition in China, which has been the biggest market for foldable phones so far. While Samsung’s device has a different hinge design that folds inwards from both sides, Mate models take a Z shape when folded.

When the TriFold’s outer screen is closed, it offers dimensions similar to a normal smartphone. However, when opened, it provides a tablet-style experience with its 10-inch screen, which is larger than the panel on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. In tablet-like mode, each of the device’s screens can run a different application independently. This provides the equivalent of three separate 6.5-inch stick-style handsets side by side.

You can also run a desktop-like experience directly on the large internal display, using Samsung’s DeX software tuned for this particular type of hardware. (Other Samsung phones need to be connected to an external monitor to enable DeX mode.) In DeX, the TriFold can run up to four different workspaces, each of which can run five apps simultaneously.

To eliminate concerns about possible breakage, Samsung said it has improved the phone’s hinges, aluminum frame and display technology to increase long-term durability. The company will also offer a one-time 50% discount on screen repair costs if needed in the future.

The TriFold’s thinnest point is 3.9 millimeters (0.15 inches). It contains a 5,600 milliamp hour battery, which marks the largest capacity Samsung has ever used in a foldable phone. The battery provides up to 17 hours of consecutive video playback with the Tri-Fold screen fully on. However, in the specifications shared with Bloomberg, the company did not say how long the battery could last in normal use.

In a short hands-on session, using the TriFold became intuitive. If the user begins folding incorrectly, for example by closing the right side before the left, the phone quickly alerts the user with on-screen notifications and physical vibrations.

The company has equipped the TriFold with a suite of Galaxy AI software features, including Generative Edit, Photo Assist, Writing Assist, and more. Buyers will get a 6-month trial of Google AI Pro subscription.

Initial sales of Samsung’s latest foldable devices have outpaced previous models but remain small compared to more affordable traditional models like the Galaxy S25 Ultra. If the company sticks to the launch plan it has followed in recent years, it will likely introduce the Galaxy S26 series at the beginning of next year.