Samsung's Trifold Phone Makes Its Debut With A 10-Inch Display

By Chris Smith
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 in hand, folded. MonicaZ82/Shutterstock

After the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 launch event this summer, Samsung confirmed rumors that it was working on a trifold phone, aiming to ship it this year. However, Samsung did not show off the trifold this summer. Fast-forward to late October, and reports started claiming the phone would launch in 2025, though the Samsung trifold might not be available for purchase in the U.S. While the Korean tech giant has not confirmed dates or prices for the trifold handset, Samsung on Tuesday demoed the trifold handset during a trade show, as seen in the clip below.

Korean news site Chosun reports that Samsung unveiled the trifold phone at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) event. Samsung placed two units inside an enclosure at the K-Tech Showcase, with a video showing how the device folds and unfolds. The report notes that Samsung is expected to mass-produce 50,000 to 100,000 units, with prices in the high 3 million won range (that's well over $2,000), adding that the industry believes Samsung has decided to manufacture a trifold phone in a bid to prove its technological advancements in the foldable niche. The Huawei Mate XT trifold costs around $3,000, for comparison.

Separately, Samsung confirmed to SamMobile that it plans to launch the trifold this year: "Samsung continues to advance innovative technologies, including next-generation form factors in the era of mobile AI, to deliver meaningful user experiences. The recent showcase reflects ongoing R&D efforts, and we plan to bring this next-generation device to users within this year."

What are trifold phones?

Huawei Mate XT on display. Robert Way/Shutterstock

Trifold phones are foldable phones that feature two hinges and three display sections. Before Samsung showcased its trifold model, the world had seen only three such devices from two Chinese smartphone vendors. Tecno created two concept devices that aren't for sale, including one that offers the same folding mechanism as Samsung's trifold. Huawei developed the only commercial trifold foldable to date, as the Mate XT launched last year in China.

Chosun notes that Samsung's trifold will only be available in certain markets, including Korea and China. The APEC demo confirms rumors that Samsung opted for a "G Fold" trifold design, where both the right and left display elements fold inwards, forming the letter G. The phone might be sold as the Galaxy G Fold, rumors suggest. The Mate XT has an accordion folding mechanism, in which a section of the foldable screen becomes the cover screen when the phone is folded.

The video demo from Samsung also shows how its trifold folds. First, the left side of the foldable panel is folded. Then, the right side folds on top of the left. This indicates the right hinge is larger to accommodate a larger curvature.

Regardless of the folding mechanism, trifold phones unfold into tablet-like devices that feature a screen aspect ratio more similar to the iPad and Android tablets. Chosun claims the Samsung trifold phone features a foldable display larger than 10 inches when unfolded. The cover display measures 6.5 inches. The images also show that the displays have thicker bezels than traditional slab phones. Finally, the Samsung trifold features two hole-punch selfie cameras. The main camera module isn't visible in the photos from the event.

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