Samsung entered the tri-fold phone market on Monday with the launch of its first multi-folding smartphone, the Galaxy Z TriFold.
The device will go on sale in South Korea on Dec. 12, with releases set for China, Taiwan, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. The United States will receive the phone in the first quarter of 2026, according to Samsung’s press release.
The Galaxy Z TriFold will ship in one version only, exclusively in black. It comes with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage, priced at 3,594,000 South Korean won, or approximately $2,449. There are no lower storage options available at launch. Samsung confirmed that details for the U.S. rollout will be provided later. The company is positioning this release as an early test run rather than a mass-market push.
Samsung Launches Large Tri-Fold with 10-Inch Screen and Limited Supply
The new phone utilizes two inward-folding hinges that open to reveal a 10-inch display with a 2160 x 1584 resolution. This screen is slightly smaller than the 11-inch display found on Apple’s 11th-generation iPad. When the panels are folded shut, the device measures 12.9 millimeters thick, making it thicker than the Galaxy Z Fold6 (12.1 mm) and considerably thicker than the Galaxy Z Fold7 (8.9 mm).
“Samsung’s first tri-fold model will ship in very limited volume, but scale is not the objective,” stated Liz Lee, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research.
Lee further explained that the TriFold launch aims to test durability, hinge design, and software performance, while gathering real-world user feedback before any broader launch plan. Samsung developed the phone to support running three apps vertically and side-by-side simultaneously. It also offers a desktop-style mode without the need for a separate display.
According to Samsung, the TriFold incorporates the largest battery ever used in one of its foldable devices. It supports super-fast charging, reportedly achieving 50% charge in 30 minutes. Samsung confirmed that the battery system was redesigned to accommodate the larger display and multi-app functionality.
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The Galaxy Z TriFold is entering a market where Samsung is no longer the sole major player. While the company was among the first major brands to introduce foldable phones in 2019, the overall foldable market has remained niche, yet competition has steadily increased.
In September, Huawei unveiled its second-generation tri-fold phone for the Chinese market, featuring a folded thickness of 12.8 mm, which is marginally thinner than Samsung’s new model. This year also saw Honor expand its foldable phone offerings into international markets. Honor was spun off from Huawei in 2020 as the company sought to navigate U.S. sanctions and expand its presence outside of China.
“The Galaxy Z TriFold reflects years of work on foldable designs and aims to balance portability, performance and productivity in one device,” said TM Roh, the recently appointed Samsung Electronics co-CEO and head of the Device eXperience (DX) division.
Similar to most of Samsung's recent foldable devices, the TriFold carries an IP48 rating. This indicates water resistance up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes, but provides only limited protection against dust ingress.