Image: Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Samsung is officially launching a Galaxy tri-fold, and it’s the first one I actually care about

Sorry, Huawei

by · Tech Advisor

After months of speculation, Samsung foldable enthusiasts finally got the news they’ve been craving. 

And no, I’m not talking about the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Z Flip 7 and brand-new Z Flip 7 FE. While undoubtedly exciting, they don’t quite push the boundaries in the same way as this upcoming device. 

If you hadn’t guessed already, I’m referring to Samsung’s first-ever Galaxy tri-fold device. While the new foldable wasn’t revealed or even teased during the main Galaxy Unpacked keynote on 9 July, Mobile Division Head TM Roh had something in store for journalists on the ground in New York City. 

According to The Korea Times, Roh confirmed that the company was “working hard” on its own tri-fold smartphone, aiming to launch it “at the end of this year”. Of course, that initial launch may be limited to Samsung’s native South Korea and the surrounding areas, with a full, global release more probable in 2026.

The new Galaxy Z Fold 7 unfolds once, but not twiceDominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

In a separate interview with Tech Advisor, Kadesh Beckford, Samsung UK’s Smartphone Specialist Product Manager, added: “We’re currently just observing this space, and when everything is ready for our consumers, we’ll be bringing something meaningful to the market”.  

However, Roh revealed that Samsung has yet to decide on an official name. The ‘Galaxy G Fold’ moniker has been mentioned in rumours, but it seems that there are other options on the table. 

As a reminder, a ‘tri-fold’ phone refers to a book-style device with two folds instead of the usual one, meaning the name is technically inaccurate. It enables the regular smartphone experience on the front, then opens twice to reveal a much larger internal display that’s a similar size to many tablets. 

Currently, the only tri-fold device on the market is Huawei’s Mate XT Ultimate Design. It has a 6.4-inch cover display that becomes a 7.9-inch panel when you open it once, or a 10.2-inch screen when you open it twice. 

The Mate XT’s two hinges give it a much bigger internal displayLuke Baker

However, while the device received a global launch earlier this year, that didn’t include the UK or the US, with Huawei still banned from selling its devices in the latter. 

Even if it were available, Huawei’s ongoing issues with software (it runs the company’s own HarmonyOS software instead of Android) make it very unappealing to most consumers in the West. 

It therefore gives Samsung a huge opportunity to get ahead of rivals and make the category its own. Despite more competition than ever among flip- and book-style foldables, Samsung still had 41% of the European foldable market share in Q1 of 2025, according to research from Counterpoint. 

With no realistic competition in the UK and Europe, that could be even higher among tri-fold devices. 

However, price is likely to be a major barrier. In Europe, the Mate XT has an eye-watering MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) of €3499.  

Samsung might not go that high, but it’s likely to be significantly more expensive than even its top-of-the-line configuration of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 (£2,149/$2,419). Unless you absolutely love being at the cutting edge of new tech, it’ll be hard to justify. 

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