Amid growing pressure from rivals and increasing speculation around Apple’s long-anticipated entry into foldable iPhones, Samsung last year introduced its first multi-fold device, the Galaxy Z TriFold, in an effort to stay ahead in the segment. And now, the electronics giant has confirmed the launch date and pricing for the device. The Galaxy Z TriFold will arrive in the US on January 30 with a price of $2,899, making it the most expensive smartphone Samsung has released to date.
This comes at a time when Samsung, which has long been the category leader in the foldable segment, is continuously losing market share, especially to Chinese competitors like Huawei, Xiaomi, and Honor, which together are now estimated to account for more than 40% of the segment. Even the foldable segment itself remains challenging, as demand is still limited. For example, global shipments of foldables last year are estimated to have reached around 20 million units, representing only about 1.5-2% of the total smartphone market.
Responding to these challenges, Samsung has come up with the Galaxy Z TriFold, a smartphone unlike anything it has produced before. Moving beyond the familiar single-hinge design of the Galaxy Z Fold series, the TriFold introduces a dual-hinge, three-panel structure that transforms a standard 6.5-inch smartphone screen into a full 10-inch tablet-sized display. This expanded screen is built for multitasking, media consumption, and productivity, featuring a high-resolution AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. Meanwhile, the external 6.5-inch display allows users to handle everyday tasks like messaging or checking notifications without opening the device.
On the hardware side, the TriFold device is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and comes with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage in the US configuration. It runs Samsung’s latest One UI over Android, featuring major software enhancements specifically designed for multi-panel workflows. The rear camera system includes a 200-megapixel main sensor, an ultra-wide lens, and a telephoto camera with 3× optical zoom. And for selfies and video calls, the TriFold has two 10-megapixel front cameras, one on the cover display and one on the main foldable screen.
Battery performance is supported by a 5,600mAh battery distributed across the device’s folding structure. The TriFold supports fast wired charging, wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging for powering other devices. Despite the complexity of the dual-hinge design, the phone remains slim at just under 4mm at its thinnest point when unfolded, although it becomes thicker when folded into standard smartphone form. In terms of availability, the company is offering the TriFold in a single high-end configuration and a Crafted Black finish in the US.
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