SEOUL — Samsung Electronics Co. on Monday unveiled its first multi-folding smartphone, the Galaxy Z TriFold, as the South Korean tech giant seeks to reinforce its lead in foldable devices ahead of Apple’s anticipated entry into the segment.
The Galaxy Z TriFold will debut in South Korea on Dec. 12 before rolling out to China, Taiwan, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates. U.S. availability is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026, Samsung said in a press release.
The device, priced at 3,594,000 won ($2,449), features two inward-folding hinges that expand into a 10-inch display with a 2160 x 1584 resolution. When folded, the phone measures 12.9 millimeters thick — bulkier than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold6 at 12.1 mm and the Fold7 at 8.9 mm.
Liz Lee, associate director at Counterpoint Research, said the TriFold will ship in limited volumes as Samsung tests durability, hinge design and software performance. “Scale is not the objective,” Lee said. “With competitive dynamics set to shift materially in 2026, especially with Apple’s expected entry into the foldable segment, Samsung is positioning this device as a multi-fold pilot to reinforce its technology leadership.”
The TriFold supports three apps running side by side, offers a desktop-like mode without an external monitor, and includes Samsung’s largest battery capacity among its foldables, with fast charging that reaches 50% in 30 minutes.
TM Roh, Samsung’s recently appointed co-CEO and head of the Device eXperience division, said the TriFold reflects years of engineering work to balance portability, performance and productivity.
Samsung pioneered foldable smartphones in 2019, but the category remains niche as rivals including Huawei and Honor push aggressively into the market. Huawei launched its second-generation trifold in September, while Honor has expanded foldable offerings internationally.
The Galaxy Z TriFold carries an IP48 rating, offering water resistance up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes but limited dust protection.