Samsung launches its first multi-folding phone as competition from Chinese brands intensifies

Samsung launches its first multi-folding phone as competition from Chinese brands intensifies

Published Tue, Dec 2 2025

12:24 AM EST

Updated 1 Min Ago

Key Points

• The Galaxy Z TriFold features three panels and a large, 10-inch inner display.
• The debut of its trifold flagship comes as competition in the foldable market heats up.
• The rollout in South Korea starts on Dec. 12, with the U.S. release planned for early 2026.

Samsung phones are seen at the store in Krakow, Poland on February 21, 2024. 

Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty Images

Samsung Electronics on Monday announced the launch of its first multi-folding smartphone as it races to keep pace with innovations from fast-moving rivals. 

The long-anticipated "Galaxy Z TriFold" will go on sale in South Korea on Dec. 12, with launches to follow in other markets including China, Taiwan, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates, the company said in a press release. 

The phone will be available in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2026, with more details to be shared later, the South Korean tech giant added. The Galaxy Z Trifold will ship as a single model in black with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage, priced at 3,594,000 South Korean won ($2,449).

With Apple's expected entry into the foldable segment, Samsung is positioning this device as a multi-fold pilot to reinforce its technology leadership."Liz LeeAssociate director at Counterpoint Research

The device uses two inward-folding hinges to open into a 10-inch display — a tad smaller than the 11th-generation iPad's 11-inch display — with a 2160 x 1584 resolution.

When its screen panels are folded, the device is measures 12.9 millimeters (0.5 inches) thick — slightly more than the Galaxy Z Fold6 at 12.1 mm and the latest Galaxy Z Fold7 at 8.9 mm.

"Samsung's first tri-fold model will ship in very limited volume, but scale is not the objective," Liz Lee, associate director at Counterpoint Research, said in a statement shared with CNBC.

"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."

Lee added that Samsung's latest product is meant to test durability, hinge design and software performance while gathering real-world user insights before wider commercialization.

The phone's three foldable panels can also run three apps vertically side by side, and offer a desktop-like mode without a separate display. 

The TriFold features Samsung's largest battery capacity among its foldable models and supports super-fast charging that reaches 50% in 30 minutes.

TM Roh, who was recently appointed Samsung Electronics co-CEO and head of the Device eXperience division, said the Galaxy Z TriFold reflects years of work on foldable designs and aims to balance portability, performance and productivity in one device.

Samsung was an early innovator of folding smartphones, unveiling its first foldable device in 2019. While the market has remained relatively small, new competitors have continued to enter, including Chinese brands that have proven competitive in both price and dimension.

In September, telecommunications giant Huawei announced its second-generation trifold phone for the Chinese market, measuring 12.8 mm thick when folded.

This year has also seen Chinese brands like Honor launch foldable smartphones in international markets. Honor was spun off from Huawei in 2020 in a bid to avoid U.S. sanctions and tap international markets.

Like Samsung's other recent foldables, the TriFold is rated IP48, meaning it is water-resistant up to 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes but offers limited dust protection.

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