It’s a now working, genuinely folding phone with three screen segments that offers the best hint yet at what many feel could be the next here-to-there transformation of the smartphone from pocket to tablet. The prototype was on display behind glass at a K-Tech Showcase alongside the APEC Summit in South Korea, a spot typically reserved to flaunt national tech leadership and ready-for-export innovation.
The cameo didn’t bring along spec sheets or demo stations, but the industrial design left little to be desired – a handset that unfolds twice to transform into a fairly large tablet.
It’s the company’s most radical departure since the first Galaxy Fold, and it satisfies a perennial request for a foldable: more screen without more pocket bulk.
Getting to the hardware: hinges, panels, and design
What Samsung showed off looks fairly similar to the Flex S design plans we’ve seen from Samsung Display: two hinges here, three panels, and an “S” folding path that layers the main screen inside when it’s closed up.
The device appeared tablet-thin fully open and phone-like when folded, a sleight of hand enabled by ultra-thin glass stacked with OLED layers and compact hinge cams honed over multiple iterations of the Z-series.
Two lines are perceived at this point of development, as should be the case with a tri-panel device. The question, of course, is whether Samsung’s latest hinge tolerances and glass chemistry can take some of the edges off those lines enough to make them fade from notice under normal use — something we did witness across successive Z Fold and Z Flip models.
The unit was kept in a display case, so we could not test weight, balance, or how the cover screen felt to hold. Those will be the determining factors: A three-fold that surpasses 300 grams might face a tougher sell. The new focus at Samsung on lighter chassis and thinner glass also seems to indicate that the Korean firm already knows where the bar has been set as far as foldable weight is concerned by rivals like Honor and Huawei!
Why the TriFold matters for foldables and tablets
It really is a simple value proposition: A device the size of a phone with a screen that opens into a truly tablet-class canvas.
We’re looking at an experience closer to a compact tablet (if the rumored interior display lands near 10 inches) than current book-style foldables, which top out below eight.
That extra acreage substantially alters the multitasking thing. Think of three full smartphone apps being used side by side, real desktop-style drag-and-drop and video calls where chat, notes, and shared docs share the same screen without seeming squished. Samsung’s DeX and One UI are already a set ahead in split-screen polish; a tri-fold form could only up that lead if windowing and continuity were tailored to the triple-panel layout.
The design does suggest accessory aspirations, too. A larger inside display would make an S Pen more practical, and the two hinges could unlock new “tent” and “laptop” modes for creators, streamers, and note-takers to occupy them. The devil, as always, is in hinge stability and software optimization, so apps recognize when one, two, or all three segments are active.
Specs still under wraps, but rumors outline the plan
Samsung has once again kept a tight lid on specifications, but supply-chain chatter from Korean outlets and long-time leakers points to the customary high-end recipe of a smartphone-grade cover display around 6.5 inches that opens up to reveal an interior screen measuring something in the ballpark of 10 inches. Look for LTPO OLED inside and out to tame power draw at several refresh rates.
On the silicon side, this includes a “for Galaxy” Qualcomm next-gen flagship chip paired with at least 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. And the camera rumors sound just as ambitious (a 200MP main sensor and up to 100x digital zoom—marketing fluff for some, but a sign that Samsung’s photography should not be the compromise in a first-gen tri-fold).
The greatest unknown is battery architecture. Cell placement is complicated by three display segments and two hinges. Engineers can shift to a multi-cell design distributed throughout the chassis, with more aggressive thermal management and charge distribution to prevent hotspots. Durability ratings will matter too; Samsung’s recent foldables have aimed for 200,000-plus folds, and a tri-fold would need to match or go further to win trust.
Competition and market context for tri-fold devices
Tri-folds have dwelled in prototype land for some time now (TCL has shown off its early ideas on what it calls the DragonHinge, and Samsung Display has demoed tri-fold panels at trade shows), but no mainstream brand has shipped one en masse. That would change as soon as Samsung gets past glass cases.
Counterpoint Research analysts predict that foldable shipments will continue to rise into the tens of millions for another cycle as larger-screen designs grab a bigger piece when prices come down. DSCC has identified panel yield progress and hinge cost-downs as the major levers to reach mass-market volumes. A tri-fold will challenge both assumptions—and probably carry a premium well above that of today’s book-style flagships.
Here is Samsung’s calculus: protect its lead in foldables with a new category of device before competitors show up. It also builds on the company’s vertical stack of silicon, from panel tech in Samsung Display and on through to One UI foldable features that simple component-only rivals can’t replicate.
What to watch next as Samsung readies a tri-fold
Monitor certification databases as well as accessory leaks (like S Pen tips, cases with hinge cutouts) and software teases in upcoming One UI builds. Those breadcrumbs typically come in the weeks before hardware launch windows.
So far, Samsung has done just enough — to end the suspense about the shape, withhold a lot of detail, and cultivate some excitement. If the company can deliver tablet-grade utility without unwieldy weight or a punishing price, the TriFold might be the moment foldables flip from niche to default for power users.