Samsung's Tri-Fold Phone Might Actually Come to the U.S.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Tri-Fold (unofficial name, but we're going with it) was initially rumored to be a China-and-South-Korea exclusive — you know, one of those exotic tech products that the rest of us would just watch YouTube reviews about while eating our feelings. But new reports suggest Samsung might be expanding the launch to include the UAE, and possibly even the U.S. and other markets.

Which raises an important question: Just because we can buy a phone that folds twice... does that mean we should?

What Even Is a Tri-Fold Phone?

Let's get the terminology straight first, because "tri-fold" is kind of misleading.

This isn't a phone that folds three times. It's a phone with two hinges that creates three screen panels. When it's fully unfolded, you get a massive 10-inch display — basically a small tablet. When it's folded up, it looks like a regular (albeit thick) smartphone with a 6.5-inch cover screen.

Think of it like those brochures you get in the mail that fold out in a Z-pattern. Except instead of advertising your local pizza place, it's a $3,000 smartphone. You know, totally reasonable.

Samsung hasn't officially announced this thing yet, but they basically confirmed its existence during a recent earnings call. They also teased it at their Galaxy S25 Unpacked event back in January, so we know it's real. The question has always been: when will it launch, and where can you actually buy one?

The Release: From "Asia Only" to "Maybe Everywhere"

Here's where things get interesting.

Earlier rumors suggested the Tri-Fold would only launch in China and South Korea — similar to how Samsung released the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition last year. That made sense from a business perspective: limited production, testing the waters, seeing if anyone actually wants a phone with two hinges.

But now, sources speaking to SamMobile claim the launch will be wider than expected. The phone is confirmed for the UAE, and "may" come to other countries including the U.S.

Notice that carefully chosen word: "may." Not "will," not "definitely," but "may." Which tells me that even Samsung isn't entirely sure yet.

The speculation is that Samsung has been impressed with how the Tri-Fold turned out and wants to market it to a broader audience. Or maybe they're just trying to beat competitors to the global market before someone else drops a tri-fold with better specs.

Either way, we're probably going to see this phone unveiled at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea, happening October 31 and November 1. So within weeks, we'll finally see what Samsung has been working on.

The Specs: Basically a Z Fold 7 That Ate Another Phone

Based on leaked information (and remember, none of this is official yet), here's what we can expect:

Displays:

6.5-inch cover display (same as Z Fold 7)
10-inch main display when fully unfolded (vs 8 inches on Z Fold 7)

Performance:

Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor
12GB or 16GB of RAM
At least 256GB of storage

Camera:

200MP main camera
Ultra-wide lens
Telephoto lens
100x digital zoom

Other Details:

Possibly the same thin, durable hinges from the Z Fold 7
Three battery cells (one in each panel section)
Charging speed: a disappointing 25W

In terms of raw specs, this is basically a Galaxy Z Fold 7 with an extra screen panel. Which makes sense — Samsung isn't reinventing the wheel here, just adding another hinge to it.

The standout feature is obviously that 10-inch display. When folded, it's phone-sized. When unfolded, you've got more screen real estate than any foldable phone currently on the market.

But here's the thing: is that actually useful, or just excessive?

The Elephant in the Room: How Thick Is This Thing?

Look, I'm just going to say it: a phone with two hinges is going to be thick

When the original Galaxy Fold launched, one of the biggest complaints was how chunky it felt when folded up. Samsung has made huge strides since then — the Z Fold 7 is impressively thin, and the Galaxy S25 Edge is basically a piece of paper with a screen.

But this is a tri-fold. We're talking about three panels of screen, glass, and electronics stacked together, plus two hinge mechanisms. Physics is still a thing, last time I checked.

Samsung hasn't released thickness specs yet, and frankly, I think that's deliberate. If the numbers were impressive, they'd be shouting about it. The fact that we have detailed camera specs but no mention of thickness tells me this phone is going to be a chonky boy when folded.

Which might be fine! Some people don't care about thickness if the unfolded experience is good enough. But let's not pretend you're going to slip this thing into your skinny jeans pocket and forget it's there.

Battery Life: The Great Unknown

Here's another concern: battery life.

A 10-inch display is going to be a power hog. Even with modern efficient processors and OLED technology, you're asking a lot from a battery that needs to fit into a foldable form factor.

The good news is that a Korean patent filing suggests Samsung is using three separate battery cells — one hidden in each panel section of the phone. That's a clever way to distribute the battery throughout the device without making any one section too bulky.

But we don't have any leaked specs on total battery capacity or estimated battery life. Which, again, is probably not a great sign. If Samsung had cracked the code on all-day battery life for a tri-fold, they'd be bragging about it.

My guess? You're going to need to charge this thing by mid-afternoon if you're actually using that big display. Maybe carry a portable charger. Or two.

Oh, and speaking of charging: 25W charging speed. In 2025. When budget phones are doing 65W or higher.

That's... disappointing. If your massive screen drains the battery fast, and then it takes forever to charge, that's not a great user experience.

The Price: Start Saving Now

Let's talk money.

Samsung hasn't announced pricing, but we can make some educated guesses based on their current lineup:

Galaxy Z Fold 7: $1,999.99
Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition: Around $2,200 (where available)
Tri-Fold: ???

Most reports are estimating around $3,000 for the Tri-Fold. Some think it could go even higher.

To put that in perspective:

That's more than a top-spec MacBook Air
That's a decent used car
That's rent in many cities
That's... a lot of money for a phone

Now, Samsung isn't targeting average consumers with this device. This is clearly aimed at enthusiasts, early adopters, tech reviewers, and people who have "flex on my friends" budgets.

As tech YouTuber Austin Evans put it: "A handful of enthusiasts will buy them to flex on their friends. Everyone else will look at it as a cool Samsung phone and go buy an S25."

That pretty much sums it up. This is a halo product — something that exists to show what Samsung can do, not necessarily what most people should buy.

Wait, Hasn't This Been Done Before?

Here's a fun fact: Samsung isn't even first to market with a tri-fold phone.

Huawei released the Mate XT last year in China, and it's... actually pretty impressive. It folds, it works, and reviewers generally liked it. Of course, it's only available in China, costs about $2,800, and good luck getting support for it outside of that market.

But still, Huawei beat Samsung to the punch. Which might explain why Samsung seems to be rushing this out — they don't want to be seen as playing catch-up in a market segment they've dominated for years.

The foldable phone space has gotten increasingly competitive, with Chinese manufacturers like Huawei, Xiaomi, Honor, and Vivo all releasing impressive foldables at competitive prices. Samsung has "kind of lost" their dominant position in recent years, as Evans noted.

The Tri-Fold is Samsung's way of saying: "Yeah, well we can do *two* hinges. Top that."

Whether that's innovation or just escalation is up for debate.

The Practical Questions Nobody's Asking

Let's get real for a second. Beyond the specs and the hype, there are some very practical questions about tri-fold phones:

Durability: How long will two hinges last? Foldable phones have come a long way, but they're still more fragile than traditional smartphones. Now you're doubling the points of failure.

Repairability: If something breaks, how much will it cost to fix? I'm guessing "a lot."

Use Cases: What are you actually going to do with a 10-inch screen that you can't do on an 8-inch Z Fold 7 or just... a tablet?

Pocket-ability: Seriously, where are you putting this thing? A purse, sure. A backpack, okay. But your pocket? Good luck.

Software: How well will apps actually work on this unusual aspect ratio? Samsung has gotten better at this, but it's still hit-or-miss.

Social Perception: Are you really going to unfold this thing twice every time you want to use your phone in public? Because that's going to attract some attention.

These aren't dealbreakers necessarily, but they're important considerations that tend to get lost in the excitement of "NEW FORM FACTOR!"

Who Is This Even For?

Let's be honest about who's actually going to buy this phone:

Tech Enthusiasts: People who need to have the latest and greatest, regardless of practicality. You know who you are.

Content Creators: YouTubers and influencers who can write it off as a business expense and make videos about it.

Business Executives: People who need to look important in meetings and have expense accounts that don't question $3,000 phone purchases.

Samsung Loyalists: Die-hard fans who've owned every Galaxy device and aren't about to stop now.

People with Too Much Money: No judgment, but if $3,000 doesn't even register as a significant purchase for you, go ahead.

For everyone else? The Galaxy Z Fold 7 or even a regular Galaxy S25 will do everything you need, probably better, for a lot less money.

My Hot Take

Look, I think the Samsung Galaxy Z Tri-Fold is genuinely cool from a technology standpoint. Samsung's engineering team clearly put a lot of work into making two hinges function reliably, fitting batteries into a complex form factor, and creating a device that probably seemed impossible just a few years ago.

But cool doesn't always equal practical.

The original Galaxy Fold was cool. It was also kind of a disaster at launch. The technology has improved dramatically since then, and the Z Fold line is now actually quite good. Reliable, even.

But a tri-fold adds complexity. More moving parts, more potential failure points, more compromises on thickness and battery life. And for what? An extra 2 inches of screen real estate that you could get from just... carrying a tablet?

I think Austin Evans is right — this is a halo product. It exists to generate buzz, to keep Samsung relevant in the foldable conversation, and to show off their engineering capabilities. It's not meant to sell millions of units.

Will I be fascinated to see reviews when it comes out? Absolutely.

Will I recommend anyone actually buy one? Probably not.

Unless you're an enthusiast with money to burn and a genuine use case for a 10-inch folding display, this is a phone to admire from afar, not to actually purchase.

The Wider Availability Question

So back to the original point: the Tri-Fold might be available globally, not just in Asia.

Is that good news?

If you're a tech enthusiast in the U.S. who's been dying to get your hands on a tri-fold phone, then yes, it's great news. You'll actually have the option to buy one without importing it from Korea or China.

For Samsung, it's a calculated risk. Wider availability means more potential sales, but it also means higher production costs and the risk of negative publicity if the product flops in major markets.

My guess is that even if it launches in the U.S., it'll be in extremely limited quantities. Think "available on Samsung.com and maybe in flagship stores" rather than "readily available at your local carrier."

This keeps it exclusive and premium while technically being "available" to anyone who really wants one.

When Can You Actually Get One?

Based on all the rumors and reports, here's the timeline:

Late October/Early November 2025: Official unveiling at the APEC summit in South Korea

Late November/December 2025: Actual launch, probably starting in South Korea and China

Early 2026?: Possible expansion to other markets, including the U.S., if it happens at all

So if you're in the U.S. and hoping to buy one, you're probably looking at several months of waiting, even if it does get a wider release.

Which is fine, honestly. Let the early adopters work out the bugs. See what the reviews say. Find out if the battery life is actually usable or if you need to carry a charger everywhere.

There's no rush to be first with a $3,000 experimental device.

The Bottom Line

The Samsung Galaxy Z Tri-Fold represents the cutting edge of foldable phone technology. It's ambitious, expensive, and probably unnecessary for most people.

But that's kind of the point.

Not every product needs to be practical or widely adopted to be important. Sometimes a company needs to push boundaries, try weird things, and see what works. That's how we got from flip phones to smartphones, and from smartphones to foldables.

Will tri-folds become the norm? Probably not. But the engineering lessons Samsung learns from this device will inform their future products. The hinge technology might show up in laptops. The battery design could influence tablets. The software optimizations will improve the experience on regular foldables.

So even if the Tri-Fold itself is a niche product for wealthy enthusiasts, it's still valuable for pushing the industry forward.

That said, if you're a normal person with a normal budget looking for a normal phone that just happens to fold, stick with the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Or honestly, just get a regular Galaxy S25 and a tablet. You'll have a better experience for less money.

But if you're someone who needs to have the latest, greatest, most experimental tech regardless of practicality or cost? The Tri-Fold might be your dream phone.

Just make sure you have strong pockets. And a good insurance plan.