Samsung launches first multi-fold smartphone

Samsung Electronics unveiled its first multi-folding smartphone, the Galaxy Z TriFold, as it seeks to reinforce leadership in the emerging foldable segment amid intensifying competition from Chinese rivals. The TriFold uses a three-panel, dual-hinge design to open into a 253.1 mm (10-inch) display—about 25% larger than Samsung’s latest Galaxy Z Fold 7—and carries a premium price of roughly 3.59 million won (about $2,440). Company executives described the model as a technological showcase aimed at customers specifically seeking advanced foldable devices rather than a volume-driven handset.

Produced in South Korea, the TriFold debuts domestically before rolling out to China, Singapore, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates within the year, with a U.S. launch eyed as early as the first quarter of next year. Samsung highlighted hardware merits including its largest flagship battery to date and support for super-fast charging that reaches 50% in 30 minutes. Executives said the device is intended to expand what foldable displays can offer—larger workspaces for multitasking, gaming and streaming—while acting as a potential catalyst for broader market growth.

Analysts noted that high pricing, production complexity and durability and scaling challenges mean multi-foldables are likely to remain a niche for now, even as the overall foldable market grows. The TriFold’s launch is therefore read as both defensive and aspirational: a move to set a technological bar that competitors must meet and to shape premium consumer expectations for next-generation form factors. Samsung framed the release as strategic timing amid rising rival activity, arguing that the model will accelerate interest in multi-fold designs even if it does not drive mass sales immediately.

The introduction underscores an escalating global contest over the future of smartphones, where innovative foldable formats are becoming a key battleground. Samsung’s emphasis on manufacturing the TriFold domestically and on battery and charging improvements signals focus on addressing core user concerns about utility and endurance. Yet industry observers caution that broader adoption will depend on lowering costs, improving longevity and streamlining production—areas where Chinese manufacturers are increasingly competitive.

Samsung projects that foldables will continue expanding and positioned the TriFold as a step toward more mainstream multi-fold devices, even while acknowledging the category’s current limitations. The company expects the new model to influence product roadmaps across the industry and to strengthen its hand as rivals accelerate their own foldable offerings. The rollout schedule—starting in South Korea and extending across parts of Asia and the Middle East, with wider international availability next year—aims to capture early adopter demand and to test regional reception before broader market deployment.