Key Takeaways

  • Samsung has started the development of a tri-fold smartphone with a release target for next year.
  • The phone will feature a new ‘infolding’ design, keeping the external display protected from damage.
  • The tri-fold smartphone will have a 9-10 inch screen, making it similar in size to mid-sized tablets like the Galaxy Tab S9.



Samsung makes good foldable phones, but they’re no longer the best. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold and a range of foldables from China offer much better hardware. Samsung did announce a better book-style foldable with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition, but it’s only available in South Korea. However, the company now seems to be aiming to reclaim its lead in the foldable market with a tri-fold smartphone. Last month, it was reported that Samsung plans to launch a tri-fold phone as early as next year. And now another report suggests that it has started development of the phone with a new design to solve durability problems.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 against a pink backdrop almost closed.

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Korea’s ET News reports that Samsung has started developing a tri-fold smartphone, with plans for a release next year (via Android Authority). The phone will reportedly feature a new ‘infolding’ design, meaning the screen folds inward twice instead of folding once inward and once outward like the Huawei Mate XT (the only tri-fold smartphone on the market right now). This design keeps the external display protected, making it less likely to get damaged from drops and impacts.

Samsung’s first tri-fold is expected to have a screen size of around 9 to 10 inches when unfolded—about 2 inches bigger than the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and similar to mid-sized tablets like Galaxy Tab S9. Like the Huawei Mate XT, the foldable will act like a regular phone when folded and turn into a big-screen tablet when unfolded.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 half opened on a ledge.



But how thick will it be?

Samsung’s foldables aren’t the thinnest, so it’ll be interesting to see how the company handles the thickness of the upcoming tri-fold. For comparison, the Z Fold 6 is 12.1 mm thick when folded, and the Huawei Mate XT, which folds twice, is 12.8 mm. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is 10.5 mm thick when folded. Anything thicker than 13 mm would probably be too bulky to carry in your pocket. Another thing to watch out for is the weight.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 opened on a chair.

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