It’s not a secret that Samsung is working on a trifolding device.
Following in the lead of Huawei’s Mate XT, the first-of-its-kind Samsung device was first teased at the tech giant’s January Unpacked, and we’re expecting it to grace the stage more formally at the foldable-focused July 9 Unpacked in less than a week. It’s unlikely that Samsung will officially launch the device at Unpacked. Instead, we’re hoping that the tech giant gives us a more in-depth ‘preview’ of the innovative device.
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked
Get ready for the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Flip 7, Galaxy Watch 8, and several other new Galaxy devices from Samsung. Pre-reserve now to get $50 credit and save even more on your purchase.
From what we already know, Samung’s trifold will be different from Huawei’s Mate XT in one key area: the way the device folds. Mate XT, for reference, uses two hinges for an S/Z-shaped fold. Samsung, on the other hand, will reportedly opt for a G-shaped implementation where the device folds inwards from both sides. That’s a design choice that is aptly reflected in the device’s rumored name: The Galaxy G Fold.
Elsewhere, apart from rumors that the device will run on a Snapdragon chipset, paired with a titanium frame for durability, not much is known about the device. We don’t truly know what the device will look like, but a new leak, one that stems directly from Samsung, is pointing us in the right direction.
One UI 8 offers clues
Unearthed by the folks over at Android Authority, Samsung’s latest One UI 8 beta build offers the first official, albeit animated, look at the upcoming device. The animations in question are related to the device’s NFC positioning, but we’re more interested in the design clues they provide.
The video clearly highlights what appears to be a triple-folding device, with three rear cameras placed in a pill-shaped housing (similar to the Z Fold 6), paired with a selfie camera on the inner display that’s pushed towards one side (also similar to the Z Fold 6) and a selfie camera for the foldable’s cover screen.
Other animations found within the beta build highlight how the device will unfold, showcasing the device’s G-shaped folding mechanism.
There’s also a warning video highlighting how not to fold the device, emphasizing that users must never fold the panel with the rear cameras first. This is primarily because folding the device this way will sandwich the rear shooters between the G-shaped fold, paired with potential concerns about durability and the device not lying flat.
Additionally, for what it’s worth, the One UI 8 animation files refer to the device as Multifold 7 and not the Samsung Galaxy G Fold. The former could just be an internal codename, with the suffixed ‘7’ simply suggesting that the device is a part of Samsung’s regular foldable family. Unpacked is less than a week away, and we should likely gain more concrete information about Samsung’s trifolding plans at the event.
