Emily Flores
You’re holding a regular smartphone in your hand, then suddenly you unfold it once, twice, and boom—you’ve got a 10-inch tablet sitting in your palm. It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, but Samsung just made it real. On December 2, 2025, the South Korean tech giant introduced the Galaxy Z TriFold, a phone that literally folds twice, and they’re not waiting around.
While Apple fiddles with prototypes for its first folding iPhone expected in fall 2026, Samsung just dropped theirs on the market. The Galaxy Z TriFold hits South Korean stores on December 12 at 3.59 million won (roughly $2,449), with a US launch planned for early 2026. Talk about stealing the thunder.
Engineering Magic Meets Pocket Reality
Here’s where things get wild. Samsung managed to cram a massive 10-inch display into a device that measures just 3.9mm at its thinnest point—that’s thinner than most people’s credit cards. When you fold it up completely, you get a normal-looking 6.5-inch smartphone that slips right into your pocket. The secret sauce? Two titanium hinges working in perfect harmony with a dual-rail structure.
Samsung’s been making foldables for a decade now, and this TriFold represents everything they’ve learned packed into one device. The phone weighs 309 grams and rocks a Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor—the same chip powering the Galaxy Z Fold 7. But durability was the real challenge. Samsung reinforced the display with a shock-absorbing layer and protective overcoat specifically designed to handle the stress of dual folding.
The frame uses Advanced Armor Aluminum for rigidity without bulk, and the hinge housing gets that premium titanium treatment. Every single unit goes through rigorous quality checks, and Samsung’s so confident they’re offering a one-time 50% discount on display repairs. The battery situation is impressive too—a 5,600 mAh three-cell system split across all three panels delivers balanced power and up to 17 hours of video playback with the screen fully open.
The Apple Shadow Looms Large
Samsung’s timing wasn’t accidental. Apple’s working on their first folding iPhone—a book-style design similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7—expected to launch in fall 2026. Multiple sources confirm Apple’s device entered the engineering validation stage in November 2025, with mass production planned for late 2026. The iPhone Fold (as it’s being called) will reportedly feature a 7.8-inch inner display with a virtually crease-free design thanks to Apple’s liquid metal hinge technology. Pricing estimates hover between $2,000 and $2,500, putting it in the same stratospheric price range as Samsung’s TriFold.
Apple has allegedly solved the crease problem that’s plagued foldables, and they’re throwing in an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera. But here’s the kicker: Samsung’s already shipping. While Apple perfects its prototype, Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold is hitting stores in Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, the UAE, and eventually the US in Q1 2026.
Huawei already launched trifold phones with their Mate XT series, though they use a different accordion-style folding mechanism. Samsung’s inward-folding design protects the main display when closed, with the cover screen on the back. It’s a calculated gamble in a market that’s growing but still finding its feet.