Samsung’s Wild-Looking Tri-Fold Phone Debuts at APEC Summit in South Korea

Samsung unveiled its first consumer-facing triple-screen foldable phone in a technology exhibition hall at the APEC CEO Summit in South Korea. Korean publication Dailian reported that the new phone would launch in November or December.

The trifold phone, which doesn’t yet have an official name, was revealed as a prototype on display. While the Galaxy Z Fold 7 And Galaxy Z Flip 7 Folded in half along a hinge, Samsung’s next device folds in two places to be as compact as a typical smartphone with a 6.5-inch exterior screen, then unfolds for a tablet-sized 10-inch screen, according to The Chosun Daily. Compare that to dual-screen foldables that have interior screens measuring around 8 inches. The Z Fold 7 has a single fold on its main screen; the new triple could have two plies.

Samsung has been at the forefront of foldable phones since launching the first Galaxy Fold in 2019 and the Galaxy Z Flip in 2020. At the time, it faced stiff competition from the likes of Motorola and Huawei, with the latter taking a significant lead in 2024 with its own tri-fold Huawei Mate a second version. Samsung’s launch of its own competitor keeps the company in the race.

These two aspects of consumption have their differences. The Huawei Mate Given that Samsung named its foldable line the Z series, it’s ironic that the company hasn’t adopted that shape and format for its triple.

Samsung hasn’t released further details about its triple, although Dailian expects it to be even more expensive than the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which starts at $2,000 in the US. From photos of the device – apparently a prototype – behind glass, you can see a front-facing camera on the inner screen (when unfolded) and on the outer screen (when folded). But since Samsung hasn’t shown off the foldable device either, there are a lot of questions about its durability and capabilities ahead of its rumored launch in a month or two.

It’s not a complete surprise to see Samsung’s tri-fold ready to go. For years, the company has presented various flexible display models, including three-screen formatsduring CES. Over the past few months, there has been a steady stream of rumors and outright confirmations from management that Samsung was preparing to unveil its triple. Now we’ll have to see if the company that fought so hard to be at the forefront of smartphone design can launch another form factor that dominates the foldable phone niche — all before even one of its biggest rivals, Apple. releases its first foldable.

Samsung did not respond to a request for comment.

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