In summary
- Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold finally announced
- Doesn’t appear to be coming to UK or Europe
- Pricing unknown
The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold has been officially unveiled, but there are two major questions we want answered before we allow ourselves to get excited about this latest foldable smartphone .
Samsung has finally announced its first triple foldable, the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold.
It’s dominated by a 10-inch 2160 x 1584 internal display, which Samsung explains as being like three 6.5-inch smartphones stacked side by side.
The multitasking potential is obvious here, with Samsung using the example of “an architect drafting design plans for a new home can use the large screen to operate three applications at the same time, to review blueprints, write a proposal, and calculate measurements in a single, multi-window workspace.”
Other screen specs include a 120Hz refresh rate and a 1600 nits peak brightness (the 6.5-inch FHD+ external screen hits 2600 nits).
Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold design
This huge display unfolds using a double-hinge system, incorporating two differently sized hinges with a dual-rail structure. Unlike the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate , which utilises a Z shape, Samsung’s approach is a G-fold system, with two outer sections folding in on a central one.
Apparently, an “auto-alarm” system will alert the user if they fold it incorrectly through a series of on-screen alerts and vibrations. Which rather screams ‘prototype product’ to us, though promises of a “reinforced overcoat” and a “shock-absorbing display layer” gives some hope that the repair claims won’t be too numerous. We’ll see.
The TriFold measures just 3.9mm thick at its thinnest point when open, which is a little thicker than the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate (3.6mm). When open, however, it’s only 0.1mm thicker at 12.9mm. There’s no denying that 309g is heavy for any phone (and 11g heavier than Huawei’s).
We’re not blown away by the solitary Crafted Black colour that it’s being presented in, though. IP48 certification falls short of the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold, but is otherwise pretty normal for a foldable.
Samsung
Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold performance and specs
Samsung’s new TriFold foldable runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, which sounds like a slight problem to us. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is now upon us, placing this (presumably) expensive phone behind the performance curve straight out of the gate.
Internal space is obviously constrained, though, and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is emerging as a toasty runner. Perhaps this is for the best.
There will be a 200Mp main camera, which sounds competitive with Samsung’s other flagship phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 . There’s a 10Mp telephoto camera, as well as a 12Mp ultra-wide. You’ll get the usual pair of 10Mp selfie cameras, too.
The company is also promising “the biggest battery Samsung has ever had in a foldable phone” at 5,600mAh, which we’re very glad to see . It’s still the same old 45W wired charging, though, along with 15W wireless charging.
Samsung
Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold questions
One question we’ve had ever since solid rumours started to emerge about the TriFold was: is anyone actually going to get to use one? It had been suggested that it would be South Korea only, and even then in strictly limited numbers.
That question has been partially answered, and the outcome is more positive than we expected – but still not great.
The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold will indeed debut in South Korea on 12 December, but it will be coming to other regions at some unspecified later date. The bad news is that Samsung only mentions China, Taiwan, Singapore, the UAE and the US. The fact that it specifically mentions the UAE and Singapore, and no major countries in Europe leaves us pessimistic.
On the other hand, we are reading about all of this on the Samsung UK newsroom . There’s a chance Samsung is monitoring how well its bold new foldable performs at retail, and is hoping to roll it out to other territories if the numbers are suitably promising.
Which brings us to the second big question: how much is this thing going to cost? There’s no indication of a price tag in this pre-launch material, which suggests to us that it’s going to be seriously expensive.
We’ll hopefully know more on 12 December, when the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold is set to appear in shops for the first time.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
Author: Jon Mundy, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Jon is a freelance journalist who got his start covering mobile games at the dawn of the App Store. He has since covered everything from smart home tech and laptops to food and culture, but always seems to return to his fascination with smartphones.
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