When Samsung finally announced its dual-hinged foldable phone towards the end of 2025 I’ll admit I was intrigued. As a Pixel 9 Pro Fold owner, I’ve embraced the foldable phone era, and so the TriFold was always going to turn my head.
I was delighted then, when I got the chance to get hands on with the Galaxy TriFold during CES 2026, giving me a taste of Samsung’s latest foldable.
This isn’t the first tri-fold I’ve handled though, as I spent a brief amount of time with the Huawei Mate XT a year or so ago. The key difference between that foldable and Samsung’s is the TriFold will actually be available to buy in the US.
Yes, this futuristic phone will be available in the first quarter of 2026, and it’s made me realize that my current foldable isn’t delivering what I actually want it to.
A foldable screen worth having
I mainly unfold my Pixel 9 Pro Fold when I want to stream video while commuting or traveling, and I’m thankful for the additional screen real estate it provides, making for a more comfortable watching experience.
However, carefully unfolding the Galaxy TriFold and firing up YouTube to watch some 4K videos, I realized my Pixel foldable wasn’t actually delivering the experience I had purchased it for.
When unfolded, the Galaxy TriFold gives you a sizable 10-inch screen, a step up from the 8-inch screen found on my Pixel, as well as the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
While having an even bigger screen that can fit in my pocket is an obvious benefit, the real game changer here is the aspect ratio this dual hinge design enables.
The TriFold’s internal screen has a 4:3 aspect ratio, which is far better suited to maximizing video content than the 1:1 aspect screens on the standard book-style foldables I’ve named above.
It means smaller black bars around the content, allowing video to be significantly bigger compared to it being played on the cover screen. On my Pixel, while the internal screen does let me re-watch Scrubs at a slightly lager scale than the cover screen, the square aspect ratio means there’s a decent proportion of the display which is just black.
And it makes all the difference. You instantly feel like you’re watching on a significantly bigger screen. It turns out I’ve been kidding myself a bit with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and the TriFold has shown me the light.
There are some drawbacks, however
With more screen and two hinges to pack in, the Galaxy TriFold is a particularly chunky candy bar handset when folded up, coming in at 12.9mm thick. For comparison, Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are both 8.8mm, while Samsung’s Z Fold 7 is only a hair thicker at 8.9mm.
It means you’ll need generous pockets to comfortable slide the TriFold in, and when held in one hand, it can feel bulky.
It’s also heavy, at 309g, making extended periods of one-handed use less appealing. And if you have smaller hands, you might well find the TriFold is overbearing when in its folded state.
Then there’s the cost. While a Galaxy TriFold price hasn’t been set for the US yet, if we convert the South Korean won asking price of 3,594,000 KRW (the phone is already available to buy in Samsung’s home market) you’re potentially looking at around $2,500.
There’s a chance the price could balloon further once import and local taxes are applied. It means the TriFold will likely be out of financial reach for many.
But it’s still impressive
I’m impressed by the TriFold’s durability, with it feeling surprisingly sturdy when unfolded. The hinges provide a satisfying snap when they are fully opened, and the frame remains rigid.
While it’s still far more delicate than our traditional smartphones, I didn’t feel worried about opening and closing, and I’d wager it could survive a drop of two without issue (although any drop can potentially cause damage).
For a first generation device of this form factor, Samsung has produced an accomplished foldable which delivers on its main promise – a 10-inch tablet screen that fits in your pocket.
Sure it’s going to be expensive when it goes on sale in the coming months, but the Galaxy TriFold lays exciting foundations for future generations of folding big screens.
Samsung also announced a huge 130-inch Micro RGB TV at CES, and made it clear that it’s going to put AI into everything.
