Samsung just showed off what might be the most ambitious smartphone ever made: a device that folds twice and transforms from a regular phone into a 10-inch tablet.
The Galaxy Z TriFold made its U.S. debut Sunday at the CES tech conference in Las Vegas, and it’s heading to American stores sometime in the first quarter of 2026. The question isn’t whether it’s impressive—it absolutely is. The question is whether anyone needs it.
What Makes It Special
The TriFold folds inward like a brochure, creating three panels. Folded up, it’s a normal 6.5-inch phone. Unfold it once for a wider screen. Unfold it completely and you’re holding a 10-inch tablet—almost the size of an iPad mini.
The engineering is remarkable. At its thinnest point, the device measures just 3.9mm—thinner than most smartphones. When folded, it’s 12.9mm thick, which is actually slimmer than some of Samsung’s earlier foldables.
Inside is flagship hardware: Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, 16GB of RAM, a massive 5,600 mAh battery (Samsung’s biggest ever in a foldable), and a 200MP camera. The screen hits 1,600 nits of brightness when fully opened, with the outer display reaching 2,600 nits.
The Productivity Pitch
Samsung markets this as a work device. The massive screen can run apps in split-screen mode or behave like a PC desktop, with windows you can resize and drag around. Pair it with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and you’ve got a portable mini-laptop.
Google’s Gemini assistant can answer questions about multiple apps on screen simultaneously, potentially making multitasking smoother.
“Samsung says the new phone is aimed at those who use their device primarily for work and productivity, and it’s easy to see why,” wrote CNN’s tech reporter after trying the device.
The Compromises
Nothing comes free. The TriFold weighs 309 grams—nearly half a pound—compared to the regular Galaxy Z Fold 7’s 215 grams. That’s heavy for a phone you’re carrying all day.
The dual hinges create two visible creases across the screen. While reviewers say they’re not too noticeable, they’re definitely there.
And then there’s the price. Samsung hasn’t announced official U.S. pricing, but estimates range from $2,500 to $3,000. For context, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 starts at $2,000, and that only folds once.
Does Anyone Want This?
That’s the uncomfortable question hanging over Samsung’s latest innovation.
Foldable phones still represent a tiny slice of the smartphone market despite being available for seven years. Most Americans only buy new phones when their current one breaks. And aside from having more screen space for videos and apps, the TriFold doesn’t offer much that’s genuinely unique compared to standard smartphones.
“Yet Samsung doesn’t lay out a very compelling argument for why consumers need to carry around larger screens,” noted CNN’s review.
The cameras match Samsung’s top-tier Galaxy S25 Ultra, so buyers won’t sacrifice photo quality for the bigger screen. But that’s solving a problem earlier foldables had—not creating new reasons to buy.
Why Samsung Keeps Trying
Whether consumers want it or not, foldables are here to stay. Nearly every major Android phone maker offers one now, and Apple is expected to release its first foldable later this year.
For Samsung, this is about proving smartphones haven’t peaked. The rectangular slabs billions of people carry can still evolve. Whether they should evolve this way remains an open question.
“It’s an effort by the world’s largest smartphone maker to prove that the rectangular devices carried by billions haven’t peaked and still have a long runway to evolve,” the CNN review explained.
When and Where
The Galaxy Z TriFold launched in South Korea in December 2025. It’s also available in China, Taiwan, Singapore, and the UAE. The U.S. launch comes sometime between January and March 2026, with no word yet on European availability.
Samsung will reveal official U.S. pricing closer to launch, but one thing’s certain: this will be one of the most expensive smartphones on the market.
For tech enthusiasts eager to own the future of phones, it’s an exciting prospect. For everyone else, it’s a $3,000 question mark asking if you really need a tablet that folds into your pocket—and whether you’re willing to carry around half a pound of phone to get it.
