Samsung has unveiled a smartphone that folds three times. Is it a challenge to Apple?

Samsung Electronics has unveiled its first triple-folding smartphone, the Galaxy Z TriFold. It will hit the market ahead of the expected release of the foldable iPhone in 2026. But according to analysts' estimates, the TriFold is intended as a limited edition model.

South Korean tech company Samsung Electronics has unveiled its first triple-folding smartphone, the Galaxy Z TriFold. Sales are scheduled to start on December 12 in South Korea at a price of 3.59 million won (about $2450). Later, the device will appear in the United States, where the price has not yet been announced, as well as in China, Taiwan, Singapore and the UAE, Bloomberg writes .

Samsung shares rose 2.5 percent in trading in Korea on Dec. 2.

When folded, the TriFold looks like a regular smartphone, but when unfolded, it becomes a 10-inch tablet - larger than the display on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which debuted in July. In open mode, you can run separate apps on each of the three screen segments - effectively three separate workspaces.

To allay concerns about durability, Samsung said it has updated the hinge design, strengthened the aluminum frame and improved the display technology. Smartphone owners will also be offered a one-time 50% discount on screen repairs, should they be required.

The novelty was shown a few months before Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone, the agency notes. The new smartphone may be released next fall and will be made in a "book" format, similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Bloomberg reports.

Huawei was the first player in this niche, launching the Mate XT smartphone, which folds triple in 2024, followed by the updated Mate XTs, which is comparable in price to the Samsung TriFold. It's a strong competitor in the Chinese market, although Huawei's devices are inferior to Samsung's in terms of compatibility with the Android ecosystem, the agency notes. That said, the designs are different: Samsung's TriFold folds inward on both sides, while Huawei's models take a Z-shape.

Analysts believe that Samsung's first triple-fold smartphone will be more of a presentation of the company's capabilities than a mass model. The offer is just beginning to take shape, and it is still difficult to scale the production of such devices, writes Reuters.

"Amid the expected arrival of the foldable iPhone, Samsung is releasing this model as a trial to reaffirm its technological leadership," said Counterpoint Research associate director Liz Lee.

"This is a first-generation product, (...) so it's too early to expect high sales volumes," agrees Ryu Yong-ho, senior analyst at NH Investment & Securities. He noted that the Galaxy Z Fold lineup has already gone through seven generations, reaching maturity and optimized production costs. The triple-fold format, on the other hand, may have questions about reliability and the overall "completeness" of the design - it is important for Samsung to first understand how the market will react to the device, the analyst said.

According to Counterpoint Research estimates cited by Reuters, foldable smartphones will take less than 2% of the global market this year, and their share will remain below 3% by 2027. Meanwhile, Samsung's share of shipments of such devices rose to 64% in the third quarter, up from just 9% a quarter earlier, according to Counterpoint. This jump can be explained by the fact that the segment is still very small, and manufacturers' shares fluctuate greatly depending on the timing of new models.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor