Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold Hands-on: It Solves the Tablet Problem

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Need-to-knows

• Interior display is the perfect size for a pocketable tablet
• Almost as thin as some standard brick phones
• Battery life remains the biggest question mark

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Earlier this week, I got hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy TriFold at CES in Las Vegas. And it surprised me. Big time.

The tablet, that is – not Vegas or CES. This is my third time.

If you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, I should confirm that the TriFold is exactly what it sounds like – Samsung’s take on a triple-folding smartphone. You can only buy it in South Korea, China, Singapore, and the UAE at select Samsung stores, and it’s very expensive.

Samsung hasn’t confirmed a release date beyond those territories at the time of writing, but the consensus is that, if the TriFold makes its way to US and UK shores, it’s likely to retail for upwards of $2,500/$2,500.

Is it worth that kind of money? Is any smartphone worth that kind of money?

I think it is, and having got close and personal with the TriFold, I think it solves a common problem for a lot of people.

At a glance

Category	Specification
Main Display	10.0″ QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X (2160 × 1584), 269 ppi, 120Hz (1–120Hz), 1600 nits peak
Cover Display	6.5″ FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X (2520 × 1080, 21:9), 422 ppi, 120Hz (1–120Hz), 2600 nits peak
Processor	Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3nm)
Memory	16 GB RAM
Storage Options	512 GB or 1 TB (no microSD)
Rear Cameras	200 MP Wide (OIS, f/1.7) • 12 MP Ultra-Wide • 10 MP Telephoto (3× optical, OIS, up to 30× digital)
Front Cameras	10 MP (cover screen) • 10 MP (main screen)
Battery	5,600 mAh (three-cell)
Charging	45W wired • 15W wireless • Wireless PowerShare
Folded Size	159.2 × 75.0 × 12.9 mm
Unfolded Size	159.2 × 214.1 × ~4.0 mm (varies by panel)
Weight	309 g
Build	Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 (front), Ceramic-glass polymer back, Titanium hinge + Armor Aluminum frame
Water Resistance	IP48
Operating System	Android 16 with One UI 8
Connectivity	5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Security	Side-mounted fingerprint, Samsung Knox Vault
SIM	Dual Nano-SIM + eSIM
Colours	Crafted Black

Hands-on in Vegas

The most impressive thing about the TriFold is how thin it is both folded and unfolded. Sure, folded, it’s certainly one of the thicker phones on the market, but it’s admirably un-chunky for what is essentially a foldable tablet.

However, unfolded, the TriFold is actually thinner than the Z Fold7. It’s so thin, in fact, that it can literally go no thinner; there’s barely any metal surrounding the top and bottom of the USB-C charging port. What impact that has on the battery remains to be seen, but it’s impossible not to be immediately impressed by this feat of engineering.

The showpiece of the TriFold is, of course, revealed when you open the device. Measuring 10 inches diagonally, the Dynamic AMOLED 2X TriFold display immediately feels impressively huge, but also extremely usable. You can run three apps side-by-side in what feels like a three-smartphone setup, but single app usage doesn’t feel over elaborate, either. Samsung has made some extremely smart choices here.

For instance, using the TriFold’s internal display in portrait orientation might be its killer feature. Browsing websites and chewing through reading material on a display of that size is a lot easier on the eye and, given how thin the TriFold is, likely deliciously comfortable to use for long periods.

Related: Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro review

Back to landscape orientation, and as many have already noted, the aspect ratio is nigh-on perfect for watching stuff. This is a perennial issue with single foldable phones (I never thought I’d have to make that distinction) – unfolded, the viewing area for content isn’t much bigger than what you get with a decent-sized regular phone. With the TriFold, it’s much bigger.

If you’re wondering, it’s possible to fold the TriFold back the wrong way, but not before One UI warns you with a gentle ‘please fold it the other way’ type message. Folding the correct section first does take some practice, but I’d imagine it would become second nature pretty quickly.

Read my full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review here!

You’d do well to break the TriFold, regardless. It feels very well built and solid, even when fully open. Samsung’s many years of R&D investment in the Z Fold series are clearly paying dividends here.

The tablet problem

I bought the first iPad. Yep, I was one of those people. Still am, to be fair.

In my opinion, Apple still makes the best tablets, but having recently compared the M5 iPad Pro with the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, it’s clear that if you prefer Android in your life, you’re not exactly hard done by.

However, all tablets have one very distinct problem: what on earth do you use them for?

Some people have successfully transferred from their laptop to a tablet. I see this fairly regularly out in the wild; an iPad complete with Magic Keyboard case isn’t an uncommon sight in coffee shops. And those people are doing real, proper work on those setups.

The problem for Apple, Samsung, and every other tablet manufacturer is that these people are still a minority. I have absolutely no data to back this up, but I have a hunch that most tablet owners are like me – i.e. they’re more likely to reach for their smartphone or laptop than actually use the expensive tablet they bought last year.

I review a fair few tablets each year and, every time a new one lands on my desk, I have to force myself to use it. Even when travelling – the most obvious use case for a big-screened entertainment device – I really have to justify making space for an iPad in my carry-on luggage. I didn’t bring one with me to Las Vegas, for instance.

Check out my recommendation for the best foldable phone!

The result is countless unused tablets stuffed away in drawers or being used as giant coasters on desks. That’s a waste of money on behalf of us, the consumers, but also a frustrating absence of product loyalty for brands. It’s why, on average, it takes iPad owner thirty two years to upgrade.

I don’t have any hardened stats to back that up, either.

Is the TriFold really the answer?

Big screens are cool. They’re great for watching stuff, reading stuff, playing with stuff, drawing stuff, and getting stuff done. The key to making the devices that possess such screens remain consistently in the hands of those who buy them is to make them transformable into smartphones.

This is why foldable smartphones like the Z Fold7 exist. The idea is that you use it folded just as you would a regular smartphone, and if you want to be more productive or indulge in some content, you open up that big internal display.

More: Honor Magic8 Pro review

The irony of foldable phones, however, is that the internal display isn’t big enough to encourage regular opening. It’s why – and forgive me for yet more completely non-researched claims – most foldable owners barely open their devices after the honeymoon phase has passed.

The Trifold – even during the limited time I spent with it – felt like it completely solved this problem. Granted, the two hours I spent with it were arguably honeymoon-charged, but I’ve used enough regular foldables to know that the big screen experience offered by the TriFold is a monumental leap forward.

I want one. Immediately. It would have been such a brilliant device to have with me during this trip to the US. It would have been a non-trouser-troubling smartphone most of the time, yet a brilliant way to while away those jet-lag-infused early hours when I was indeed of some light entertainment. And it would have been simply awesome during the flights.

Related: Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review

There are potential problems, though. What’s the battery life like? Would the process of double-opening and closing a phone become tiresome to the point of rarely entertaining it? Will there be any durability issues (this is a first-generation product, after all)?

It’s also a monumentally expensive smartphone with extremely limited global availability at the time of writing. The latter will hopefully change soon, but the price of foldables ain’t going south for quite some time. That immediately limits the TriFold’s appeal and potential market.

Final thought

I have no idea when or if I’ll get longer with the TriFold any time soon (and, trust me, I’ve asked). I hope I do, though, because despite those potential issues above, Samsung’s most innovative smartphone to date was one of the most exciting things I saw at CES this year.

My list of the best phones!

As always, I’d love to hear from you. Whether you’ve been lucky enough to hold the TriFold yourself, or if you’ve simply got a few things to say about this corner of the smartphone market, get involved in the comments below!