Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold wows – but I’m not sold on it as the future

Now the “folds twice” idea has finally graduated from concept art to a real product – and it’s going to be expensive (probably more than $2000). That alone makes it a niche device, but I think the form factor itself is what locks it into enthusiast territory.

I mean, most regular users don’t need a phone that unfolds into a 10-inch display. If someone really wants a big screen, they already buy a tablet. And the math is simple: a flagship phone + a flagship tablet still cost less than one super-complex tri-foldable that tries to be both.

It’s not just about money, though. Most of us simply don’t have daily habits that require a device this ambitious. Sure, if you are a power user who edits documents and photos, manages multiple apps, and works on the go, then having a pocketable giant screen could be amazing. But for the average person? It’s more tech than they’ll ever actually use.

And then there’s the size and weight. When folded, the Galaxy Z TriFold measures 159.2 x 75.0 x 12.9 mm. Unfolded, it becomes a 159.2 x 214.1 x 3.9 mm tablet-like slab. And it weighs 309 grams – basically the weight of a small tablet (actually, the iPad mini weighs less). That’s not a “slip into your pocket and forget it’s there” kind of gadget.

If you’ve ever read my stuff before, you know I’m on Team Small Phone. Think iPhone mini small. I want future devices to shrink, not balloon into pocket bricks. My dream device is one I barely notice I’m carrying. A tri-foldable is the complete opposite – imagine stuffing that into jeans with no bag. Nope, thank you.

So yeah, the Galaxy Z TriFold (and Huawei Mate XT, too) is destined to stay niche. And honestly, Samsung knows this. This phone isn’t about becoming the next Galaxy S hit. It’s a tech flex – a way to say “this is where our display tech is at, and nobody else can match it.”

Sometimes tech exists just to show what’s possible

A big part of tech is simply showing off. Samsung has always loved proving it can build something the competition can’t. It's the display industry leader, and after Huawei entered the triple-foldable market, Samsung wasn’t going to just sit and watch.

Of course, it wanted to respond – and respond loudly. That’s what the Galaxy Z TriFold is: not a mass-market product, but a message. And once a heavyweight like Samsung steps into a new category, the domino effect usually kicks in. Other companies will follow, even if the product itself doesn’t sell in huge numbers.

We’ve already seen triple-foldable concepts from Tecno and Honor floating around. They are going to become real sooner or later, not because the Galaxy Z TriFold is going to be a commercial hit, but because nobody wants to be left out of a new hardware frontier. When one major brand jumps in, the rest jump in just to show they can, too.

Triple foldables aren’t the future – but they do something important

So no, I don’t think triple-foldable phones are the direction the industry is headed. Honestly, even regular foldables are still working their way into the mainstream. But these devices matter. They show that tech companies are not done experimenting, not done innovating, and definitely not done trying to find the next big thing that’ll make us reach for our wallets.

And at the end of the day, they keep the industry fun. They keep it weird. They keep us tech nerds entertained and curious about what’s coming next.

The Galaxy Z TriFold may not change much, but it’s one of those devices that remind us: the future of tech isn’t always about practicality. Sometimes it’s about proving you can build something wild just because you can.