The Three-Fold Revolution: Introducing the Galaxy Z Trifold
Breaking through the limits of foldable smartphones, the Galaxy Z Trifold has unlocked a new possibility—the “tablet in your pocket”—and is ready to change the world. How exactly did this innovation become a reality?
December 2025: The Evolution of Foldables Begins
December 2, 2025, will be recorded as a milestone in smartphone history. Samsung’s official unveiling of the Galaxy Z Trifold brought not just a new product but an innovation that redefines the very concept of "foldable phones."
While previous foldables transformed shape with a single fold, the Trifold introduced a completely new category by folding twice to deliver three distinct screen sizes. This breakthrough transcends technology, fundamentally shifting how users perceive their smartphones.
Trifold Technology: The Magic of Two Hinges
At the heart of the Galaxy Z Trifold lies its unique folding structure enabled by two hinges. Unlike traditional foldables, this triple-fold mechanism smoothly converts a compact 6.5-inch bar-type phone into a near 10-inch (253mm) tablet form.
What truly stands out is that both hinges are designed to fold inward. While competitors have mixed inward and outward folding, making devices vulnerable to external impacts, Samsung’s Trifold maximizes stability and durability while dramatically enhancing the user experience.
The Miracle of Ultra-Thinness: Innovation Delivered at the 3mm Mark
Pushing smartphone potential to the extreme, the Trifold achieves an astounding thickness in the 3mm range. This is the thinnest Samsung smartphone ever—a testament to the precision and engineering excellence of Trifold technology, achieving the perfect balance between portability and performance.
Key technologies that made this possible include:
- New Dual Folding Hinge Technology: Precisely controlling two hinges with exceptional mechanisms
- High-Strength Polyimide Material: Lightweight yet offering superior durability
- Battery Structure Redesign: Innovative layout maximizing space efficiency
- Software Optimization: Algorithms perfectly tailored for seamless multitasking
Three Modes of Use with the Trifold
The true strength of the Galaxy Z Trifold lies not just in how it folds, but in the versatile modes it offers to meet user needs.
In Bar Type Mode (6.5 inches), it acts as a traditional smartphone, allowing quick one-handed access to messages, emails, and social media—ideal for fast daily communication.
The Dual Screen Mode (around 8 inches) is the Trifold’s most innovative use case. This mode makes multitasking truly meaningful, splitting the screen in two to run multiple apps simultaneously—for example, drafting a document on one side while researching reference materials on the other, boosting productivity like never before.
Fully open, the Full Tablet Mode (10 inches) optimizes content consumption and creation. Whether watching videos, editing photos, or writing documents, users can enjoy wide-open creativity on a large screen.
Trifold Meets Samsung DeX: Your Desktop in Your Pocket
One of the Galaxy Z Trifold’s most groundbreaking features is the first-ever direct support for Samsung DeX on a Galaxy phone in its unfolded state. Now users can experience a full desktop environment on their smartphone without needing an external monitor or device.
This revolutionizes the mobile office. With just the Trifold:
- Document creation and editing rival laptop capabilities
- Presentation materials can be crafted directly on a large screen
- Emails and calendars are managed with ease
- Even sophisticated creative work like video editing is possible
The true innovation lies in transforming the smartphone into a complete work tool you can carry anywhere. The era of lugging around a laptop is over.
Swiss Army Knife Versatility
As one foreign media aptly described, “The Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold is like a Swiss Army knife.” Compact yet capable of transforming into multiple tools for varied needs, the Trifold truly lives up to this analogy.
Catch up on news in Bar Type Mode during your morning subway ride, prepare presentation slides with Dual Screen Mode at the office meeting, enjoy videos in Full Tablet Mode at lunch, and wrap up your day’s work again with DeX mode—all from a single device.
The Future of Foldables Starts with the Trifold
The Galaxy Z Trifold is more than just a smartphone evolution. It represents an innovative answer to the fundamental question: “What is a smartphone?” It showcases the broad possibilities the future of foldable technology holds.
The mobile devices we’ll encounter next will be more flexible, more powerful, and more tailored to our lives in diverse forms. At the heart of this transformation will stand the Trifold standard set by the Galaxy Z Trifold. The new era of foldable technology has been spectacularly ushered in by the Galaxy Z Trifold.
The Magic of Triple Folding: A Technological Marvel
Are you curious about the three-fold folding structure realized through two hinges and an ultra-slim 3mm-thin profile, along with Samsung’s unique design secrets? Although it is the world’s second tri-fold foldable phone, let's explore how technological differentiation has been achieved.
The Innovation of Dual Hinges: Dissecting the Heart of the Tri-Fold
At the core of the Galaxy Z Tri-fold lies a structure where two independent hinges harmoniously coexist. While conventional single-fold foldable phones bend the screen with one hinge, the Tri-fold offers a completely new dimension of experience through a sophisticatedly designed dual folding hinge system.
The Huawei Mate XT launched as the world’s first tri-fold foldable phone, but its structure was a hybrid of inward and outward folds. This design exposed the outward folding side, resulting in a weakness vulnerable to everyday damage.
In contrast, Samsung’s Tri-fold made a groundbreaking decision: both hinges were designed with an inward folding mechanism, ensuring that all screen panels are protected inside. This was not a mere technical choice but a decision reflecting Samsung’s philosophy to maximize durability and stability.
Breaking Through Ultra-Thin Technology Limits: Achieving 3mm Thickness
One of the most astonishing feats the Tri-fold accomplished is a thickness in the 3mm range at its thinnest point. This marks the thinnest ever in Galaxy smartphone history, and achieving this in a complex triple-fold structure is a technological marvel in itself.
Key factors that made this possible include:
1. Redesigned Battery Structure
Traditional foldable phones arranged batteries in series, increasing thickness. However, the Tri-fold, through an innovative battery placement method, drastically saves space while maintaining the same capacity. Samsung optimized the battery module’s shape and redesigned the power distribution circuit to achieve this.
2. Application of High-Strength Polyimide Material
The hinge and screen connection receive the most stress in a three-fold structure. Samsung used polyimide material from the aerospace industry, allowing it to remain thin yet retain high strength. This material endures extreme durability tests, tolerating repeated folds.
3. Optimized Hinge Mechanism
The two hinges of the Tri-fold operate independently yet feature a sophisticated interlinked mechanism. Each hinge allows precise angle adjustment for smooth folding while being designed to cause minimal height increase.
Display Structure: The Harmony of Three Screens
The Tri-fold is called “3-fold” for a reason that holds significant technological meaning. The device doesn’t just fold multiple times but utilizes three distinct display zones.
In Bar Type Mode (fully folded), the 6.5-inch main display is exposed, serving as the cover display and offering a traditional smartphone experience.
In Dual Screen Mode (half unfolded), an approximately 8-inch large display appears, split by the hinge line into two logical work areas, optimized for multitasking.
In Full Tablet Mode (fully unfolded), it reveals a display nearly 10 inches in size, delivering an almost complete tablet experience. Minimizing display creases was a key technical challenge, and Samsung significantly reduced visual distractions through new display technology.
Durability Verification: Balancing Precision and Robustness
The Tri-fold underwent rigorous durability testing. Due to the nature of a triple-fold structure, the hinge and display experience much more stress than single-fold phones.
According to Samsung’s test results:
- Passed over 100,000 repeated folding tests
- Proven stability across extreme temperatures (-20°C to 60°C)
- Surpassed durability certification standards
These figures show that the Tri-fold is not merely a flashy tech demo but engineered to withstand real-world daily use.
The World’s Second Yet the Most Practical Design
Although Samsung’s Tri-fold is the world’s second tri-fold foldable phone following Huawei Mate XT, it has made meaningful advancements in technological differentiation.
The full adoption of the inward fold method reduces user concerns and enhances portability, while the ultra-thin 3mm thickness pushes engineering limits. This is not just about “making it thinner” but reflects Samsung’s design philosophy of maximizing efficiency within a complex structure.
The technological marvel of the Tri-fold does not lie in flashy appearances but in the meticulously calculated engineering users barely perceive. The transformation enabled by two hinges into three folds, while maintaining an ultra-thin design — this is the true value of the Galaxy Z Tri-fold: the world’s second yet technologically most practical tri-fold foldable phone.
3. This Is Not Just a Simple Phone: The Screen Revolution and the Evolution of Samsung DeX
From bar type to 10-inch tablet mode, the Galaxy Z Fold3 transforms a single device into three or more distinct experiences. These remarkable screen innovations alone are captivating, but when combined with Samsung DeX—bringing a desktop environment right out of your pocket—the landscape of mobile productivity is fundamentally changing. What kind of magic is truly happening here?
3-1. Three Unique Screen Experiences Delivered by the Tri-Fold
The most striking feature of the Galaxy Z Fold3 is its screen that adapts freely to any situation. It’s not just about size changes—each mode offers a completely different user experience.
Bar Type Mode (6.5 inches): Retaining the traditional smartphone form factor but packed with cutting-edge technology. This is where your everyday smartphone activities unfold—checking messengers on your commute, quickly reviewing emails, scrolling through social media. In this mode, the phone’s ultra-slim 3mm thickness truly shines.
Dual Screen Mode (around 8 inches): The partially folded middle state reveals the true value of tri-fold technology. The screen splits into two areas, allowing simultaneous multitasking. You can draft a document on the left while referring to source material on the right—or join a video meeting on one side and take notes on the other. This is authentic multitasking freedom.
Full Tablet Mode (10 inches, 253mm): When fully unfolded, the device transcends the realm of smartphones. Experience cinema-like immersion when watching movies or dramas, ample workspace for photo editing, and tablet-grade enjoyment for gaming.
This seamless transition among three modes offers users the exact size they need at the exact moment they need it, a flexibility unattainable in previous single- or dual-fold phones.
3-2. Tri-Fold and Samsung DeX: Desktop Born from Your Pocket
But screen size alone wasn’t enough. Samsung’s real breakthrough lies in bringing Samsung DeX directly to a Galaxy phone in its unfolded state for the first time ever. Previously, the DeX environment required additional output devices or tablets, but now it all comes together in a single phone you pull from your pocket.
When DeX mode activates, the 10-inch screen transforms into a laptop-like monitor. On the left, a window management system appears; the center unfolds into a workspace; and a quick access panel is arranged on the right. While it’s a touchscreen, connecting a mouse and keyboard unlocks a genuine desktop experience.
Document work is now professional-grade right on your smartphone. MS Office apps run just like on desktops, letting you open multiple windows to switch fluidly between references and your work documents. Presentation creation works similarly—arrive in a meeting room, connect your device to a projector, and your slideshow starts instantly.
3-3. A New Studio for Creators
The tri-fold’s true brilliance shines especially for content creators. In dual screen mode, you can shoot photos on one screen while editing on the other. In full tablet mode, using a stylus pen (sold separately), you can digitally draw or create comics.
A highlight is the integration with AI-driven upscaling tools. Running programs like HitPaw VikPea in the DeX environment lets you enhance low-resolution videos to high definition—all from your pocket. The tri-fold phone is no longer just a playback device but a true production powerhouse.
3-4. Gemini Live Creates a New Interface
Equipped with Gemini Live, the Galaxy Z Fold3 makes all these screen experiences smarter than ever. Beyond simple voice commands, it understands the context across multiple modes.
For example, if you’re drafting a report in full tablet mode and suddenly switch to dual screen mode, the AI automatically optimizes the screen layout. Say, “Organize this table,” and Gemini comprehends the content on screen, offering smart suggestions. This means your workflow remains seamless with productivity soaring to new heights.
3-5. Fundamental Difference from Previous Foldables
While earlier foldables offered simply a “bigger screen,” the tri-fold delivers the right screen for the right purpose. Unlike previous single-fold devices, the dual-fold design grants users the freedom to choose.
Dual screen mode is optimal for document work, full tablet mode is ideal for content consumption, and bar type suffices for quick message checks. The fact that all three perfect states coexist in one device signals more than a technological leap—it marks a fundamental shift in how we use mobile devices.
Ultimately, the screen revolution driven by the Galaxy Z Fold3 and the evolution of Samsung DeX are rewriting the very definition of what a smartphone can do.
4. AI Transforming Daily Life and the Versatile User Experience
4-1. The Innovation of Customized Interfaces Created by Gemini Live
How does your morning begin? Checking messages during your commute, reviewing materials in the meeting room, watching videos at lunch—these everyday routines become smarter at every moment thanks to the AI assistant called Gemini Live on the Galaxy Z Trifold.
Unlike traditional voice-command-based AI, Gemini Live understands the Trifold’s multi-mode screen configurations and automatically optimizes the interface based on the situation. For example, when you switch from bar type mode to dual screen mode while working on a document, the AI automatically rearranges your content into the most efficient layout.
This goes beyond simple screen resizing—it’s a truly smart experience where the AI recognizes your intent through context. Capable of handling multiple types of content simultaneously—text, images, calculations, web searches—Gemini Live transforms the Trifold from a mere device into an intelligent productivity partner.
4-2. Swiss Army Knife-like Versatility: Embracing Your Full 24-Hour Day
A precise expression from international tech media captures it perfectly: “The Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold is like a Swiss Army knife.” Just like a Swiss Army knife transforms into various tools depending on the situation, the Trifold is a highly versatile device that delivers completely different experiences tailored to your needs.
Follow a day in your life:
Commute – Bar Type Mode (6.5 inches)
In bar type mode, the Trifold functions just like a regular smartphone with the familiar size. You chat with your team on messenger, quickly check emails, and catch up on the day’s top stories via news apps. This compact form fits comfortably in your pocket without the hassle, enabling seamless access to all the information you need on the go.
Meeting Room – Dual Screen Mode (about 8 inches)
Arriving at the meeting room, you open the Trifold halfway. This dual screen mode lets you use each screen independently—displaying your presentation on one side while taking notes on the other. This is where true multitasking comes alive. Gemini Live actively searches for related information in real time and automatically organizes key points while you present.
On the Move – Full Tablet Mode (10 inches)
During lunch, breaks, or your commute home, unfolding the Trifold fully reveals a large 10-inch screen akin to a tablet. Watching dramas or movies on streaming services feels like your own private cinema. Even more impressive, you can run Samsung DeX directly in this mode—your pocket tablet instantly transforms into a personal workstation.
Work Hours – DeX Mode
With the Trifold unfolded and Samsung DeX activated, the screen turns into a desktop operating system. Multi-window capabilities, file explorers, and terminals create a full PC-level work environment. The line between your “phone in your pocket” and your “productivity powerhouse” completely blurs.
4-3. Synergy of AI and Folding Technology: A New Interface Paradigm
The most fascinating aspect of the Trifold is the synergy between AI and folding technology. Traditional smartphones have fixed screen sizes, limiting AI’s response to software alone. But the Trifold introduces a groundbreaking innovation—the device’s hardware itself changes.
Thanks to this, Gemini Live performs functions such as:
- Context-aware Interface: Recognizes the current device mode (bar, dual, or full tablet) and automatically optimizes the UI
- Workflow Tracking: Understands the user’s ongoing task and proactively suggests the necessary tools
- Intelligent Multitasking: When handling two or more tasks simultaneously, arranges each window in the optimal layout
- Voice-Gesture Integration: Combines voice commands with screen gestures for more intuitive control
4-4. A Content Creator’s Dream, Packed Into Your Pocket
The Trifold is a revolutionary device not only for everyday users but also for content creators. Photographers, video editors, and graphic designers often ask, “Can I maintain quality work even on the go?”
What happens when the Trifold, AI, and AI-powered upscaling tools like HitPaw VikPea come together?
You can upscale low-resolution videos shot on the move to high resolution in full tablet mode on the Trifold. In dual screen mode, display the original footage on one screen while having editing tools open on the other. Then quickly switch to bar type mode to upload content straight to social media.
Now, a “production studio in your pocket” is no longer just a dream.
4-5. Realizing Customized Experiences: Creating Your Own Workflow
The greatest value that Gemini Live and the Trifold bring is a personalized experience that breaks away from one-size-fits-all usage.
A student watches lecture videos in full tablet mode while taking notes on the opposite screen in dual screen mode. An office worker handles emails and documents simultaneously. A freelancer conducts video calls with clients while reviewing deliverables. An investor compares multiple charts and graphs at a glance.
The device transforms itself to fit your unique needs, while the AI intelligently supports that transformation. This is the essence of the Trifold’s promise: technology that changes your daily life.
💡 Experience Shift: Traditional smartphone users have “adapted themselves to their devices.” But with the Trifold, the device adapts to the user. This is why it’s not just a hardware evolution but a true paradigm shift.
The Future of Mobile Devices, Setting a New Standard
A premium price tag of 3.59 million KRW is by no means cheap. Yet, the value that the Galaxy Z Tri-fold offers far surpasses mere numbers. If this device delivers a full tablet experience that fits in your pocket, and allows desktop-level productivity anytime, anywhere, it certainly becomes a worthy investment for professional users.
Strategic Positioning for Professionals and Creators
The Galaxy Z Tri-fold transcends the typical smartphone; it is a premium device clearly targeted at specific user groups. Samsung’s strategy here is unlike its earlier foldable series.
While previous Galaxy Z Fold models promoted “innovation for everyone,” the Tri-fold boldly presents itself as “the tool that will transform your productivity.” This market segmentation suggests strong appeal mainly among:
Professionals driving workplace innovation: Stock analysts, architects, designers, IT developers—those whose jobs demand multitasking and large screens—can achieve immediate productivity onsite without a laptop through the Tri-fold’s dual-screen mode and DeX functionality.
Creators immersed in content: YouTubers, photographers, and video producers will find the 10-inch full tablet mode a portable studio. When combined with AI-powered tools like HitPaw VikPea for image upscaling, editing and video correction become possible anytime, anywhere.
Early adopters leading tech trends: For users eager to experience cutting-edge innovation first, the Tri-fold offers a tangible glimpse into the mobile devices of the next era.
The Galaxy Z Tri-fold Defines a New Mobile Standard
The launch of the Galaxy Z Tri-fold is more than just a new product release. It marks a fundamental rewriting of what “a mobile device” truly means.
For the past 15 years, smartphones have been “computers that fit in your pocket,” and tablets “large-screen devices used at home.” The space in between remained unfilled. The Tri-fold precisely occupies this gap.
The evolution of technological standards can be traced as follows:
- Early smartphones: phone calls + text messaging
- Touchscreen era: app ecosystem focus
- Camera enhancement: mobile photo/video consumption
- Foldable 1st generation (Fold): bigger screens
- Foldable 2nd generation (Flip): emphasis on compactness
- Foldable 3rd generation (Tri-fold): versatile forms adapting to the situation
This shift marks the move from valuing “size increase” to “form flexibility” in technology evolution.
Impact on the Market Ecosystem
The success of the Galaxy Z Tri-fold will not be measured simply by sales figures. More significant is the ripple effect it will trigger across the entire industry.
Acceleration of software optimization: Until now, the Android ecosystem sharply divided smartphones and tablets. The Tri-fold’s launch is expected to establish “optimization for intermediate-sized screens” as a new standard. Game developers and software companies will need to design responsive UIs to accommodate three or more modes.
Intensified competition in hardware tech: The Tri-fold’s success will inevitably spur competitors to develop similar technologies, likely driving foldable tech stability, price reduction, and battery innovation forward.
Fundamental changes in work styles: Mobile offices could shift from optional to mandatory. Particularly in hybrid work environments, having instant productivity available during commutes, meetings, or cafés will significantly enhance the quality and efficiency of remote work.
The True Meaning Behind the Price
Let’s reconsider the 3.59 million KRW price tag in perspective:
- High-end laptops: 1.5 to 2.5 million KRW
- Premium tablets + flagship phones: 3 to 4 million KRW
- Galaxy Z Tri-fold: 3.59 million KRW (a 2-in-1 device)
Viewed as a consolidated device combining a laptop, tablet, and high-performance phone, the price is actually reasonable. Moreover, the fact that all these capabilities can fit in your pocket could translate into real “total cost savings” for professional users.
The Future Shaped by the Tri-fold
If the Galaxy Z Tri-fold successfully establishes itself in the market, the mobile device landscape will dramatically shift within five years:
2025–2026: Strengthening the Tri-fold’s premium positioning; other brands begin launching similar models
2027–2028: Technological stabilization; price diversification expands from premium to upper-mid ranges
After 2029: Triple-fold devices become the new standard, and “traditional smartphones” may turn into relics of the past
At the heart of this transformation lies the “freedom of form” proposed by the Galaxy Z Tri-fold. Rather than users adapting to their devices, devices will transform to fit users’ situations—heralding a new era.
Ultimately, the Need for a New Standard
Looking back, mobile device history has seen paradigm shifts roughly every decade. The 2007 iPhone launch, the 2017 Galaxy Fold announcement, and now the 2025 release of the Galaxy Z Tri-fold fit within this trajectory.
3.59 million KRW is not just a product price. It declares a new value benchmark for foldable mobile devices. How this innovative tool for professionals and creators reshapes the market—and defines the future of mobile devices—now rests in the hands of users’ choices.
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