Samsung’s new Galaxy Z TriFold isn’t trying to be a bigger phone. It’s trying to be something far more ambitious – a phone that replaces your tablet and your laptop.
At $2,899, this is one of the most expensive mainstream smartphones sold in the U.S. So the real question isn’t what it is. It’s whether it replaces enough devices to justify the price.
Samsung has announced the Galaxy Z TriFold for the U.S. It’s the company’s first phone with two hinges that unfold into a 10-inch tablet. The phone will be available starting January 30 at Samsung Experience Stores and Samsung.com, starting at $2,899 for 512GB of storage in the color Crafted Black.
That’s a $900 premium over the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which starts at $1,999. The question is whether that extra money gets you enough additional screen and capabilities to justify the price.
A laptop in your pocket (sort of)
The real appeal of the TriFold isn’t just the extra screen size. It’s what that screen size enables: running Samsung DeX directly on the device.
DeX is Samsung’s desktop mode that gives you a Windows-like interface with resizable windows, a taskbar, and more desktop-style layouts for apps like Microsoft Office, Gmail, and even Photoshop. These apps aren’t just enlarged phone screens – they’re designed to make better use of a larger display and offer a more desktop-like experience. On the Galaxy Z Fold 7, you typically need to connect to an external monitor to use DeX effectively. On the TriFold, the 10-inch screen is large enough to run DeX on the device itself.
I haven’t used DeX for day-to-day work, but I’ve seen enough demos of DeX-optimized apps to understand what Samsung is aiming for here.
I’ve tested several foldables over the past few years, and I can confirm they can be genuinely useful for working on the go. I currently carry an 8-inch foldable, and the reality is that it still isn’t large enough to show webpages in desktop mode or comfortably run two apps side by side – which is supposed to be the whole point of a foldable. Many websites simply work better than their mobile apps on larger displays, and a wider screen is far more useful for real work than a taller one.
I’ve been obsessed with pocket PCs since childhood, with the Sony Vaio P as the iconic pocket PC. With the TriFold, Samsung may have finally knocked it off its pedestal. It seems like the perfect device, the one that finally gets it right.
Why a third panel actually matters
Traditional book-style foldables make a phone bigger. The TriFold makes it wider. That difference is critical. Width is what makes desktop websites usable and multitasking practical. This is the first foldable that looks large enough to deliver on the original promise of foldables: real productivity on the go without carrying a laptop.
What you get for the premium
The TriFold uses two hinges to unfold into a big tablet. You get a 6.5-inch cover screen for everyday tasks and a sprawling 10-inch display when fully opened, measuring just 3.9mm at its thinnest point. Samsung says the titanium hinge and reinforced display have been tested for 200,000 folds.
Under the hood, you get the same Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor and 16GB of RAM as the Z Fold 7, which is flagship-tier hardware. The 5,600mAh battery is larger than the Fold 7’s 4,400mAh cell, which it needs to power all that screen real estate. Samsung is also pushing Galaxy AI features hard here, including Photo Assist and Generative Edit photo editing tools, Sketch to Image, and Gemini Live for real-time assistance.
Camera specs are identical, too: a 200MP main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide angle, and a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom.
Read More: Galaxy Z Fold7 Review: Samsung Finally Gets the Fold Right
Galaxy Z TriFold vs Galaxy Z Fold 7
The TriFold isn’t replacing the Fold – it’s trying to replace your laptop. Here’s how they differ in practice:
| Feature | Galaxy Z TriFold | Galaxy Z Fold 7 | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,899 | $1,999 | $900 early-adopter premium |
| Screen when open | 10 inches | 7.6 inches | Desktop sites and multitasking |
| DeX usability | Native on device | Often needs a monitor to shine | Laptop-replacement argument |
| Hardware maturity | Gen 1, two hinges | Gen 7 design | Risk factor |
| Portability | Larger, heavier | Easier daily carry | Practical trade-off |
Should you buy one?
I have to be honest: probably not yet.
More moving parts, like two hinges, always mean more potential for hardware problems. I’d worry about the screen losing its tautness over time or developing multiple creases. Even though Samsung has refined its book-style foldables over seven generations, this is still a Gen-1 design – and I would not spend $2,899 on the first iteration.
Who this is for
- People who already use DeX
- People who travel and want to leave their laptop behind
- Early adopters who love pocket-PC style devices
Who should wait
- Anyone price sensitive
- Anyone who just wants a bigger phone
- Anyone cautious about first-generation hardware
If you can truly use this as a laptop replacement, the math might work out. But I would recommend waiting a couple of iterations. The value proposition will get much better as Samsung refines the design, and competing devices will likely show up that do a thing or two better. Right now, Samsung’s TriFold is your only option in the U.S.
If you like the idea but not the price
If the TriFold concept appeals to you but the price or first-gen risk doesn’t, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 ($1,599.99, usually $1,999.99) paired with a small Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, like our staff favorites the Logitech Keys to Go 2 ($79.99) and Logitech MX Anywhere 3S Compact Wireless Mouse ($89.99), and you can get you much of the productivity benefits of the TriFold for $900 less.
Suzanne Kantra contributed to this article
[Image credit: Samsung]
