Despite being the self-proclaimed leader of foldable phones, Samsung hasn’t exactly been at the forefront of innovation in the space. Yes, Samsung perfected the Fold and Flip designs, and the newest generation of foldable phones is easily the best on the market. However, Samsung let Chinese vendors take the initiative with various key features for foldable devices rather than truly being at the forefront.
The first Flip phones with generous cover screens emerged from China. The same goes for the ultra-thin Fold alternatives. Samsung had to play catch-up, and it’s still not quite there, especially on the latter.
With that in mind, it’s not surprising to hear that Samsung will make a tri-fold foldable phone only in 2025, well after two Chinese companies unveiled such devices. If Tecno’s was just a concept, the Huawei Mate XT (above) launched a few months ago is a commercial product.
Samsung will reportedly manufacture an unnamed tri-fold of its own, bringing its spin to the product.
The news comes from the Korean outlet SisaJournal, which claims Samsung will use a different design for the tri-fold phone than Huawei.
The Mate XT has an “S” or “Z” folding mechanism. That means one-third of the display folds outward, becoming the cover screen, while the other two parts fold inward.
Samsung wants to adopt a “G” folding mechanism, where the two lateral thirds of the foldable phone fold inwards. That means neither of the three segments of the foldable panel will be exposed when the device is folded. As a result, the risk of accidental damage should be diminished.
Samsung going or a “G” foldable phone design means the phone will need a separate cover screen, similar to the Galaxy Z Fold.
It so happens that Samsung Display has already designed a screen for this type of smartphone. The Flex G screens appeared at previous trade shows, including CES 2022.
SisaJournal says Samsung’s design decision is related to durability. Apparently, some Mate XT buyers encountered issues with the foldable screen’s durability. The same report notes that screen damage risks impacted the Mate XT despite initial interest. Then again, the Mate XT costs about as much as three iPhone 16 units. That’s around $3,000. Scalpers were reselling it for $10,000.
Millions of people registered to buy one without necessarily being ready to commit to the purchase. Not that Huawei would be able to meet such demand. The Mate XT can’t be more than a limited production device for now. Huawei might have sold between 100,000 and 200,000 units.
On that note, Samsung also plans to make a limited number of tri-fold foldable phone units. The report says Samsung will make under 300,000 units. Given the limited production run, I wouldn’t expect the phone to launch globally, especially considering what Samsung did with the slim Galaxy Z Fold SE a few months ago.
The Samsung tri-fold will measure 12.4-inch when fully unfolded or 10.5-inch when only the left side is unfolded. It’s unclear how the latter contraption would work or look like, but we’re bound to learn more details in the coming months.
The report also notes the tri-fold will not feature an under-display selfie camera similar to the Galaxy Z Fold phones.
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