At CES 2026, I finally got to work with the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold. I’ve been keeping tabs on the phone for months, and so far it’s received a limited release in Korea, but mobile watchers are hoping it makes its US debut in the coming months. Fingers crossed.
Of course, seeing something on YouTube or reading a spec sheet is not the same as holding a device in your hands.
Or, for me, almost throw it away (as you can see about 25 seconds into this TikTok video).
One of our Android journalists has already delved into the phone, and it has some quirks. However, as Mashable’s tech editor, I have to tell you that I can’t stop thinking about this phone.
Up close, the TriFold is absolutely beautiful. It’s the closest we’ve ever gotten to those Westworld-stylish folding tablets, and it feels like it was taken out of the screen of a sci-fi drama on Apple TV.
Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable
Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable
Most of the issues we found were software and UI quirks that could easily be fixed in an over-the-air update. And you can do things on its tablet-sized display that you can’t do on a regular foldable phone. For complex tasks like image editing, gaming, or word processing, you’ll suddenly have more screen real estate.
During the demo, my partner and I did a little stress test, opening as many apps on the TriFold as possible, and it didn’t break a sweat. The phone uses Samsung DeX, which brings a desktop-style display to your Galaxy tablet or smartphone. You can have four different DeX running at the same time, and multitasking will definitely be the focus of the UI.
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Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable
Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold hands-on: I’m happy, but it has some subtleties
If you’re watching a YouTube video on the internal 10-inch AMOLED display and click on the comments, they open in the right-third side panel of the page, which is a nice little trick.
Even simple things like searching files or using the touch screen keyboard are easy on the 10-inch display.
Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable
Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable
I have seen reviewers complain that the phone is thick, yes it is on the thick side when folded. However, when it is revealed, it is remarkably thin. We raved about how thin the Galaxy Z Fold 7 was at 4.2mm, but Samsung says the TriFold measures just 3.9mm at its thinnest point.
On the left:
Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable
Right:
Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable
This phone will be the last evolution in 2026
In my experience, foldable phones are still a big conversation starter. Whenever I pull out my Motorola Razr Ultra, I get comments and questions. Personally, I really like these thin folders, but the TriFold can convert me.
For early adopters and mobile geeks, this first-of-its-kind phone will be game-changing — if you can afford it.
Korean publication Bell recently reported that Samsung is selling the TriFold at a loss, making it more of a proof of concept than a mass-market smartphone. That would explain why it’s getting a limited release, and probably means it’s going to be hard to find, even if it’s officially available here in the States.
In addition to being a flex, it’s also a dunk for Apple.
While the world waits for Apple’s first foldable, which is likely to come in the fall of 2026, Samsung has already shown off a tri-folding phone. And if the leaked renders of the iPhone Fold prove to be accurate, the design of the iPhone Fold is closer to the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold than the Z Fold 7, which is widely considered to be the best handset, both in terms of design and performance.
The bottom line is this: After dancing with robots and trying on over a dozen pairs of smart glasses, the Galaxy Z TriFold is the CES product I’m still thinking about next week. And this phone wasn’t even a CES debut – it was.
If you’re a newbie with about $2,500 to spare, I’d strongly consider jumping on the hype train for this triple-fold phone, despite its issues. Just try not to stop.
