Ive used every Samsung foldable phone since 2019 – the tri-fold is the leap Ive been waiting for
Kerry Wan/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways Samsung’s TriFold feels like the future of foldables. The wider 10-inch screen makes multitasking feel natural. Two-handed use and no stylus are still trade-offs. In between the humongous TVs, hypnotic slot machines, and whiffs of smoke and alcohol at CES,…
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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Samsung’s TriFold feels like the future of foldables.
- The wider 10-inch screen makes multitasking feel natural.
- Two-handed use and no stylus are still trade-offs.
In between the humongous TVs, hypnotic slot machines, and whiffs of smoke and alcohol at CES, I slipped into a private showroom this weekend to go hands-on with the elusive Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold.
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While the foldable hadn’t officially launched in the US, there was little left to the imagination in terms of its specs, design, and capabilities. Customers in South Korea got their units weeks ago.
But one thing did catch me by surprise. For a split moment, as I fidgeted with the various crevices, buttons, and hinges of the TriFold, I felt a sense of nostalgia. Specifically, in 2019, when the very first Galaxy Fold was released. It was far from being a lavish or refined handset, with its bulky design and oddly sized cover screen.
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But to enthusiasts, using a phone that could unfold into something bigger felt like the Holy Grail of devices, as my colleague Matt Miller once elegantly put it. Using the TriFold was a similar, though much more confidence-inducing, experience.
Gone were the creaks and mysterious sounds of internal components. Instead, I was met with a handset that felt sturdy, thoughtfully put together, and yet still familiar to use.
The endgame
Most importantly, seeing what once unfolded into a square now transform into a wider rectangle made it very clear to me that this is truly the endgame for foldables. The wider 4:3 aspect ratio and 10-inch AMOLED screen make browsing in split-screen mode, watching movies and videos, and general interactions feel more intentional.
As someone who uses a Z Fold 7 on a daily basis, the larger foldable display for content consumption is the biggest selling point for me. With the TriFold, the same use cases that have prevented me from switching back to a conventional slab phone are essentially intensified — mostly for the better.
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That’s because there were some drawbacks experienced during my first demo of the TriFold, from the realization that it’s a two-handed-only device, meaning you’ll find yourself with twice the display creases to deal with and twice as many fingerprint smudges to wipe off the back cover and screen, to the lack of a true stylus input system.
What happens next
But for the masses, the pitch for the TriFold should be straightforward. It’s not about the specs or visual imperfections; it represents the first true phone-tablet hybrid capable of replacing both devices without much compromise.
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While it is easy to get swept up in the “shiny new object” syndrome amidst the high-energy atmosphere of CES, the TriFold feels like more than just a fleeting honeymoon phase. It marks a fundamental shift in how we think about mobile productivity.
And if the sentiment in the room that day was any indication, we’ve finally moved past the “why” of foldables and straight into the future of how we work.
