After the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Edition, Samsung is also reportedly working on a tri-fold smartphone. In short, Samsung is the first company to introduce foldables in the market and others followed. However, here, it looks like it will follow in the footsteps of Chinese company Huawei. Interestingly, this is not the first time that Samsung has been linked to the development of a tri-fold smartphone. In March 2023, rumors claimed that the company would delay the launch of the Galaxy S23 FE (which was eventually released in October 2023) and instead focus on unveiling a smartphone with a triple folding display. Actually, Samsung had showcased its tri-fold smartphone concept during the Samsung Developers Conference (SDC) in October 2023. Although the tri-fold model was not realized at the time, it seems that Samsung is still actively working on this innovation, which will eventually debut in 2025.

Samsung Tri-Fold Smartphone

A report from ZDNet Korea citing industry insiders suggests that Samsung Electronics is considering releasing two new foldable devices in 2025: an entry-level clamshell-style foldable phone and a tri-fold model, Which is capable of folding the screen twice. The tri-fold model would represent a significant innovation, allowing the display to fold in multiple directions.

The report mentions that Samsung Display’s partners have already finalized the development and commercialization of components for the tri-fold model. However, according to the report, the final decision to launch the device depends on the head of Samsung Electronics’ MX division. This decision could potentially be in line with Samsung’s broader strategic plans in the foldable phone market.

Meanwhile, orders for OLED displays used in foldable devices have declined 10 percent year-on-year. The decrease is attributed to lower-than-expected demand for the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 6, which were released in early 2023. As a result, Samsung has reportedly reduced its “rolling plan” (R/P) for OLED. Panel to accommodate declining demand. This shows that while Samsung is constantly innovating in the foldable phone space, market response to existing models has been somewhat lackluster, affecting their production strategies.

If launched, the tri-fold model could mark a huge leap in foldable phone technology, potentially reshaping the market and setting new trends for future smartphones.

Huawei Mate XT is currently the only tri-fold smartphone. The smartphone has three folds which when fully opened look like a tablet. It has a 6.4-inch front display, but when completely unfolded, the display size increases to 10.2 inches. Interestingly, the Huawei Mate XT is only 3.6 mm thick when unfolded and 12.8 mm thick when folded. The Mate XT has been released in China and prices are high as expected. The starting price of the triple-fold device in China is 19,999 Yuan (about Rs 2,35,000).

Other smartphone makers like Xiaomi, Honor and Oppo are also working with tri-fold displays on their smartphones, which can be expanded to create much larger screens.