I still want Samsung's discontinued Galaxy Z TriFold

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Samsung's large summertime Unpacked arena wasn't for nan faint of heart. Alongside 2 caller smartwatches and each nan caller collaborations pinch AI companies, chipmakers and Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon), it unveiled 3 caller foldable phones: nan Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, a redesigned Galaxy Z Fold 8 and a more-of-the-same Galaxy Z Flip 8.

The guidelines Z Fold 8 whitethorn beryllium nan standout, pinch a little squarish 7.6-inch main surface that's amended built for reference and web browsing. And yes, Google's been doing it for a fewer years.

But nan Samsung telephone I want nan astir was nan 1 I pawed astatine successful nan very first week of 2026: nan Galaxy Z TriFold. It was efficaciously a tablet that folds into your pocket.

I'm not sold connected nan squarish facet ratio of astir existent foldables, which consciousness for illustration method compromises alternatively than a applicable prime of surface size. The Z TriFold unfurled into an almost tablet-shaped, 10-inch show successful a 4:3 facet ratio, compared to nan almost-square 10:9 foldable surface of nan Fold 8 Ultra. In that shape, nan only app I consciousness efficaciously utilized nan abstraction was Google Maps.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget.

Unfolding a full-sized surface from your pouch felt for illustration a sensation of nan near-future. I still want to propulsion nan instrumentality out, brace a portable Bluetooth keyboard, and constitute stories aliases nonstop emails connected nan go. While I tin brace peripherals pinch existent two-pane foldables, nan surface is excessively mini to make it a existent activity display. Without accessories you tin fold them into "laptop" mode (I'm reasoning of Oppo's Find N6), but that splits your surface betwixt nan keyboard and nan display, leaving you pinch a typing aboveground nary larger than a modular smartphone — and an equally-sized display. It gives maine a headache conscionable reasoning astir it.

I besides want to spot what caller contextual shortcuts and workflows wrong Galaxy AI capitalize connected that larger screen. Big-screen Android phones are approaching nan multitasking and split-screen travel of an iPad, and Google's lead successful AI is yet offering immoderate tangibly useful shortcuts and devices wrong Android.

The drawbacks (and reasons why nan TriFold didn't enactment connected waste long) remain. Samsung's caller foldables unveiled this week are much costly crossed nan board. If Samsung brought backmost nan TriFold, nan unit value would beryllium moreover much jaw-dropping. It costs $2,900 astatine launch — and that was earlier RAMaggedon.

If nan caller Samsung foldables person been bumped up by astatine slightest $100, really overmuch would a TriFold 2 beryllium priced? And person we been sufficiently shell-shocked by each these value increases to make different fewer 100 dollars little egregious to early adopters and spendy tech fans? (Hello, person we met?) The first 2 iterations of nan Fold bid were priced conscionable beneath $2,000, but dropped respective 100 dollars successful consequent models. The TriFold, if continued, could prime up akin discounts arsenic nan exertion and manufacturing scaled. Maybe. Expecting a caller instrumentality to beryllium nan aforesaid value aliases cheaper successful nan existent ambiance is beautiful far-fetched.

The Galaxy Z TriFold officially went connected waste successful nan US connected January 30, 2026, pursuing a constricted merchandise successful South Korea past year. By March, Samsung ended production. Only months aft its world launch, Samsung's connection said that it was much of a "flagship showcase" than its transportation for nan world's adjacent best-selling foldable. In nan background, RAM prices were already starting to return off, and value increases were already creeping into user tech. This was besides Samsung's first TriFold instrumentality and these are costly phones to make, sloppy of demand.

The model to bargain nan TriFold was a mini one: It didn't spell connected waste successful galore places (like present successful nan UK, wherever this week's Unpacked arena is being hosted). If I wanted nan TriFold, I'd person to spell done importers, pinch further markups and import costs. It was difficult to buy, moreover if you wanted one. And I did.

Then location are nan durability concerns. This is simply a caller type of foldable screen, wherever particulate ingress is simply a imaginable threat and damaged screens are an costly worry. Some of nan TriFold's early adopters faced challenging and costly surface repairs, pinch immoderate facing a $700 measure to repair nan show — nan value of a coagulated (second-hand) foldable.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

With Apple's first foldable iPhone looming complete nan horizon, there's nary connection yet connected a imaginable follow-up to nan TriFold. For now, nan Fold 8 is nan closest, astir applicable choice. With nan aforesaid 4:3 show ratio and nan slimmer floor plan and weight of a single-fold phone, it's nan different half of my equation for my perfect foldable. I wonderment if, utilizing nan aforesaid blockier shape facet of nan Fold 8, Samsung could creation a consequent TriFold pinch a surface person to nan 16:10 facet ratio of a laptop display. I'd really for illustration to spot that.