When I was part of a band, performing live before hundreds of audience members significantly changed how I connected with music. It became a job. Rather than soaking in the concert atmosphere, I found myself concentrating on the technicalities of playing and staging a performance, which diminished some of the thrill.
Currently, I evaluate smartphones. I have reviewed every flagship device released in the U.S. in the last five years, and it’s fair to say this has impacted my enthusiasm for phones, making it more challenging to feel excitement.
The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold, which I experienced at CES 2026, genuinely thrills me.
Book-style foldables have proven impressive so far. There’s a reason I don’t enter a trade show venue with anything but a foldable device. It’s fantastic to have access to more information simultaneously while roaming through Las Vegas or the Las Vegas Convention Center during CES. However, prior foldables seemed like oversized tablets, never quite offering a full tablet experience. The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold certainly provides that.
This smartphone conveniently fits in your pocket and unfolds into a complete 10-inch display with an approximately 4:3 aspect ratio, spacious enough to resemble a computer screen, which is extraordinary. You can sit down with the phone, utilize a foldable keyboard like my preferred Protoarc XK01 TP Foldable Bluetooth keyboard, and accomplish tasks. Another significant advantage of the Galaxy Z TriFold, beyond the extra screen area, is that DeX operates on the device, giving you a complete windowed interface. It’s akin to carrying a miniature laptop in your pocket.
How thick is the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold?
Now, let’s tackle the major concern: the phone is excessively thick, right? Well, that depends on your viewpoint. The Z TriFold measures 12.9mm in thickness when fully closed. That’s substantial compared to the 8.9mm Z Fold 7, yet still thinner than the 13.4mm Z Fold 5, which is merely two generations old. Users managed that adequately, and many continue to use the Z Fold 5 today. So, in reality, the Z TriFold isn’t overly thick.
Similar to the Z Fold 7, the cover screen of the Z TriFold spans 6.5 inches. It’s very user-friendly when closed, being wide enough for easy typing, a usability improvement not present in any Samsung Galaxy Z Fold prior to 2025. The Z TriFold also incorporates the same camera configuration as the Z Fold 7, featuring a 200-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide, and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens. You can check our full review of the Z Fold 7 for an understanding of the camera performance.
The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold is powered by the same Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset found in the Z Fold 7. Qualcomm recently unveiled a newer generation of mobile processor in September — the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 — but only a few U.S. smartphones utilize it at present. The Z TriFold is available with 16GB of RAM along with 512 GB or 1TB of storage. We still don’t have clarity on U.S. pricing, but it’s reasonable to assume it will exceed $2,000 and likely hover around $2,500 or above. Innovation demands a cost.
The Galaxy Z TriFold shifts from phone to workstation
Regarding the use of the Galaxy Z TriFold, there is one challenge that seems unavoidable for Samsung, even though some other brands have tackled it.
Other foldable phones akin to the Z TriFold offer versatility. For instance, the Huawei Mate XT lets you use it while closed, with one screen open, or with all screens active, and the operating system dynamically adapts based on how you use the device. Conversely, Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold provides merely two settings — open and closed — and that’s it. Depending on how you intend to use it, the U-shaped closure of the device might not be ideal.
I’m personally okay with this design choice. I often utilize my foldables in their closed state, prioritizing the protection of the Z TriFold’s delicate inner screen.
To me, the Galaxy Z TriFold represents a phone that transforms into a workstation. I’m fine with that.
Others might desire the square screen that some current foldables offer, but that’s not feasible here. If you attempt to open just one screen, nothing occurs until both are opened. Then, if you mistakenly close the incorrect screen first, the device vibrates and alerts you that you are closing it improperly. This acts as a useful safety feature, yet it also underlines that the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold serves a different audience compared to single-fold devices.
When it comes to handling the phone, like most foldables, it requires a brief adjustment period to learn how to hold and use it effectively.