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in spite of Samsung Galaxy Z Tri-Fold It seems like Great success Already in South Korea and Sold out quickly After going For sale in the United States for $2,900I was Skeptical From the design of the foldable phone. But those thoughts changed dramatically after I got my hands on them.
On paper, it looked like the Korean company was trading functionality for durability, producing yet another two-in-one foldable device instead of a tri-folding all-in-one like the iPhone. Huawei Mate XT. However, I spent 20 minutes using and folding the Z TriFold at a Samsung store in Dubai, and even that brief interaction was enough to clear my doubts.
The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold is essentially a widescreen tablet that folds into a… phone To fit inside your pocket. It may seem like a simple concept, but Samsung has made several smart design decisions here that make the Z TriFold better than the competition.
The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold’s left hinge is similar to the one on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, but the right hinge is wider to accommodate the width of two stacked panels.
Samsung designed the foldable device with two separate hinges of different sizes so its 10-inch screen can fold twice. The right hinge is similar to that on Galaxy Z Fold 7but the left hinge is wider and accommodates the thickness created by stacking two of the three sections on top of each other when closed. The wider right hinge felt like a spring and opened as soon as I started opening it. This responsiveness gives the Z TriFold a distinct ergonomic advantage when unfolding the device.
The rightmost portion of the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold (left) protrudes slightly beyond the other panels when fully folded. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 folds evenly in comparison.
The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold is divided into three panels (hence the name). The panel on the far right is actually a little wider than the rest of the panel, creating an edge that sticks out a bit when folded. This edge makes unlocking the phone considerably easier as it’s easier for my finger to find and unlock it. I had difficulty opening the Huawei Mate XT and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 with flat sides, as well as… Honor Magic V5 With its curved sides. In contrast, the TriFold’s prominent edge gives me a solid lip that makes it easy to open.
You need to fold the left side of the Galaxy Z TriFold first, then the right side. If you try to fold the latter first, its software will send an alert with haptic feedback and display a warning on the screen.
At first, I didn’t accept Samsung’s ad Blog post Seriously when I read that “the folding mechanism has been meticulously designed for easy opening and closing, with an automatic alarm to alert the user in the event of incorrect folding.” But in practice, the automatic alarm is cleverly implemented and is essential to this design. It makes it difficult for a person to fold the TriFold incorrectly.
Samsung has done a commendable job in reducing the crease depth of the Galaxy Z TriFold.
Three panels and two hinges mean there’s not one screen crease, but two. Some people can’t get past the wrinkles on their phone’s screen, especially since they can become more noticeable the more you fold them. I didn’t feel any creasing when sliding my finger across the Z TriFold’s screen. Relatively speaking, I can clearly feel both folds on the screen of the Huawei trifold. Samsung surprised me earlier this year with its overhaul of the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s hinge design, which subsequently reduced the depth of the crease on its foldable screen. It looks like Samsung has taken these lessons and applied them to the Galaxy Z TriFold.
Like the Fold 7, the crease appears to be virtually non-existent on the Galaxy Z TriFold unless you’re looking at it from an extreme angle. This probably won’t bother most people, even when using the phone unfolded in widescreen tablet mode. Upper room lighting may reflect off the Z TriFold’s screen and wrinkle in a way that may bother some people.
Samsung vs. Huawei: two distinct triangular designs
Both hinges of the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold fold in the same direction, giving it a “U” shape, while the two hinges of the Huawei Mate XT fold in opposite directions, forming a “Z” shape. Ironic, isn’t it?
Samsung and Huawei have taken two different approaches with their TriFold phones. I find Huawei’s Z-shaped design to be more flexible than Samsung’s U-shaped counterpart in terms of pure functionality. Huawei has chosen a single screen that transforms into three different forms: a smartphone, a small tablet (one side open), and a widescreen tablet (both sides open).
In comparison, Samsung skips the design of small tablets altogether. The Galaxy Z TriFold can be completely folded or fully unfolded. If you open the Galaxy TriFold just once, it won’t let you use it for anything. This limits its usefulness.
The Huawei Mate XT (left) can be used with one side folded, but the Galaxy Z TriFold (right) requires you to open it completely to make it practical.
After using the Huawei Mate XT full-time, I wish Samsung’s Z TriFold was a similar all-in-one device. I like to use the Huawei trifold as a small book-shaped tablet (with only one side open) for reading and browsing on the go. But I wouldn’t be able to do that with the Z Trifold. Samsung’s choice limits versatility, but it could be a big win for durability.
The Huawei Mate XT is 0.1mm thinner than the Galaxy Z TriFold, which is 12.9mm thick. Both phones feel like first-gen book-style foldables.
Huawei’s soft, foldable display is exposed at all times, while Samsung’s design protects the inner screen when folded and closed. It’s a calculated trade-off: long-term durability at the expense of not having a mini-tablet mode (open on one side). I’m not in favor of that. However, I want any device I pay $3,000 for to last as long as possible, so I welcome its durability.
The Huawei Mate XT’s foldable display is always exposed to the outside world (left), but Samsung protects its soft display by folding it inward.
Then there are the software differences between the two trio of phones. The Mate XT’s operating system runs smoothly enough, but its UI feels dated. I have to jump through hoops to install Google Play Store on my Huawei trifold. So it was refreshing to use the new Samsung TriFold in comparison, which works Android 16-Based on Single user interface 8. The software is clearly optimized for the Z TriFold’s massive canvas. It lets you run three windows side by side and add multiple pop-ups for the ultimate multitasking look. It also allows you to create separate workspaces (similar to desktop computers on MacOS and Windows) with just two clicks.
The Samsung Galaxy TriFold can run three apps side by side along with multiple pop-ups.
Magnets would have been helpful
The Galaxy Z TriFold doesn’t have a built-in kickstand (like the Nintendo Switch) or support for Qi2.2 magnetic accessories (like Apple’s MagSafe). The lack of either makes it difficult to operate as a widescreen tablet. Samsung should have included support for MagSafe-like magnetic accessories so I could add a magnetic mount (think Pixel Snap Ring) and support it easily. Then I can pair the Z TriFold with a mouse and keyboard to use as a two-in-one laptop.
If you want to use the 10-inch Z TriFold display as a tablet and be productive, you need a kickstand. Without built-in magnets, you’ll be forced to find a case with a kickstand, which will make an already thick phone unwieldy. A quick magnetic mount would have been the perfect solution.
After spending a short time with Samsung’s latest foldable phone, I have to say that the Galaxy Z TriFold is a promising device – and one that might surprise a lot of people. I wish it was thinner when folded and closed, but Samsung’s smart design choices have me excited about the future of foldable phones.