Samsung isn\u2019t the first company to release a tri-folding phone \u2014 Huawei debuted one in China in 2024, for example \u2014 but it is the first device of this kind to come to the U.S.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Samsung hasn\u2019t announced an official release date for the U.S. market but said it will be sometime in the first quarter of 2026.<\/a> It is already being sold in South Korea, where Samsung is based.\u00a0<\/p>\n Since their introduction nearly a decade ago, folding phones have come a long way. They are thinner than ever, can contort into various form factors, and are nearing the durability of your standard one-screen smartphone.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Yet they are still a niche product, representing just 1.5% of the smartphone market in 2024, according to the research firm <\/a>TrendForce.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n There are a few reasons why they have been more widely adopted, according to Ravinder Dahiya<\/a>, a Northeastern University professor of electrical and computer engineering and a flexible electronics researcher.\u00a0<\/p>\n Buying one could run you thousands of dollars, despite advancements, long-term durability remains questionable, and their practical use cases remain low, he said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey are more about convenience than usefulness because they carry the same function as an iPad,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Advancements in organic light-emitting diode, or OLED, display technologies have been key for foldable phone makers as they\u2019ve iterated on these devices over the past 10 years, Dahiya explained.<\/p>\n In that time, phone makers have also obtained a better understanding of what works and what doesn\u2019t work in terms of material selection and manufacturing processes, highlighted Ruobing Bai,<\/a> a Northeastern professor of mechanical and industrial engineering.\u00a0<\/p>\n They\u2019ve improved the adhesives they use to keep phones intact during bends as well as the device\u2019s overall design architecture for increased durability, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very excited about the progress they\u2019ve made,\u201d he said, noting that key durability issues still remain but will likely continue to improve in the years to come.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, foldable phones are still more challenging to build than your standard slab phone, which is in part why foldable phones often cost more. They will also likely never be as durable as a traditional phone given all their moving parts, Dahiya said.\u00a0<\/p>\n From manufacturing displays and testing durability to making sure the devices are scratch- and water-resistant, the costs and complexities add up. There\u2019s also just more technology inside a folding phone, including multiple high-resolution displays.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cEvery step comes with extra costs,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Samsung hasn\u2019t announced how much the Galaxy Z Trifold will cost in the U.S., but in South Korea it costs KRW3,5900,400, which is roughly $2,428.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Professor](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Ravinder-Dahiya.jpg\")
Professor of engineering Ravinder Dahiya. Photo by Matthew Modoono\/Northeastern University<\/p>\n![\"Professor](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/032625_AS_Ruobing_Bai_015.jpg\")
03\/26\/25 \u2013 Boston, MA \u2013 Ruobing Bai, a mechanical and industrial engineering professor, poses for a portrait outside of the Mugar Life Sciences Building on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. Photo by Alyssa Stone\/Northeastern Universityr
\nNortheastern engineering professors Ravinder Dahiya and Ruobing Bai share their perspective on folding phones. Photos by Matthew Modoono\/Northeastern University and Alyssa Stone\/Northeastern University<\/p>\n