Samsung's First Tri-Fold Smartphone Likely to Arrive in 2026: Report

Samsung's first tri-folding smartphone: Samsung for long has been rumoured to be working on a tri-fold smartphone. Now, a new report suggests just when the company will launch its first tri-folding smartphone. According to Display Supply Chain Consultants' (DSCC) Ross Young, the company will launch its first tri-fold phone in 'early 2026'. The phone was earlier tipped to launch sometime in 2025.

If the report is true, Samsung's first tri-fold smartphone could arrive shortly after the launch of the company's Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Galaxy Z Flip 7 smartphones, both of which are tipped to launch in the second half of 2025 and get bigger displays. The company is also expected to launch a more affordable version of its clamshell-style folding smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 FE.

While details about the tri-fold Galaxy smartphone are scarce at the moment, older reports suggest that the phone could come with a 9-10-inch display when unfolded completely and that it is expected to feature a rectangular design. This new smartphone would rival the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate, world's first tri-folding smartphone, which is not available to interested buyers outside China. This could make Samsung's much anticipated tri-folding smartphone the first one that is available globally. Notably, the Korean electronics giant was recently granted a patent by the US Patent and Trademark office for a smartphone with three displays. This means we could hear more about the device in the days to come.

Interestingly, 2026 is also the year when Apple is tipped to launch its first foldable display iPhone. However, unlike Samsung's tri-fold smartphone that is likely to arrive in the first half of the year, Apple's first folding iPhone is expected to arrive in the second half of 2026 and feature support for Apple Intelligence features. The device is also expected to boost the foldable smartphone market that has witnessed a slowdown in the recent time. That said, these reports should be taken with a pinch of salt as the company is yet to confirm these developments.