Samsung Electronics has unveiled its highly anticipated Galaxy Z TriFold, with the device initially set to be available to a limited number of users in the UAE.
The device, which folds twice and has a 10-inch (25.4cm) main display, will be handed out to 500 users in the country in an invitation-only programme, Fadi Abu Shamat, head of Samsung Gulf's mobile experience division, told The National on Tuesday.
The users will be selected from a pool of influencers, entrepreneurs, pioneers and high-net-worth individuals, based on those who have "shown love for new technology", he said.
The launch, which coincides with the UAE's 54th Eid Al Etihad celebrations, marks the first time the device is to be shown to the public. The Emirates is also among five locations where the TriFold will be launched initially – the others are China, Singapore, Taiwan and Samsung's home of South Korea.
The device will be introduced in the UAE on December 19, with a much wider release later in 2026. Samsung did not reveal the price for the TriFold, but it will reportedly be $2,500, lower than initially expected.
Samsung did not confirm if more units would be brought out in the UAE after the initial launch.
The Galaxy Z TriFold’s multi-folding form uses an inward-folding design to protect the main display. The folding mechanism has been "engineered for easy opening and closing, with an auto-alarm alerting the user of incorrect folding through a series of on-screen alerts and vibrations", Samsung said in a statement.
It measures 3.9mm at its thinnest point with a 200MP camera and a 5,600mAh three-cell battery system, the "biggest battery" Samsung has put in a foldable phone.
"The trifold category is not just a lab test or not a one-off," Mr Abu Shamat said. "This is a category that is here to stay and, depending on analysing consumer feedback and initial behaviour, we're planning already to continue this push forward."
Foldable smartphones remain a niche category but continue to grow, with Samsung at the forefront. The Seoul-based company is credited with bringing such devices into the mainstream with the launch of its original Galaxy Z Fold in 2019, followed by the first Galaxy Z Flip a year later.
Global shipments of foldables increased 14 per cent annually in the third quarter of this year, marking the strongest third quarter on record and the highest quarterly shipment volume the category has achieved, the latest data from Counterpoint Research showed.
Samsung showed "renewed momentum" with the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Flip7. The Fold7 was "generating an exceptionally strong consumer response", the Hong Kong-based company said.
"Samsung would have never ventured into the foldable category if we weren't that sure and solid," Mr Abu Shamat said.
The TriFold will feature Google Gemini and Samsung's own Galaxy AI platform, as the adoption of generative artificial intelligence grows. Compared head-to-head with the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Flip7, the TriFold will have the same AI capabilities, with the main difference being their sizes, Mr Abu Shamat said.
The TriFold will "unlock features and possibilities that you were not able to do on a smaller form factor", he added. "Now, all of a sudden, we're referring to the [8-inch] Fold7 as a smaller form factor."
