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Amidst the giant TVs, hypnotic slot machines, and puffs of smoke and wine at CES, I walked into a private showroom this weekend to get hands-on with the elusive Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold.
Although the foldable wasn’t officially launched in the US, there was little left to the imagination in terms of its specs, design, and capabilities. customer in south korea got their units weeks ago,
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But one thing surprised me. For a moment, as I fiddled with the trifold’s various crevices, buttons and hinges, I felt a sense of nostalgia. Specifically, in 2019, when the first Galaxy Fold was released. With its bulky design and awkwardly shaped cover screen, it was far from being a gorgeous or sophisticated handset.
But for enthusiasts, using a phone that can transform into something bigger feels like the Holy Grail of devices, as my colleague Matt Miller once beautifully said. Using the Trifold was a similar, though much more confidence-inspiring, experience.
The gurgling sounds and mysterious sounds of internal components disappeared. Instead, I was met with a handset that felt sturdy, thoughtfully designed and yet still familiar to use.
Most importantly, what previously opened into a square is now opening into a wider rectangle, making it clear to me that this is indeed the end game for foldables. The wide 4:3 aspect ratio and 10-inch AMOLED screen make browsing, watching movies and videos, and general interactions in split-screen mode feel more intentional.
As someone who uses the Z Fold 7 on a daily basis, the larger foldable display for content consumption is the biggest selling point for me. With the Trifold, the same use cases that have prevented me from switching back to a traditional slab phone have essentially intensified – mostly for the better.
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That’s because there were Some? The shortcomings I experienced during my first demo of the TriFold ranged from the realization that it’s a two-handed device only, meaning you’ll have twice as many display creases and back covers to deal with, and twice as many fingerprint smudges to wipe off the screen, to the lack of a true stylus input system.
But to the public, Trifold’s pitch should be straightforward. It’s not about specifications or visual imperfections; It represents the first true phone-tablet hybrid that is capable of being both devices without much compromise.
While it’s easy to get swept up in the “shiny new object” syndrome amid the high-energy atmosphere of CES, the Trifold seems to be much more than just a fleeting honeymoon phase. This marks a fundamental shift in the way we think about mobile productivity.
And if the feeling in the room that day was any indication, we’ve finally moved beyond the “why” of foldables and straight into how we do things in the future.
