Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Trifold keeps selling out — but is it worth buying?

Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold design and size

The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold isn’t like regular folding phones: the screen folds in two places, not one (nor three, as the name suggests). When folded, it’s a regular-shaped smartphone (if rather chunky), but when you unfold it fully, it’s the same size and shape as a tablet with a rough 4:3 ratio. As a point of comparison, the 10-inch unfolded display is larger than the original iPad and only a little smaller than the regular iPad now (which is 11 inches).

The TriFold is very slim. The individual panels have different thicknesses — the thinnest is 3.9mm, the thickest 4.2mm, though you don’t notice that in use. It feels strong, but not as sturdy as a conventional tablet, not least because regular tablets are thicker. (Apple’s thinnest, the 13-inch iPad Pro, is 5.1mm thick, for instance.)

The specifications give you an idea of its size and design, but somehow don’t prepare you for seeing the Z TriFold in the flesh. First, the dimensions when it’s folded take a little getting used to, because it’s a much thicker device than a regular bar-shaped phone, or even a conventional folding phone. And then there’s the camera panel, which protrudes further — something you’d notice if the phone is in your jeans pocket.

Once you open the phone fully, you suddenly see what it’s all about. It may have been in your pocket a moment ago, but now there’s a full-sized tablet in front of you. The display is impressive, and when there’s content on the screen, the creases between the two folds are barely visible. (They are noticeable when the device is in standby.) Watching videos or movies is a much more appealing option with the Z TriFold. Where a regular folding phone with its squarish aspect ratio means that half the screen is black borders, here, there’s much more movie.

Something that also takes a moment to get familiar with is the nature of the fold. Although it has a Z in its name, it doesn’t fold in a Z shape, but rather a U-shaped motion with the two sides folding on top of the central panel.

You can only close the phone one way — if you try to go the wrong way, a vibrating alarm sounds and reminds you to “open phone and fold from other side” with a picture of what you’re doing wrong. I didn’t have long with the TriFold, but I’m sure this becomes second nature in time.

Overall, the design of the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold is intriguing. The three external panels consist of the front screen, the rear panel for cameras, and the third panel, which is completely blank. No matter how many times I opened and closed the TriFold, this empty panel took me by surprise. Still, that’s also because you see it so rarely: the phone is usually either completely open or fully closed.

Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold cameras

Samsung has put three cameras on the outside of the Z TriFold, whereas many folding phones still have only two. Additionally, there’s a single camera on the cover display and a fifth one peeping out of the display you look at when it’s unfolded. Having plenty of cameras is a good thing, especially since this is an expensive phone. But when the phone is lying flat, the cameras stick out. And when typing a message with the phone on the table, for example, it rattled back and forth.