On Dec. 2, South Korean tech giant Samsung announced the launch of the Galaxy Z TriFold — the company’s first trifold smartphone. Notably, the initial market for the device will be domestic, aimed at testing consumer response before a global rollout, according to The Korea Times.
The device features a 6.5-inch cover screen when folded and a 10-inch main screen when fully expanded, while retaining a slim profile, measuring 3.9 millimeters at its thinnest point when unfolded and 12.9 millimeters when folded.
It is powered by Qualcomm’s three-nanometer Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform for Galaxy application processor and is equipped with an inward-folding design optimized to protect the display, notifying users with vibrations and alarms upon detecting any irregularities.
According to Samsung’s global statement, the device will be available with two internal storage options — 512 gigabytes and one terabyte with 16 gigabytes of RAM. However, South Korean media report that it will initially come only with 512 gigabytes of storage and cost 3.59 million won (approximately $2,443) in the domestic market, where sales are scheduled to begin on Dec. 12. Later, exports are expected to China, Taiwan, Singapore and the UAE, ahead of the U.S. and other global markets.
An estimated 3,000 units are set for the domestic market in the first shipment, with around 20,000 units globally, much lower than previous Galaxy releases. The approach is seen as Samsung testing the new form factor in South Korea prior to scaling production.
