Galaxy Z TriFold 2 on Hold, New S Pen Coming?
Samsung is apparently rethinking its strategy for the more experimental side of its mobile lineup. A recent report from Bloomberg following a sit down with Won Joon Choi, the COO of Samsung’s Mobile Experience division, suggests that we should not hold our breath for sequels to the company’s most ambitious devices. Specifically, the Galaxy S25 Edge and the triple folding Galaxy Z TriFold are currently on thin ice.
While these devices only recently hit the market to show off what Samsung is capable of, the follow up models for 2026 are essentially on pause. Choi was very candid about the situation, noting that when it comes to the triple folding phone, the sheer complexity was a massive hurdle from the start. “When we started this TriFold, as the head of R&D, it was not the project I wanted to do,” Choi joked, citing the phone’s engineering complexity and need to create new custom components.
Though technically impressive, the TriFold’s exorbitant price has limited its market appeal to a niche luxury purchase. Add in its weight and thickness when closed, and the future of this sub-category is also up in the air. “Initially, it was more like creating a new category and putting all of our know-how into this,” Choi said. “Now we wonder, should we develop a new one? We have not made a decision yet.”
It seems that lower than expected sales for the S25 Edge and the sheer complexity of the TriFold have forced a more conservative approach for the time being. However, this does not mean Samsung is slowing down; instead, they appear to be doubling down on the book-style form factor. Rumors are swirling that Samsung is developing a new "wide" fold model specifically designed to compete with the long-rumored iPhone fold. By pivoting their resources toward perfecting and diversifying the core experience, Samsung likely hopes to be better positioned to compete 2 vs 1 against the looming threat Apple poses over their foldable dominance.
This shift leads directly into the work they are doing with the S Pen. For a long time, the stylus has been a bit of a double edged sword for the Z Fold line. To make the Z Fold 7 as thin as possible, Samsung actually had to remove the digitizer layer from the screen, which unfortunately meant dropping S Pen support entirely for that model. This has clearly been a point of friction for power users, and Choi confirmed that Samsung is actively working on a way to fix this without adding back the bulk.
He told Bloomberg that they are working on a "more advanced technology within the S Pen to come up with a new structure of display, so the penalty of having the S Pen is diminished." He reiterated that the S Pen will continue to be one of their core technologies. The "penalty" he mentioned is the physical space and weight that the traditional EMR digitizer adds to the display stack.
By moving toward a new structure, likely one that integrates stylus detection directly into the OLED panel itself, Samsung could theoretically bring back the pen without making the phone thicker. This is where things get really interesting for the future of the Z Fold 8. If the company can successfully move to a digitizer free screen, they could indeed bring back the S Pen without having to sacrifice on the incredible thinness of the Z Fold lineup.
The future of the "super-slim" phone is also looking a bit shaky after the Galaxy S25 Edge failed to gain significant traction. Samsung released the device last year at just 5.8 millimeters thin, aiming to beat Apple’s iPhone Air to the punch, but Choi admitted that sales have been "relatively lower than other lineups." A major factor in this lukewarm reception seems to be the trade-off in battery endurance compared to the company’s more robust models. While Samsung managed to pack in stereo speakers and dual rear cameras, surpassing the single-camera setup of the slightly thinner iPhone Air, the market response has been muted for both brands. Choi noted that "people have different taste and requirements," and while a successor is still being considered, the company hasn't made a definitive decision on if or when we will see a follow-up.
Ultimately, Samsung seems to be choosing substance over spectacle for its 2026 roadmap. While it is always fun to see the "next big thing" in the form of a triple-folding display or an ultra-thin experimental edge, most users are simply looking for a device that works better in their daily lives. By pausing these niche projects to focus on a more practical wide-fold design and solving the long-standing thickness trade-offs of the S Pen, Samsung is finally addressing the real-world friction points of the foldable experience. If these refinements pan out for the Z Fold 8, we could finally be looking at a device that offers all the power of the Note legacy without any of the traditional hardware compromises.