Samsung Might Be Working on the TriFold 2

After reports began circulating that the Galaxy TriFold was being discontinued, Samsung confirmed exactly that. Once stock is sold through, that'll be the end of the ambitious device's run. However, according to tech tipster yeux1122, this might not be the end of the TriFold as a category. According to a recent post, Samsung is already moving on to the Galaxy Z TriFold 2, and this version is supposed to fix the big issues with the first one, specifically how thick and heavy it was. They have apparently been working on a new hinge that is much lighter, so the next version could be nearly as slim as the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

This is a pretty big turn from what we were hearing just a bit ago. Samsung COO Won Joon Choi was recently very open about how the TriFold was a massive headache to engineer. He even mentioned that the idea of doing a TriFold 2 was up in the air because of the cost and complexity. While the engineering was hard, the real killer here is the current state of the market. Samsung has reportedly entered emergency management mode because the cost of parts is just getting out of control. RAM and storage prices have skyrocketed lately, and when you combine that with rising logistics costs, it makes a super expensive experimental phone being manufactured in tiny quantities like the TriFold almost impossible to justify. The situation is pretty dire, with reports suggesting that the mobile division's profit margins could drop as low as 1% or 2% soon. When a company is cutting back on executive travel and asking for 30% cost reductions across the board, a niche triple folding phone is going to be the first thing to go.

By pivoting now, Samsung can put all that R&D into a second generation that actually stands a chance in the real world. The same report mentions a few other projects in the works, like a Wide Fold model set for release this year with a much broader release than the TriFold and a new slidable phone that expands to 7-inches when opened. The slidable is interesting because Samsung might use a manual sliding mechanism instead of a motor just to keep the profile thin. Yeux1122 says that this device will likely use the "Slidable Flex" series panel that Samsung Display has been showing off at trade shows like CES.

Interestingly, yeux1122 also writes that the TriFold 2 hinge has already completed most of its verification process. You could look at this as something that conflicts with what Choi had said, given his public statement that Samsung had no decided to make a TriFold 2 yet. Then again, working on thinner and lighter hinges, whether they go into a TriFold 2 or something else probably makes sense. Although, one wonders how much thinner a device can get before the USB C has to go, which I think most of us would hate to see.

We also know they are looking for ways to bring back the S Pen without the extra bulk of a digitizer layer. Since they had to drop the stylus on the Fold 7 to make it thin, they are working on a new display structure that integrates the tech directly into the panel. If they can get that working, it would be a perfect addition to a thinner TriFold 2.

Yeux1122 is a well known name in the leaking world, but we should definitely take this with a grain of salt. According to his post, we are looking at a mid 2027 release window at the earliest, so a lot can change between now and then. Plans get scrapped all the time in the tech world, especially for experimental hardware that costs a fortune to make. It is exciting to see that Samsung might still be swinging for the fences, but for now, we just have to wait and see if these thinner designs actually make it to production.