Samsung just teased a tri-fold folding phone at Galaxy Unpacked 2025

(Image credit: Future)

Samsung is already the king of folding phones – and at the first Samsung Galaxy Unpacked of 2025, the tech giant teased its potential next frontier.

During the launch, which saw the reveal of the Samsung Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy S25 Plus, Samsung showed off a brief roadmap of its future products – complete with a tri-folding foldable phone.

There were no timings or dates included, and no suggestion that such a device will be with us this year, but I'd suggest such a phone is coming sooner than later, as the Galaxy Z Fold 6 seems to have reached a plateau for folding phones at Samsung.

A new frontier for foldables

Even the best foldable phones aren't perfect (yet), with chunky frames and visible creases. But that said, they are great productivity devices, so having another display would increase the screen real estate on offer and allow them to more easily double up as Android tablets.

Samsung’s display arm has already shown off a couple of prototype tri-fold concept phones at CES 2025, so such a device was definitely being considered by the South Korean company. But seeing an example pictured on a roadmap is a very strong indicator that a tri-folding phone will become a legitimate consumer product.

TechRadar's Managing Editor and TV/display specialist Matthew Bolton was at CES and witnessed the tri-fold concepts first-hand. "I saw two versions of a tri-fold screen prototype device. One that folds in a Z-shape, just like what Samsung hinted at in its announcement today, and one where left and right screens folded on top of the center screen.

"I wasn't allowed to fold these phones (no one was, it's not a reflection on my brutishness), but it showcased the potential designs of these phones, and just how much extra space this layout can give you.

"It really feels like these reach the promise of 'a tablet that turns into a phone', in the sense that when folded out, they're around the 10-inch size of a full tablet, instead of the mini-tablet size of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. However, don't expect much change in the key flaw of folding screens: you're going to be looking at two creases instead of one."

We've already gone hands on with other tri-folds, most notably the Huawei Mate XT that impressed Phones Editor Axel Metz. So there's no doubt in my mind that the next step for foldable phones will be tri-folds, at least from the Android camp of the smartphone arena. And it appears that Samsung might well be one of the next in line to take that step.

Check out our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S25 review
And read our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review
Best Samsung phone: top Galaxy handsets ranked

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Roland Moore-Colyer is Managing Editor at TechRadar with a focus on phones and tablets, but a general interest in all things tech, especially those with a good story behind them. He can also be found writing about games, computers, and cars when the occasion arrives, and supports with the day-to-day running of TechRadar. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face and a nose for food markets.