Samsung's tri-fold phone is rumored to have one key difference from the Huawei Mate XT

The Huawei Mate XT (Image credit: Huawei)

Samsung is rumored to be working on a tri-fold
It could take on an 'infolding' form factor
A screen size of 9-10 inches has been predicted

The Huawei Mate XT foldable has attracted a lot of attention for its triple-folding mechanism, and its very high price – and a new leak suggests Samsung's own rival tri-fold is going to take a different approach to the form factor.

As per ET News (via @Jukanlosreve), Samsung's effort is going to be launching in 2025, with the design finalized by the end of this month. That design is expected to be an 'infolding' one, with both 'side' screens folding inwards.

The three screens on the Huawei Mate XT fold back on each other, so the far left screen acts as the main display when the device is folded shut. In the Samsung model, there would need to be an additional screen on the back somewhere.

That's the case with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, and other foldables like the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, where one panel has displays on both the front and back. A similar trick would be needed on the new tri-fold, when it appears.

Keep on folding

Samsung is planning to launch a foldable device that folds twice. The design and launch model are expected to be finalized later this month. Also, unlike Huawei, Samsung’s triple-fold device will fold inward twice.https://t.co/7hMnKmHVnWNovember 14, 2024

Part of Samsung's thinking is that having an infolding device protects the main screen from scratches and other damage, according to the report. If Samsung does take this route though, one of the hinges will need to be bigger than the other.

We do have a few more details from the ET News report, based on industry sources. The new Samsung foldable is said to be coming with a screen size of around 9-10 inches when unfolded (the main screen on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is 7.6 inches).

The article also adds that Samsung is hoping to boost demand for foldables and protect itself against its competitors with the new device, which is no surprise – the Huawei Mate XT is only available in China, but has grabbed a lot of headlines and interest.

We will still see the standard Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 next year however, and rumors of a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip FE are refusing to go away. With Apple circling too, 2025 is likely to be the biggest year for foldables yet.

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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.