The Galaxy Z TriFold is dead, and it’s all Samsung’s fault

Just three months after its debut, the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold is already dead. Following a report on March 16, Samsung confirmed the next day that TriFold sales are officially winding down and that the phone is being discontinued.

Samsung was clear from the beginning that the TriFold was never meant to be a mainstream release like the Galaxy S26 or its other foldables. However, its almost immediate demise does raise questions about why it failed so quickly.

While Samsung isn’t getting into those details, I think there are a few reasons why the TriFold was doomed from the start.

The $2,899 price problem

The first, and most obvious reason, is the price. In the US, the Galaxy Z TriFold costs $2,899. It’s one of the most expensive Android phones we’ve ever seen from a mainstream brand, and the high price of admission almost certainly kept it out of reach for everyone except the most die-hard enthusiasts with lots of extra cash.

$2,899 is a big number on its own, but it looks even more outrageous when considering other Samsung gadgets you could buy for that same amount of money. For example, you could buy a Galaxy S25 Ultra, a Galaxy Watch Ultra, a new pair of Galaxy Buds, and a Galaxy Book 5 360 laptop, while still spending almost $200 less than buying a TriFold.

There are a lot of device combos you can recreate like this to highlight the absurdity of the TriFold’s price, but it really isn’t any more complicated than the fact that it was simply too expensive for a long-term audience. Combined with global economic uncertainties and the ongoing RAM crisis, a luxury foldable that costs nearly $3,000 was never going to make sense — at least not right now.

Very, very limited availability

In addition to pricing, the Galaxy Z TriFold also had an availability issue. Samsung launched the TriFold in only six markets, and in those markets, buying the phone was much harder than for any other Samsung phone.

In the US, for example, the TriFold didn’t make its way to Amazon, Best Buy, or — critically — carriers. If you wanted to buy the TriFold, you could only do so from Samsung’s website. That’s fine for people who are locked into Samsung’s world, but it also meant the TriFold never had a chance of being a serious consideration for the vast majority of US consumers.

That limited availability was intentional on Samsung’s part, but it’s also a core reason why the TriFold was never going to succeed long-term.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is too good

Last but certainly not least, there’s the other foldable elephant in the room: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

The Fold 7 launched a few months before the TriFold hit the scene, and for anyone comparing the two phones, it was hard to make a serious case for the TriFold. Was the TriFold’s larger inner display cool? Absolutely. But it also came with compromises.

Most obviously, two hinges are more prone to damage than one. The TriFold has the same IP48 rating as the Fold 7, but its tri-folding form factor makes it mechanically more complex and requires more careful handling. Similarly, where the Fold 7’s ultra-slim form factor means it’s not much thicker or heavier than a traditional slab phone when folded shut, the TriFold is a brick. Weighing almost 100 grams more than the Fold 7 and measuring a hefty 12.9mm folded, it’s not particularly comfortable or ergonomic.

When you factor that together with the TriFold sharing key specs like its chipset and camera system with the Fold 7, spending almost $1,000 more for the TriFold instead of buying the Fold 7 just didn’t add up.

Will we ever see a TriFold 2?

That leads us to the $2,899 question. Will we ever see a Galaxy Z TriFold 2? Right now, we really don’t know.

If Samsung were to ever create a TriFold 2, all of the above things would need to be addressed. Samsung would have to find a way to make the price more accessible. It would need to make a second TriFold available in more markets and through additional retail/carrier channels. And Samsung would need to figure out how to make the TriFold 2 appealing alongside its other Z Fold models — whether through improved specs, better durability, or a drastically thinner, more refined design.

If Samsung really put its head to it, I think the company could figure these things out. However, I wouldn’t hold my breath for it happening any time soon.

We haven’t seen any concrete leaks or rumors about a TriFold 2. Samsung itself hasn’t said anything about future plans for a new model. And just earlier this week, a report cited that Samsung is looking to reduce costs by as much as 30% due to an “emergency management” mode it is now operating under.

That doesn’t mean Samsung won’t ever make another TriFold, but the likelihood of it happening in the next year or two seems extremely unlikely. And if it takes Samsung a while to crack the TriFold recipe, I’m fine with that. The TriFold is a good idea with a flawed execution, and I’d love to see what a new, mainstream model could bring to the table.

Until then, RIP Galaxy Z TriFold.