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New report puts Samsung's first 'multi-fold' phone on track for a (limited) July release

By Adrian Diaconescu

Published: Feb 24, 2025, 8:45 AM

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If you're not that excited about the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 after so many recent reports suggesting Samsung's next "conventional" foldables might look a lot like their predecessors, maybe the more unconventional device expected to come out at the same time will elicit a more enthusiastic reaction from you.

I'm obviously talking about the company's first so-called "tri-fold" handset, which many insiders are perhaps more accurately describing as a "double-folding" phone and ETNews is today referring to as a "multi-fold" product in a new report (translated here) that claims to reveal quite a few interesting availability details.

Samsung's July Unpacked event could be more crowded than ever

It may feel weird to discuss an Unpacked shindig just a month after the previous such ceremony, but let's be honest, we all know this is going to take place in the summer and introduce the world to the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6's potentially repetitive sequels.

What's not etched in stone (yet) is when Samsung's first "multi-fold" smartphone will be formally unveiled and commercially released. But the rumor mill rumblings are more and more clearly (and reliably) calling for a July launch alongside the aforementioned Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7.

Yes, we might be just a few short months away from Samsung's Galaxy G Fold unpacking. | Image Credit -- Samsung

Expected by some to be named Galaxy G Fold, this Huawei Mate XT rival... of sorts is apparently targeting a mass production start at the exact same time as the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Fold 7, which would all but guarantee a simultaneous release by the end of July. Of course, one of these devices is not like the others, and following an undoubtedly trickier development process, its manufacturing could prove a lot more challenging as well.

As such, it shouldn't be surprising to hear that Samsung is purportedly planning to produce and release only "around" 200,000 of these "Galaxy G Fold" units to begin with. Is that a disappointing number? Maybe a little. But it's certainly not a shockingly low one considering the inherently experimental nature of this device and a price point... I'd rather not try to guess for the time being.

Much like the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition, the tech giant's rookie tri-fold effort is likely to see daylight only in "some countries", and although these are not currently named, I have a sneaking suspicion they're located on the Asian continent.

One huge screen, one pretty big external display, and... what else?

In terms of what we know about how the so-called Galaxy G Fold will look and operate, today's report reiterates a few previously rumored tidbits and little else of substance.

Specifically, it feels almost certain already that this first-of-a-kind phone will come with a gargantuan 9.96-inch primary display and a pretty large 6.49-inch secondary panel too. That would kind of make the product more a tablet than a smartphone, at least in its completely unfolded form.

Showcased a few years ago, this Flex G prototype is expected to commercially materialize as the Galaxy G Fold. | Image Credit -- Samsung

That nearly 10-inch screen, mind you, will be capable of folding inwards twice, thus staying protected from scratches and outside damage when not in use. That's a different functional approach from what Huawei has done with the Mate XT, which folds inward once and outward once.

While the Galaxy G Fold's form factor is essentially guaranteed to help with durability, the downside is that the gadget needs a separate screen on the outside, which will apparently be borrowed from the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition and shared with the Galaxy Z Fold 7. That will in turn add to Samsung's production costs, so you can definitely expect the company's first tri-fold/double-folding/multi-fold device to carry a higher retail price than the already pretty extravagant Huawei Mate XT.

Unfortunately, no other specs or features are known (or credibly rumored) at the moment, although to help with thinness and lightness, the experimental product is expected to do without the Z Fold 6's digitizer (just like the Z Fold 7) and thus lack S Pen support.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.