Samsung tri-fold’s pricing and availability will spoil your mood

It’s raining tri-fold leaks today. We exclusively brought you the first look at Samsung’s first tri-fold foldable, rumored to be called the Samsung Galaxy G Fold. While the animations reveal much about the device, we still don’t know much about the specifications. A new report is filling in some of the blanks, though there may not be good news for the tri-fold’s availability.

South Korean publication The Bell (h/t Jukan Choi on X) has shared specifications and Samsung’s production and distribution plans for the tri-fold foldable. The report states that the company will begin production of the phone in September, with a product launch slated for Q4 2025. At next week’s Samsung Unpacked event, we may get only a few details around the phone’s key specifications and design instead of a full reveal.

Samsung is said to be producing the new foldable on a small scale to gauge market response, and the Unpacked sneak peek is intended to drum up interest. Samsung Display will begin producing OLED panels for the tri-fold phone in August, aligning with Samsung Mobile’s production plan.

There’s bad news on the availability front. The report suggests that Samsung intends to sell the phone only in China and South Korea, similar to what it did for the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition. Further, the phone’s price is expected to exceed 4 million KRW (~$2,930), which isn’t surprising given the complexity of the form factor and its expensive components, but it’s still eye-watering.

Speaking of components, the inner OLED display is said to measure 10-inches diagonally. Samsung is also said to be using Qualcomm’s current flagship SoC, the Snapdragon 8 Elite, on the tri-fold. However, we expect a new flagship SoC to succeed the Snapdragon 8 Elite by the time the tri-fold foldable goes on sale, so Samsung’s cutting-edge phone may not be as cutting-edge at launch.

The report mentions that the camera setup could be similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 7. This is good news, as the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is expected to feature a primary camera upgrade, going from a 50MP sensor on the Fold 6 to a 200MP sensor. The other cameras on the Fold 7 are expected to comprise a 12MP ultrawide camera, a 10MP 3x telephoto camera, and a 10MP selfie camera. Leaks aren’t clear about the selfie camera on the Fold 7’s inner display, so we don’t know the same about the Galaxy G Fold either.

Samsung’s tri-fold will also reportedly feature a smaller battery than the competing HUAWEI Mate XT (5,600mAh). A smaller battery will limit how long you can enjoy the expansive inner display, so it remains to be seen how Samsung balances the device’s thinness with its utility. Meanwhile, HUAWEI is also said to be working on an upgrade to the Mate XT with better durability and performance, so Samsung’s tri-fold will have its task cut out for itself.