Tech Guide has taken a hands on first look Samsung’s stunning new Trifold smartphone at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The device has only been released in Korea, the UAE and Singapore and is due to hit shelves in the US in the next few weeks.
No indication from Samsung as to whether it will be released in Australia.
But we had the chance to get the device in our hand at Samsung’s First Look booth at CES in Las Vegas.
The device has the same 6.25-inch front display as Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7.
But with the Samsung Trifold, to open the phone you need to pull the front display to the left and then open the next hinge in the same direction.
Then you’re holding a stunning 10-inch tablet-size display which is a great place to run up to three different and arrange them how you like.
It is also an excellent way to enjoy your content with videos taking up the entire screen thanks to its wider aspect ratio.
With previous Samsung Fold smartphones – including the Fold 7 – when watching a movie on the larger onside display the widescreen shape of the screen wasn’t too much bigger than what you would see on a regular smartphone.
That’s not an issue with Trifold because it has a rectangular shape when unfolded whereas the Fold 7 has a square shaped larger screen.
Now what about the size and bulk of the phone?
We thought the Trifold would be much thicker.
When folded the Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold is 12.9mm thick which may sound chunky to some but when it’s in your hand it is hardly bulky at all.
There are three panels on the device and each has a different thicknesses – 4.2mm, 4mm and 3.9mm.
When you unfold the phone it opens easily and is completely flat when completely opened.
But what is remarkable is that you’re holding a tablet that you can fold down to put in your pocket.
Now the big question is: will we see it in Australia?
Australia is usually a top tier country when it comes to smartphone releases and there is a chance it will arrive towards the middle of the year.
With the huge rumours swirling around Apple releasing a foldable iPhone this year, the category will be a lot more popular.
Samsung has been working on foldable devices for the better part of 10 years.
Releasing the Trifold in more markets will add attract even more attention.
For the record, we would take on the Samsung Trifold smartphone as our daily driver in a heartbeat.
* Stephen Fenech travelled to Las Vegas for CES with support from Samsung, Hisense, LG, ASUS, Ecovacs, Roborock, Reolink and Lego.
