Last week, we saw our first glimpse at an actual Samsung Galaxy Z Tri-Fold. While the images that ended up online were revealing, there was still a lot we didn't actually see.
But now we've got a closer look thanks to TV station SBS Korea (via Omokgyo Electronics Mall), which was able to get inside the demo stand and check out the Z Tri-Fold from a much closer vantage point.
This gives us our first look at the phone's rear, showcasing the cover display and the triple-lens rear camera — which has a hefty bump, on par with that on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. In fact, the Z Fold 7's new thin design may be what Samsung is going for with the Z Tri-Fold, since the three panels are really quite slim. It may not look that way when the phone is folded up, but that's not really surprising. There's only so much bulk you can trim when there are three layers of phone in play.
This close-up also confirms the presence of the hole-punch camera in the larger folding display, situated in the middle of the far right panel. There's also a second hole-punch on the cover display, just like the Z Fold 7 offers. How much use that second selfie camera will get isn't clear, but it's always nice to have options.
Samsung needs to get on with the launch
But the thing about these photos that bugs me is that they are not a leak. Someone hasn't covertly taken pictures of the Tri-Fold and posted them online without Samsung's permission - this is a public display that anyone at APEC Summit could go and see. The fact that SBS Korea got even closer suggests that they were brought on in some official capacity.
That suggests Samsung is quite happy to show off its flashy new design, which begs the question, "why hasn't there been an official launch event of some kind?"
We have known that the Samsung Galaxy Z Tri-Fold has been on the way for some time. Rumors first surfaced about the triple-folding phone last October, and Samsung has been teasing the phone for months — although we've still not seen a lot so far. Now that photos of the final phone have appeared in the real world, I think a lot of us can agree that Samsung needs to get a move on and reveal the blasted phone already.
Seeing the design of this phone is great, and it answers a whole load of questions we had about the Tri-Fold, but it's only half the story. We still don't know what kind of hardware is powering this phone on the inside, nor have we seen how the software adapts to the larger three-panel display. Crucially, though, we don't know anything about pricing or availability.
Frankly, I am sick of seeing Samsung teasing new devices, only to go radio silent and sit around for months without any meaningful update. It did it for the Samsung Galaxy XR, only launching the headset late last month, and now the Z Tri-Fold is getting the same treatment.
We know the Z Tri-Fold will be expensive, but we still don't know how much it'll cost or if it will even be available outside of Asia. That's all quite important information, and Samsung needs to get around to telling us what the deal is. That doesn't necessarily mean there has to be a Galaxy Unpacked event, the Galaxy Z Fold SE didn't get that privilege, but we do need something. Because all this teasing and waiting is driving me crazy.
I expect it from companies like OnePlus and Nothing, but this is another time when Samsung has to take more cues from Apple — and keep a lid on things until an official unveiling is scheduled.
Bottom line
The Galaxy Z Tri-Fold is a big deal for Samsung. It's the first triple-folding phone that the company has produced, and could be the first one that's easily accessible outside of China. The problem is that Samsung is trying to have its cake and eat it too — drumming up hype and teasing the phone without actually letting anyone buy and use it.
I don't know whether this is the result of strange marketing shenanigans or if there's a different ulterior motive for not doing an official Z Tri-Fold launch event. It's hard to speculate at this point, because Samsung doesn't normally resort to these kinds of tactics.
Clearly, some form of the phone is ready to go, and even if it's not actually going on sale right away, it's about time Samsung ripped off the proverbial band-aid and got it all over and done with.
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