
Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority
Samsung has lastly introduced US availability particulars for the Galaxy Z TriFold. Samsung’s first tri-folding smartphone will formally hit retailer cabinets on January 30, and if you wish to purchase one for your self, it’ll set you again $2,900.
The TriFold is a captivating gadget, however spending that a lot on a single foldable is outrageous. In actual fact, for lower than the worth of the TriFold, you may purchase a complete ecosystem of Samsung gadgets. I priced out a couple of completely different choices, and every one reveals simply how overpriced the TriFold actually is.
Is $2,900 an excessive amount of cash for the Galaxy Z TriFold?
2 votes
1. The Extremely Samsung ecosystem
My first ecosystem construct begins with the Galaxy S25 Extremely. What it could not have a elaborate folding design, it has nearly all the things else you may ask for in a flagship Samsung telephone — together with the identical Snapdragon 8 Elite chip because the TriFold, the identical 200MP main digital camera, and a lot better secondary digital camera sensors. You additionally get an enormous 6.9-inch show that’s glorious for gaming or watching motion pictures, and it’s housed in a chassis that weighs virtually 100 grams lower than the TriFold.
An Extremely telephone deserves an Extremely smartwatch, so let’s pair the Galaxy S25 Extremely with the Galaxy Watch Extremely. You also needs to get a pair of high-end earbuds, so let’s add the Galaxy Buds 3 Professional to the combination. And for these instances if you want a very massive display to work or waste time on, you’ll be utilizing the Galaxy E-book 5 360 laptop computer — a fully-fledged Home windows PC with a 15.6-inch AMOLED touchscreen, 30+ hours of battery life, and an Intel Core Extremely 7 processor.
With present gross sales pricing on the time of publication, the pricing for all the things works out as follows:
The grand whole? $2,720.
To be clear, this provides you Samsung’s highest-end non-folding smartphone, a flagship smartwatch, top-of-the-line earbuds, and a killer Home windows laptop computer for $180 lower than the worth of the Galaxy Z TriFold.
2. 5 devices for the worth of 1

Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority
The principle advantage of the Galaxy Z TriFold is the pliability it presents — carrying a 10-inch pill for work and play in your pocket, in the identical normal type issue as a “regular” smartphone. However I’ve one other resolution.
The TriFold is before everything a smartphone, so let’s begin there. The Galaxy S25 doesn’t have as spectacular cameras or as lengthy battery life because the S25 Extremely, however it packs in any other case nice specs into a snug, compact handset. If its 6.2-inch display isn’t large enough for watching YouTube or enjoying CoD: Cellular, you’ll do this on the Galaxy Tab S10 Lite and its 10.9-inch show.
That’s nice for content material consumption, however what about being productive? When it’s good to reply to emails, work with spreadsheets, or anything, you’ll accomplish that on the Galaxy E-book 4 Edge — a Snapdragon X Plus-powered Home windows laptop computer with a 15.6-inch show and a full-size keyboard. While you actually need to soak in film or TV present, you’ll have the opportunity to take action in your 75-inch QLED TV. Oh, and also you’ll get a Galaxy Watch 8 smartwatch for good measure.
The worth for all of these devices? Right here’s the breakdown:
That brings us to $2,688. That’s $212 lower than the TriFold for 5 devices as an alternative of 1 — a smartphone, pill, laptop computer, TV, and smartwatch. These gadgets mixed provide infinitely extra performance than the TriFold will ever be able to, and to get all of them whereas additionally saving over $200 in comparison with shopping for the TriFold is nearly unbelievable.
3. A Samsung foldable (and extra) for lots much less
We’ve already made two strong ecosystem builds, however I can hear somebody typing within the feedback proper now: “I nonetheless desire a folding telephone!” Okay! Let’s get you a folding telephone.
As shiny and new because the Galaxy Z TriFold could also be, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 continues to be an distinctive foldable. In actual fact, for most individuals, it’s seemingly a much better buy than the TriFold. The Fold 7’s 8-inch interior show, whereas not as massive because the TirFold’s 10-inch panel, continues to be excellent. The Fold 7 is extra sturdy, has almost equivalent specs throughout the board, and is considerably extra comfy to carry and carry due to its dramatically thinner and lighter design.
The Fold 7 is a good Samsung gadget that pulls double-duty as your telephone and pill, however it could possibly’t replicate the performance of a smartwatch or earbuds. So let’s get some to go together with it! We’re going to choose the Galaxy Watch 8 Basic (my private favourite Samsung smartwatch) and the Galaxy Buds 3 Professional.
Whereas this doesn’t embody as many gadgets as our first two choices, it nonetheless will get you a high-end Samsung foldable, a flagship smartwatch, and earbuds. And for a last worth of $2,200, you’re saving $700 in comparison with shopping for the TriFold alone. Not too shabby.
4. The futuristic route
For those who’re contemplating shopping for the Galaxy Z TriFold, it’s in all probability since you’re a tech fanatic who likes to be on the precipice of the tech world. The TriFold is without doubt one of the most technologically superior foldables we’ve ever seen, however on the finish of the day, it’s nonetheless simply an Android telephone — and many people imagine the way forward for shopper tech lies past smartphones.
If you wish to expertise that future right now, I’d argue for skipping the TriFold and shopping for the Galaxy XR: Samsung’s newest augmented actuality headset, and one of many first gadgets powered by Android XR. The Galaxy XR isn’t for everybody, however if you need a glimpse of how Android seems to be and feels in augmented actuality, Samsung’s headset is at the moment the easiest way to expertise it.
You’ll nonetheless want a telephone to accompany your fancy AR headset, and for this construct, I picked the Galaxy Z Flip 7 to scratch that foldable itch. And for good measure, let’s throw in a pair of Galaxy Buds 3 FE, too.
The whole worth for a cutting-edge AR headset, foldable flip telephone, and wi-fi earbuds? $2,830 — $70 lower than the TriFold.
Samsung virtually actually by no means meant the Galaxy Z TriFold to be for everybody; this can be a telephone for tech geeks with a lot of expendable revenue. The TriFold will discover its viewers and, hopefully, assist Samsung construct a good higher TriFold 2 down the highway.
However even when the TriFold seems to be just like the gadget for you, take into consideration how else you may spend your cash. $2,900 is a heap of money, and as outlined above, it could possibly go a complete lot additional than a single new foldable.
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