I've tested my fair share of thin and foldable phones over the years, but something about Samsung's Galaxy Z TriFold struck me as particularly unique when I held it for the first time at CES 2026 in Las Vegas.
At last, it seems foldables are approaching their long-desired goal: a two-in-one device that fits neatly in your pocket.
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The Galaxy Z TriFold -- which technically folds twice but has three panels -- is like a true phone-tablet hybrid that stands apart from its bar-style counterparts. Its value lies less in flashy specs about its thinness and more in its utility and practicality.
Watch this: Hands-On With the Galaxy Z TriFold: A True Phone-Tablet Hybrid 03:35
Yes, the Galaxy Z TriFold feels impressively sleek when open: It's just 3.9mm at its thinnest point and 4.2mm at its thickest, not accounting for the camera bump. It also feels wonderfully normal in my hands, to the degree that I didn't really think about its weight of 309 grams as I used it.
Still, the foldable doesn't inspire the same ergonomic awe as Samsung's book-style Galaxy Z Fold 7 or the bar-style Galaxy S25 Edge, which primarily lean on an ultrathin, lightweight design.
The Z TriFold's 6.5-inch cover display is spacious enough to feel like using a non-folding phone. Celso Bulgatti/CNET
The Galaxy Z TriFold is all about getting things done on a portable scale. Need to shoot off a quick text or check an email? The 6.5-inch cover display is similar to using a nonfolding phone -- minus the slightly chunky 12.9mm thickness when the trifold is closed. And when it's time to watch a movie, multitask or type up a paper, the expansive 10-inch internal display offers plenty of real estate.
Read more: The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold was selected as a winner in the Best Mobile Tech category for the Official Best of CES 2026 Awards.
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