Exclusive: One UI 8 gives us our first look at Samsung’s upcoming tri-fold phone

Samsung is going to launch its next generation of Galaxy foldables at Samsung Unpacked next week. While we’re hoping to see the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the Galaxy Z Flip 7, and the Galaxy Z Flip FE, Samsung has also been rumored to use the event opportunity to unveil its tri-fold foldable phone, potentially called the Galaxy G Fold. You won’t have to wait until next week to get your first look at the device, as we bring that to you courtesy of One UI 8.

Thanks to animations within the latest One UI 8 build, we now have a fair idea of what the Galaxy G Fold could look like, ahead of its impending launch.

The animation relates to the NFC positioning on the device, but we’re more interested in how it looks.

As you can see, Samsung’s tri-fold flagship will likely comprise three rear panels. The left-most rear panel will likely house the triple rear camera setup, in a camera island reminiscent of what we see in current Galaxy Z Fold flagships. The middle panel will likely house the cover display, and you can make out the front-facing camera (for when the device is in its folded state). The right-most panel doesn’t appear to have bezels, indicating that it could be just a panel, not a display.

Here’s a dark variant of the same animation, giving us a better look at the display setup:

One way in which the Samsung Galaxy G Fold will likely differ from HUAWEI’s Mate XT is that both the hinges on Samsung’s foldable will fold inwards, like a G-shaped fold similar to Samsung Display’s Flex G prototypes. In contrast, HUAWEI’s foldable has one inward folding and one outward folding hinge, which is referred to as an S-shaped fold.

Here’s a look at how the Galaxy G Fold will likely fold and unfold:

You can see in the animation that there are two inward folding hinges on the Galaxy G Fold. It also corroborates the point that the right-most panel (left-most when flipped towards the folding display) is just a blank rear panel, not a usable display.

Looking closely, you will also see that the two hinges are different sizes. This is likely to sandwich the display better, as equally sized hinges will not give a flat-fold without stressing/breaking the display. The blank rear panel is meant to be in the middle of this sandwich.

In fact, Samsung also has a warning animation advising users not to fold the panel with the rear cameras first, likely because the other hinge is smaller. If you attempt to fold it this way, the blank rear panel will not fold flat on top of the rear camera panel without breaking.

The unfolding animation also gives us a look at the side frame, which is recessed in the middle, likely to accommodate the volume rocker and the side button.

Samsung doesn’t seem to be calling the device as “Galaxy G Fold” in these animation files, though. Instead, the device is referred to as “Multifold 7.” There’s a chance that it could merely be a working codename and not the final marketing name.

Side note, it would be wrong to call this foldable a “triple-screen foldable” since there are just two displays. Calling it a “tri-fold” is also technically incorrect, as there are two folding hinges, not three. However, the industry widely refers to such foldables as tri-fold, so the incorrect terminology has stuck for now. “Multi-fold” would be a better term, so let’s hope Samsung puts its weight behind this word in some way.

Outside of one teaser at the last Samsung Unpacked, Samsung hasn’t confirmed any plans for its tri-fold foldable yet, so these animation files still need to be treated with a touch of skepticism. There’s a chance that these are merely working files, and Samsung’s tri-fold foldable could end up looking like something else entirely. There’s also a chance it doesn’t get launched at the upcoming Unpacked too, so keep an open mind. Either way, we’ll keep you updated when we learn more.