First Galaxy Z TriFold hands-on video shows major strengths and weaknesses

Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold has just appeared in its first full hands-on video courtesy of YouTuber Mrwhosetheboss (Arun Maini). The video gives us the clearest real-world look yet at Samsung’s most ambitious folding phone to date.

Right off the bat, the video opens with a welcome surprise. When Maini unboxes the Galaxy Z TriFold, we find that Samsung has actually included a 45W fast charger in the box, something the company hasn’t done for any Galaxy flagship in years.

From the front, the Galaxy Z TriFold looks almost identical to the Galaxy Z Fold 7. It features a 6.5-inch cover display and similar bezels, so it still looks like a conventional tall device when closed. However, once you rotate it to the side, the differences become immediately apparent. The phone is noticeably much thicker than any existing Samsung foldable and weighs 309g, making it almost 50% heavier than the Z Fold 7. Maini says that while the Galaxy Z TriFold is technically pocketable, there’s no mistaking that it’s a chunky device that cannot convincingly pass as a typical smartphone.

Samsung uses several clever design tricks to help manage the complex structure of the phone. The rear section is slightly longer to create a natural grip point to peel open the layers of the phone. Meanwhile, the magnets lift the middle panel of the phone automatically, so the two-stage unfolding motion becomes more intuitive. When fully opened, the device locks into a completely flat 10-inch tablet-like display. That 3.9mm thinness certainly looks pretty impressive here.

That said, since the inner display folds with the help of two hinges, there are now two deep, very visible creases on the main screen. And because of its weight, the narrow footprint, and the camera bump, the TriFold doesn’t sit stably on a flat surface. Maini says that using it comfortably on a table essentially requires the bundled case.

Another drawback is that the phone’s exterior is made of a fiberglass composite with a very shiny finish. Maini says it’s slightly sticky and extremely prone to smudges. All six outer faces quickly become fingerprint magnets, while the soft inner screen protector is easy to mark and can only be replaced by sending the phone back to Samsung.

Where the TriFold shines is in productivity. The large main display allows apps to show significantly more content and offers much better widescreen video with noticeably smaller black bars.

Samsung DeX runs directly on the device, turning it into a mini desktop environment with windowed apps and multiple virtual workspaces, especially when paired with the kickstand case, keyboard, and mouse. Even without DeX, the tablet UI supports three apps side by side, layout swapping, and the ability to save custom app trios as icons.

In a nutshell, despite the dual creases, smudges, fragile inner layer, and added weight, Maini calls the Galaxy Z TriFold Samsung’s new “definitive foldable” because for the first time, a foldable phone offers both a true smartphone mode and a true tablet mode instead of compromising between the two.