Galaxy G Fold, Samsung's first tri-fold, is ready to go but demand is questionable

Samsung has launched its latest generation of foldables including the Galaxy Z Fold7, Galaxy Z Flip7, and the relatively budget oriented Galaxy Z Flip7 FE. But behind the scenes, there is another folding smartphone that the company has been working on, the tri-fold rumored to be the Galaxy G Fold. There have been a lot of leaks and rumors about its announcement but now, the company has reportedly confirmed where it stands in terms of release.

Speaking with Android Authority, a Samsung executive confirmed that the tri-fold has been in the works for some time now and it’s ready to go. “We’ve had a tri-fold for some time, designed and everything. So it’s not a new concept to us,” said the executive. “What we’re debating is the viability. When I say the viability, is there really a demand for this form factor?,” they added.

Currently, only Huawei has a tri-fold that is commercially available but it is very expensive. Samsung seems to believe that this isn’t the right time for the phone and that people might not hop to it like they did with the first gen Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip phones. Though, notably, the premium price tags for those phones also nerfed their appeal.

Furthermore, when asked about a possible release window, the executive reiterated that while the company is ready with the phone and can put it into production, the viability is still questionable. It is, however, “deeply investigating” that at the moment.

That being said, recent rumors suggest that the tri-fold might not be marketed as the Galaxy G Fold and that it will be restricted to China and Korea. The phone is expected to arrive in those markets in Q4 this year, but it is unclear if it will eventually make its way to the west.