Earlier this year, Huawei surprised us with the Mate XT Ultimate Design. Currently, this is the only phone of its kind, but it may not last that long. Rumor has it that Samsung may launch its own tri-fold phone at some point in 2025.

The news comes from ZDNet Korea, which claims that Samsung is “discussing launching a dual-hinge tri-fold phone at some point in 2025.” In addition to that, it also reports that a more affordable version of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 could be on the way.

Apparently, this would be part of Samsung's plan to expand and strengthen its foldable phone lineup despite “poor sales.” The recently announced Samsung Galaxy Z Fold SE is part of this, apparently offering a thinner and lighter design with a larger screen than the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

The report adds that Samsung Display's partners have already “completed component development for the tri-fold model” and are ready to commercialize it. However, there is no guarantee that these plans will still go forward, as a final decision has not yet been made.

Then again, with Huawei's announcement of a tri-fold phone, other foldable phone manufacturers will not be far behind. For Samsung, it is not a good idea to stay in the tri-fold foldable business any longer than necessary. The foldable phone business is heating up, especially with the potential arrival of the iPhone Flip in the next few years, and the more Samsung can do to stand out, the better.

Leaker @jukanlosreve claims that the Z Flip 7 may be an “enhanced” Z Flip phone rather than a “budget” model. However, leaker @jukanlosreve claims that the Z Flip 7 may not be a “budget” model, but an “enhanced” Z Flip phone.

Sadly, they also point to other reports claiming that we won't see a cheap Z Flip phone anytime soon. This is unfortunate, given how expensive folding phones are. At least there is still the $699 Motorola Razr 2024 for folding fans on a budget.

Thus, Samsung may have big plans for its foldable phone series in the future. However, given that these are still untested rumors, we should not get our hopes up just yet.

Furthermore, given the cost of the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Design and the $100 price increase for the Z Fold 6, it is unlikely that the rumored tri-fold will be affordable.