Want the Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold? You'll need a serious stack of cash

The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold is set to take on the best gaming phones when all 10-inches of its bendy screen launches at the end of the week. Oh, and it costs $2,899.

That's by far the most expensive smartphone Samsung has released to date (not including all those special editions), with the previous Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 launching at a still-lofty $1,999.99 halfway through last year. We're nearly $1,000 further up the price scale, all for an extra panel.

The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold was officially announced back in December, as a phone / tablet hybrid moving beyond the traditional 'book-like' design that has held strong in this corner of the market so far. It opens more like a DnD screen, with the main top display right at the back and each side unfurling to reveal a second 10-inch panel.

It shares the same Snapdragon 8 Elite processor as the Galaxy Z Fold 7, though bumps that internal memory to 16GB RAM compared to the previous generation's 12GB. It's certainly punching with the best of them when it comes to internal power, but we all know that's not why Samsung wants $3K for it.

The main 'interior' screen runs at 2160 x 1584 resolution, with the AMOLED panel hitting a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. The 'external' screen (the one you'll be using as a phone most of the time) sits at 6.5-inches with a lower 2520 x 1080 resolution. When it's all folded up and in your pocket, it sits at 12.9mm thick, with a 3.9mm minimum depth when fully open.

All that runs off a 5,600mAh battery - a smaller offering than I've seen in single-screen devices recently, and a potential cause for concern if you're going to be maximising your usage out of that tablet experience at full brightness. It's certainly got more juice than the iPhone 17 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, but models like the RedMagic 11 Pro and even the OnePlus 15R are at or over 7,000mAh these days.

$2,900 is a lot to pay for a phone - this one's only for the early adopters with even the still-expensive Z Fold 7 offering better value on paper overall. So what's the alternative? Well, it looks like these tri-folding screens are simply a premium option these days. The Huawei Mate Xts isn't available in the US officially, but you can still get your hands on it for around $2,500.

I can absolutely see the benefit in that big-screen display. I myself fell in love with the concept when I completed my Honor Magic V2 review a couple of years ago. Whether gaming or catching up on YouTube, the extra real estate is absolutely worth investigating. Is it worth $3,000? I highly doubt it will be for most users.

You've likely already got a wad of cash in your pocket if you're considering the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold, but if you're specifically after a gaming device there's much better value elsewhere. The RedMagic 11 Pro runs on the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with a faster 144Hz screen and a more robust battery. That will see you through all your competitive thumb tappers for $749. For anything beyond that? You might as well invest the $2,000 you've saved into one of the best gaming handhelds or best gaming laptops.

RedMagic 11 Pro | $749 at RedMagic
The RedMagic 11 Pro is still a recent release, and the brand's current flagship, so it's not seen any discounts on the handset itself just yet. Still it's a fraction of the cost and far better value for gamers in particular.

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We're also hunting down all the best gaming tablets for a more traditional big-screen experience, or check out the best mobile controllers and best gaming earbuds for more accessories.

Best gaming phones 2026

1. Best overall: Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro

2. Best value: RedMagic 11 Pro

3. Best budget: Samsung Galaxy A16