Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold gets US release date of Jan 30 — and a jaw-dropping price of $2,899

Samsung’s ready to usher in a new era with the Galaxy Z TriFold, a foldable that opens to reveal a massive 10-inch display. It’s the phone-meets-tablet hybrid I’ve been dreaming about ever since I first held the original Galaxy Note all those years ago.

While I’m excited that it’s officially launching on January 30 — right on schedule per the company’s December promise — my enthusiasm is slightly dampened by the cost. Samsung is asking a whopping $2,900 for this ultra-sleek device, a price tag that makes it the company’s most expensive phone to date (excluding one-offs like the $3,299 Galaxy Z Fold 2 Thom Browne Edition from 2020).

I thought $1,999 for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 was already testing the limits of what consumers are willing to fork over for a phone, but the Galaxy Z TriFold is going to be a test of if people are truly willing to pay laptop prices for a pocketable device. That's no exaggeration either — the TriFold costs significantly more than an M5-powered MacBook Pro, and over twice as much as a Dell XPS 13. It’s also nearly the same price as a 75-inch Samsung Frame Pro QLED TV.

This price is undoubtedly going to be a source of sticker shock for consumers in the U.S. who are used to paying around $1,000 for a flagship. Yet, even at this extravagant cost, there’s a remarkable level of engineering at play.

“Samsung has a long history of pioneering category-defining devices,” explains Drew Blackard, Senior Vice President of Mobile Product Management at Samsung. “Galaxy Z TriFold builds on that legacy with a standout form factor that allows users to enjoy the convenience of a smartphone and the usability of a tablet within a single design that can fold into your pocket.”

“Samsung has a long history of pioneering category defining devices”, said Drew Blackard, Senior Vice President of Mobile Product Management at Samsung Electronics America. “Galaxy Z TriFold builds on that legacy with a standout form factor that allows users to enjoy the convenience of a smartphone and the usability of a tablet within a single design that can fold into your pocket.”

I’ve always enjoyed tech gadgets that embrace convergence — and the modern-day smartphone is a prime example of that. I’m hopeful that the Galaxy Z TriFold will live up to that ideology.

Measuring just 3.9 mm at its thinnest point, it’s undoubtedly an engineering marvel. However, in his Galaxy Z TriFold hands-on, my colleague Richard Priday noted that the unfolded TriFold felt like a “fragile device.” That’s a sentiment I can agree with, especially after an early adopter reportedly found their display broken in less than a month of owning the foldable phone.

Nevertheless, you’re getting a powerful device powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, a generous 512GB of base storage, all of the latest Galaxy AI features, and a triple-camera system. For a foldable, I’m impressed with the camera setup — which consists of a 200MP main shooter, a 12MP ultrawide, and a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, just as you get on the Z Fold 7.

If all of this sounds enticing, you can pick up the phone from Samsung.com or Samsung Experience Stores starting January 30. There’s no word yet on carrier availability, but I’m eager to see if it’ll be eligible for some bundle deals like Samsung’s past releases.

Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.

More from Tom's Guide

• 5 hidden iPhone features that are genuinely useful — try these now
• Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold is a 10-inch tablet that fits in your pocket — but there’s a big catch
• Samsung Galaxy S26 series release date tipped in new report — mark your calendars