RIP TriFold? Samsung's $2,899 Galaxy Z TriFold may face early axe

Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold, a $2,899 triple-fold smartphone introduced about four months ago, is reportedly facing an early discontinuation in South Korea, with sales expected to stop on March 17. Unlike the broader rollout of Huawei’s competing Mate XT Ultimate Design, Samsung’s TriFold was released in very limited quantities—estimated at around 3,000 units per batch—and sold exclusively through its website without traditional marketing or review units. Despite strong demand and rapid sellouts, including resale prices reaching nearly three times retail in South Korea, the device was primarily intended as an experimental showcase of Samsung’s engineering capabilities rather than a mass-market product. The high production costs, driven by expensive components like DRAM and NAND flash, as well as the complexity of the triple-fold hinge and display design, have limited the TriFold’s profitability. Samsung used the device to gather real-world feedback on triple-fold technology, durability, user behavior, and software optimization, insights that may influence future foldable devices.