Samsung to Mass-Produce its First Tri-Foldable Phone in 2025: A Cautious Strategy with a Unique Design

Samsung to Mass-Produce its First Tri-Foldable Phone in 2025: A Cautious Strategy with a Unique DesignSouth Korean media outlets TheElec and Sisajournal recently reported that Samsung Electronics plans to mass-produce its first tri-foldable phone in the second quarter of 2025. While the exact production volume is still under assessment, both reports indicate that Samsung will adopt a cautious and conservative market strategy for this innovative product, anticipating a production volume of less than 300,000 units in 2025

Samsung to Mass-Produce its First Tri-Foldable Phone in 2025: A Cautious Strategy with a Unique Design

South Korean media outlets TheElec and Sisajournal recently reported that Samsung Electronics plans to mass-produce its first tri-foldable phone in the second quarter of 2025. While the exact production volume is still under assessment, both reports indicate that Samsung will adopt a cautious and conservative market strategy for this innovative product, anticipating a production volume of less than 300,000 units in 2025. This number, compared to the annual production of Samsung's other flagship phones, clearly reflects Samsung's prudent approach to the tri-foldable phone market, considering both technological maturity and market acceptance.

Unlike the "S-fold" (In&Out Folding) approach used by Huawei's Mate X series, Samsung's tri-foldable phone will employ a "G-fold" (In-Folding) design, where the screen folds inwards twice. This design fully protects the screen within the body when folded, effectively preventing external impacts and scratches, and enhancing the phone's durability. This design choice reflects Samsung's prioritization of product reliability; for expensive tri-foldable phones, reliability and durability are crucial user demands. Compared to other manufacturers, Samsung prefers to achieve technological maturity before large-scale promotion, avoiding negative impacts from potential technical issues.

Ensuring a stable supply of components for the tri-foldable phone presents a significant production challenge. Reports indicate that the components for Samsung's tri-foldable phone are thinner than those of the Galaxy Z Fold7, increasing production difficulty. To guarantee component supply, Samsung may even begin mass production of the Galaxy Z Fold7 earlier to ensure the smooth production of its tri-foldable phone. This move demonstrates Samsung's strength and experience in supply chain management, its ability to anticipate and resolve potential supply chain risks, and its commitment to timely product launches and stable market supply.

Regarding the screen, the tri-foldable phone's display panel will be supplied by Samsung Display, with a fully unfolded screen size of 12.4 inches. This is larger than most current foldable phones, offering users a more expansive workspace and better suitability for multitasking and content consumption. However, to ensure optimal display quality and user experience, Samsung will not initially incorporate Under-Display Camera (UDC) technology. While UDC technology can improve screen integrity, the current technology is not yet mature enough, potentially causing reduced resolution in certain screen areas and impacting user experience. Samsung's decision to postpone UDC technology reflects its stringent requirements for product quality and user experience.

The conservative production forecast and cautious market strategy are consistent with Samsung's steady approach to its Galaxy Z Fold and Flip series. Samsung does not prioritize rapid market share expansion but focuses on product quality and user experience, adopting a step-by-step approach. This strategy may slow Samsung's expansion in the tri-foldable phone market but effectively mitigates risk and ensures product quality and brand reputation. In the increasingly competitive foldable phone market, Samsung's strategy appears particularly robust.

The information currently available suggests that Samsung's first tri-foldable phone demonstrates Samsung's innovation and technological prowess in both design and technology. The "G-fold" design effectively addresses the durability issues of foldable phones, and the large 12.4-inch screen enhances user experience. However, the cautious approach to production volume and market strategy also implies that the tri-foldable phone market still faces numerous challenges, including technological maturity, cost control, and user acceptance.

Samsung's choice to mass-produce its first tri-foldable phone in 2025 allows ample time for market observation and preparation. This reflects not only confidence in its technological capabilities but also a thorough assessment of market risks. Samsung may be waiting for further market maturity, clearer user demand for foldable phones, and greater technological breakthroughs in tri-foldable technology. This measured approach may be the key to Samsung's ultimate success in the fiercely competitive foldable phone market. This steady strategy will lay a solid foundation for its long-term development in the tri-foldable phone market. The success of this strategy remains to be seen.

In summary, Samsung's upcoming tri-foldable phone, with its unique "G-fold" design and large 12.4-inch screen, showcases its exploration and innovation in foldable screen technology. However, the conservative production forecast and cautious attitude towards under-display camera technology reflect Samsung's careful and steady approach to the market positioning and development strategy of this innovative product. The future success of Samsung's tri-foldable phone will depend on market acceptance and Samsung's continued investment in and improvement of the technology. Samsung's steady approach has bought it more time and opportunity in the future competition of the foldable phone market.