Samsung's tri-fold phone leaks ahead of Galaxy Z Fold 7 release date

(Credit: Max Buondonno / The Shortcut)

• 📱 Samsung’s upcoming tri-folding phone appears to have leaked

• 👀 Renders of the device’s triple-folding screen were spotted in the One UI 8 beta

• 🗺️ The phone appears to fold out like a poster board from the middle, opposed to a Z shape like other tri-fold devices

• ⏮️ Samsung showed off a similar concept back at MWC 2025

• 📅 The company is rumored to tease or announce the “Galaxy G Fold” at Unpacked on July 9

Samsung is teasing the heck out of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 leading up to its announcement on July 9, but the company could have something else up its sleeve. New animations and renders have surfaced in a beta build of One UI 8, revealing what’s been rumored to launch before the end of the year: a Samsung-branded tri-folding phone.

• More: Galaxy Z Flip 7 colors just leaked – and Samsung is going vibrant

(Credit: Android Authority)

The Galaxy G Fold, as its commonly referred to, has popped up in a series of images highlighting where its NFC antenna is located (courtesy of Android Authority), giving us a look at its design and the way it’ll unfold. The renders reveal a device that looks like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 with a third panel stitched onto the side. A triple-camera system sits on the back of the left panel, while a cover screen is in the middle with a hole-punch selfie camera. The right-most panel appears to just be a blank slate with no screen.

(Credit: Android Authority)

Inside, there’s a big screen spanning across all three panels, with a hole-punch camera at the top to the right. An animation shows how the display folds down, revealing two different-sized hinges to allow for the left panel to sit beneath the right. This contradicts the Z-shape folding style we’ve seen with devices like the Huawei Mate XT, and it aligns with rumors we’ve heard suggesting it would fold into itself instead of zig-zagged like a map.

In another animation, it seems that if you try to fold the wrong panel first, Samsung will display a warning on the screen. The two hinges are different sizes so that one of the panels can sit beneath the other, and if you try to bend the larger hinge first, it’ll trigger the warning.

Samsung showed off a concept device at MWC 2025 that folded down the same way, so we know it’s working on gadgets like this in their laboratory. It was referred to as the “Flex G” at the time, and while rumors suggest it could be given the name “Galaxy G Fold,” the files Android Authority found are labeled “Multifold 7.” Perhaps Samsung will give it a name more similar to this by the time it ships? We don’t know for sure.

We’ve heard in the past that Samsung could tease its tri-fold phone at Unpacked this summer. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 will take center stage, while this more ambitious foldable could be teased at the end. Reports say the phone likely won’t ship until later in the year anyway, potentially in October or November. Not much else is known about it, but we’ll keep our eyes peeled for any future leaks.

Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.