Rumor mill: Samsung's experiment with unconventional foldables appears to be far from over, even after it pulled the plug on the Galaxy Z TriFold earlier this year. According to information shared by Naver leaker yeux1122, the company is testing two experimental designs: a refined trifold successor and a slideable smartphone concept.
While the first TriFold was discontinued after just a few months on the market, the report suggests that Samsung has not entirely backed away from multifold hardware. Instead, the company is said to be testing the feasibility of a lighter but slightly thicker second-generation model.
According to the post, the goal is to create a more durable version of the previously complex design. If internal testing progresses smoothly, the next TriFold could arrive around mid-2027, which would mark roughly an 18-month development cycle from its predecessor's withdrawal.
The first TriFold reached Korean consumers in December before arriving in the United States in January, only to be discontinued soon after. Reports at the time pointed to the production intricacy of its triple-fold structure as a major sticking point, raising costs and complicating yield rates. A thicker design could hint at reworked hinge mechanics or reinforced panel layers, though that has not been confirmed.
Samsung's TriFold experiment was one of the most ambitious steps yet in display flexibility, expanding from a standard-sized smartphone into a mini-tablet form factor. The concept drew curiosity at launch but also highlighted the limits of current engineering at scale.
A second iteration could help determine whether multifold devices can realistically coexist alongside the company's mainstream Fold and Flip lines, particularly if it manages to shave off weight while improving build integrity.
The same leak also points to another direction in Samsung's mobile strategy – one that might arrive sooner. A slideable handset with a screen that extends to around 6.7 inches is reportedly in testing. Unlike some rollable concepts from other brands, Samsung is said to be exploring a design that may use a manual or assisted sliding mechanism rather than fully automatic motors.
Samsung has already shown early versions of a slideable phone at public events such as MWC 2026, where Samsung Display demonstrated a sliding OLED prototype.
If development continues, a slideable model could emerge in the latter part of the decade, but no firm production window has been reported.
Slideable and rollable panels remain largely unproven in the commercial market, having yet to match the manufacturing maturity of foldable technology. For Samsung, bringing such a device to market would signal a second phase of its flexible display strategy – one that builds on lessons from both the Fold series and the short-lived TriFold.
The Naver leak offers no confirmation from Samsung, and the company has not commented publicly on its long-term foldable roadmap. Nonetheless, the timing of these rumors – so soon after the TriFold's abrupt discontinuation – suggests that the world's largest smartphone maker sees unfinished business in the shape-shifting phone category it helped popularize.