How much will the Galaxy Z TriFold cost? This will be the most expensive phone most people have ever seen. But how much will it cost and most importantly: how much will you actually pay? I have an idea.
The Huawei Mate XT Ultimate is currently the most expensive phone on the global market and is only available in select markets in Asia. This is the first foldable phone, but the design is very different from the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold. Also, it costs the equivalent of $3,400 locally, based on my online purchase and currency conversion.
I’ve heard imports can cost over $4,000 if you can find a gray market place that sells them. However, I wouldn’t recommend buying a phone that doesn’t work on local networks or doesn’t have a local warranty.
Will the Galaxy Z TriFold cost as much as the Mate XT? Not at all
First and foremost, Samsung’s foldable device is a 6.5-inch phone or a 10-inch tablet. There is no intermediate mode when two display fields are active. There are one or three. It is different from Huawei mobile phone. This is a simpler design, which means that costs should be reduced.
Finally, one of the three foldable panels of the Huawei mobile must be darkened. Then it must be extra durable because the plate is bent at the back and the glass is visible. This includes the development work that ensures the position functions correctly. If you eliminate all of this, Samsung should save money.
Second, Huawei must produce its own chips because it is forbidden to use chips developed in cooperation with American companies. Samsung used the phenomenal Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for last year’s Galaxy chipset. This also reduces costs. Samsung is said to have ordered a large number of Qualcomm chips under the company’s name. This makes them cheaper than a new custom chipset.
Using last year’s Snapdragon is a very smart decision. Samsung developers have spent the entire year fixing bugs and releasing updates for phones with this chipset: the entire Galaxy S25 family and the Galaxy Z Fold 7. That means less development to make this chipset work in a brand new form factor.
Finally, while Samsung won’t sell many Galaxy Z TriFold devices, it will certainly sell them to its biggest customers: wireless service providers. You can buy this phone as part of a deal with your favorite carrier, making such an expensive phone relatively affordable. This is a subscription-like monthly fee that you pay for three years.
Most people pay for this phone with a monthly subscription.
This is where I start with my price estimate: not the full retail price, but the monthly price that most customers will see. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 costs $1,999 / £1,999, and AT&T and Verizon are giving it to you for $55.55 per month for 36 months.
If the Galaxy Z TriFold costs as much as the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate, we can expect Verizon to sell it for $94.44 per month. That’s… wow, that’s a lot of money, on top of the $65 minimum you have to pay for a qualifying monthly subscription.
On the other hand, if the Galaxy Z TriFold costs $2,799, it would be available on AT&T and Verizon for $77.75 per month.
It’s a friendlier song. It’s not that scary. Come pet the big, weird phone. Will not bite. Take him home and feed him. It costs almost nothing.
My prediction? About $1,000 more than the Z Fold 7
I expect the Galaxy Z TriFold to start at $2799 / £2799 / AU$6000. This price would be aggressive compared to Huawei, which is what Samsung needs.
This would give Samsung’s business partners a special price if they sold an incredibly expensive phone. This also increases the price of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 by less than $1,000, but you still get a Fold. If I’m wrong, I think my estimate will be too low, but on my last bet, I’d bet $2,799 as the launch price.