Samsung will host its annual Unpacked event this week, where the Korean giant is expected to announce at least a couple of new foldable phones. These are the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Galaxy Z Flip 7 flagships, both of which have leaked extensively in recent months.
But Samsung fans also expect at least one more foldable surprise from the company. Samsung has been rumored to release a Galaxy Z Flip SE clamshell this year, aimed at lowering the entry price for its foldable phones.
It actually gets better than that. At the end of Unpacked, Samsung might tease its first trifold foldable phone. I’ve been calling it Galaxy G Fold 7 since it leaked, which seems like the most fitting name. It’s based on a previously leaked Galaxy G Fold moniker for this type of handset. The G Fold would use a different folding mechanism than Huawei’s trifold launched last year.
Samsung’s first trifold handset won’t be fully unveiled on Wednesday. Instead, it should be announced later this year, ahead of its launch in Korea and China.
We don’t have to wait for Samsung’s Galaxy G Fold 7 teasers to see this new foldable phone concept in action. Chinese smartphone vendor Tecno has teased its own Phantom Ultimate G Fold concept. The device looks almost identical to Samsung’s rumored model, and there are plenty of leaked images to explore.
If you’ve been following Tecno in recent years, you won’t be surprised to see this kind of marketing stunt. Last year, Tecno gave us the Phantom Ultimate 2 teaser ahead of Huawei’s launch event for the Mate XT.
The ultra-thin Phantom-branded concept never became a commercial product. The handset, seen above, served a different purpose: to show that a relatively new entrant in the smartphone market could deliver high-end, sophisticated designs.
This year’s Phantom Ultimate G Fold teaser follows a similar marketing approach. Tecno said in a press release that it will soon unveil the Phantom Ultimate G Fold. The company described the trifold as “a dual-screen, inward-folding tri-fold design and is engineered to be the thinnest of its kind.”
Like the rumored Galaxy G Fold 7, the Phantom phone features a “G-Style design.” That means the phone folds twice inwards, protecting the foldable screen when closed. As shown above, one hinge is larger than the other to make this design work.
A second cover display sits on the outside, along with a triple-lens camera.
Tecno says the Phantom Ultimate G Fold will be as slim as “traditional book-style single-hinge foldables,” making it the thinnest tri-fold device seen so far. We still don’t know how thin the Galaxy G Fold 7 will be.
Tecno hasn’t revealed the trifold’s specs yet but teased a mid-July reveal for the concept. Then again, Tecno could say anything about the phone to steal the spotlight from Samsung, especially since the Phantom Ultimate G Fold won’t be a commercial product. There’s no requirement to actually ship it to buyers.
That said, trifold phones won’t come cheap. The Mate XT retails for around $3,000, and the Samsung G Fold model will likely cost about the same.
What’s great about the teaser is that we get a look at a trifold phone that can transform into a large tablet.
Leaker Ice Universe posted a few leaked images on X showing the Phantom Ultimate G Fold in hand and unfolded (below).
BGR obtained the images above that showcase the Phantom Ultimate G Fold concept phone, highlighting its slim profile, rear camera module, edge-to-edge cover display, asymmetrical hinges, and Phantom branding.
None of these images show the display turned on. We don’t get to see the Android-based OS or any multitasking features that might take advantage of the larger screen. Hopefully, Tecno will demonstrate a working version of the concept in the coming weeks.
Finally, the Tecno G Fold concept doesn’t appear to be identical to what Samsung is working on. Rumors suggest the Galaxy G Fold will have the cover screen in the middle section, with the camera module placed vertically on the right side.
