A patent has been uncovered for a smaller Samsung folding phone that could have a tri-fold design.
It could result in the G Flip, an evolution of the current Z Flip design.
Samsung could be planning a folding phone that flips the script and takes its range in a new direction. With rumours running amok that it will launch a tri-fold device called the Galaxy G Fold, there could be a G Flip in the works.
Samsung has been one of the driving forces behind foldables and has been responsible for some of the best folding phones so far. But the market is moving on, and with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 expected in August 2025, we could see the brand move towards a tri-fold mechanism.
So far, it's been suggested that Samsung’s tri-fold device could launch as the Galaxy G Fold, which is slightly ironic considering that it will fold up in a Z shape. But the Z moniker is already in use with the current batch of folding phones.
And while the larger format device has seen a number of rumours, less has been said about Samsung’s smaller device.
A new patent has been registered with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) – uncovered by 91mobiles – which points to a tri-folding device. This doesn’t look like it’s a replacement for the Z Fold, it looks like it would result in a smaller format device, potentially the Z Flip. That could result in the Galaxy G Flip, a small tri-folding device not dissimilar to the Infinix Zero concept we reported on recently.
What does the patent reveal about Samsung’s plans?
Every patent needs to be approached with caution, because a lot of them never result in a marketable product, and the supporting illustrations aren’t indicative of a final form, even if the mechanism that it depicts is used.
From this drawing, we appear to have a tri-fold phone that opens to reveal and elongated display. The aspect of this doesn’t look like the sort of thing we’ve seen from the Huawei Mate XT for example, so it looks like a more compact phone.
This also only appears to have one display panel, unlike Samsung’s current folding phones. Part of that display remains visible when folded so becomes the external screen, but its location next to the cameras suggest they would be facing forwards when deployed. While that makes for great selfies, it suggests you’d have to fold that segment down to use the camera to take normal photos.
It’s worth noting that the original filing date was 2022, but it wasn’t registered until 2025, suggesting this is an idea that’s been in development for some time. We could be looking at an evolution for the Z Flip allowing it to be more compact – or for a larger display when unfolded – or this could simply be another patent that doesn’t ever see the light of day.
