Samsung to test the waters with 50,000 units of its next-gen tri-foldable smartphone

Samsung will be testing the market with a limited quantity launch of its upcoming tri-fold smartphone with just 50,000 units, so that it doesn't take too much of the foldable success away from its Galaxy Z Fold 7, and that it keeps a confident glare at Apple which is preparing a foldable iPhone for 2026.

In a new report we're hearing that Samsung Electronics has decided on making over 50,000 of its new double-folding (tri-fold) smartphone, with mass production preparations using the related materials with component supplies. Samsung will unveil its new tri-fold smartphone -- rumored as the Galaxy G Fold -- as early as next month, with a launch in November.

50,000 isn't many at all, and if we rewind the clock back to Samsung's first foldable, the Galaxy Fold which released in 2019, the company made 500,000 units. It has been popular enough over the years leading up to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, selling millions and millions of foldable smartphones in that time.

Samsung is also not wanting to clash with its new Galaxy Z Fold 7 which is another reason to only make 50,000 units of its new tri-fold smartphone. If Samsung were to make larger quantities of its new tri-fold smartphone, it could eat into the sales of its new Fold 7, which is why Samsung is going after a limited sales strategy.

An industry official said: "The Fold 7 is performing better than expected. It seems the company does not want to divert attention away from it by introducing a new foldable phone".

Samsung is aiming for an October 2025 release for its new tri-fold smartphone and XR headset, both of which will be competing directly against Apple. Apple has its Vision Pro on the market, an expensive and not-so-well selling XR headset, with a foldable iPhone expected to hit the market in 2026. Samsung will be two steps ahead, or is that two folds ahead, with a tri-fold smartphone before Apple even has a single foldable product on the market.

Samsung Electronics said in its Q2 2025 earnings results: "In H2 2025, the MX Business plans to continue a flagship-first approach for smartphone sales focusing on foldables and the Galaxy S25 series - while emphasizing the AI functionality of the Galaxy A series - to increase market share. It will also reinforce the AI capabilities of tablets and wearables and expand the Galaxy ecosystem with the launch of products with new form-factors, including extended reality (XR) and TriFold devices, and contribute to maintaining solid profitability despite market uncertainties and rising bill of materials (BOM) costs".