Alright, so I’m just gonna say it: CES 2026 felt a lot like every CES before it, right? Another year, another parade of “smart” everything that nobody really needs, another bunch of TVs that are just… bigger and brighter. And then Samsung drops the TriFold. And you know what? For a cynical old hack like me, who’s seen more vaporware than actual innovation over the years, I gotta admit, my jaw kinda dropped a little. Just a little. Because this wasn’t just another foldable phone. This was… something else.

“Flexing Is Believing,” They Said. And Yeah, They Weren’t Wrong.

Look, we’ve all seen the Galaxy Folds and Flips. They’re cool, they’ve gotten better, but let’s be real, they’re still a niche product. A bit clunky, a bit expensive, and the crease? Yeah, it’s still there. But the TriFold, man. This thing is a whole new beast. It’s not just folding in half; it’s folding, then folding again. Like some kind of origami wizardry. Engadget got a hands-on and called it “flexing is believing,” and from what I saw, they’re not wrong. It genuinely looks like the future we’ve been promised for, like, twenty years.

So, you start with what looks like a normal-ish phone, albeit a bit thick. Then BAM, it unfolds once into a small tablet. And then, here’s the kicker, it unfolds again, revealing a full-blown, almost laptop-sized display. We’re talking three distinct screen sections, all coming together, or separating, depending on how you’re using it. It’s not just a party trick either. The way they demoed it – shifting from a phone for a quick text, to a tablet for reading an article (like this one, maybe?), to a massive display for multitasking or watching a movie – it just felt… seamless. Almost effortless. And I’m usually the first guy to roll my eyes at “effortless experiences.” But this was slick. Really slick.

Three Screens, One Brain: The Guts of It

The tech here is what’s actually fascinating, beyond the obvious “wow” factor. We’re talking about a multi-hinge system that doesn’t just fold; it folds flat. That’s been the holy grail for foldables, right? Getting rid of that damn gap when it’s closed. And the screen technology itself, the ultra-thin glass, it’s clearly taken another leap. Because you’ve got two folds, two hinges, and from what I could tell, the crease situation is significantly improved. Not gone, probably never truly gone, but far less noticeable than anything we’ve seen before. It means you’re not just getting a bigger screen; you’re getting a better bigger screen, even with all the folding going on. And that’s a big deal.

But Wait, Do We Actually Need This Much Flex?

Alright, time for the cold water. Because as cool as the TriFold is, and trust me, it is cool, the question still remains: who is this for? And, honestly, what problem does it solve that a regular phone and a decent tablet can’t? I mean, yeah, it’s a single device that does it all. But is the convenience of having a phone, tablet, and mini-laptop all in one, truly worth the inevitable price tag? Because you know this thing isn’t going to be cheap. We’re talking premium, ultra-premium, “you probably need to sell a kidney” premium. And let’s not even get started on durability. More hinges, more folds, more moving parts? That’s just more stuff to break, right?

“It’s not about what the device can do, it’s about what people will do with it. And that’s where the rubber meets the road for these hyper-flexible gadgets.”

I’ve seen this pattern before, you know? Companies push the boundaries of what’s technically possible, and sometimes, they forget to ask if it’s actually practically necessary for the average person. Who cares if you can fold your screen six ways to Sunday if it costs two grand and you’re terrified of dropping it? And the software experience – making sure apps seamlessly transition across three different form factors without a hiccup – that’s a monumental task. Samsung’s gotten better with their One UI, but tri-folding? That’s a whole new level of complexity for app developers to deal with. I’m just saying.

The Bigger Picture: Samsung’s Long Game

Here’s the thing. Samsung isn’t stupid. They know this isn’t going to be a mass-market device right out of the gate. This is a statement piece. It’s Samsung saying, “Look at us. We’re still the ones pushing the envelope. We’re still the ones making the crazy stuff work.” And honestly, that’s important for them. Especially when Apple just kinda… does its own thing, always a few years behind on certain tech but making it “magical” when they finally get there. Samsung needs to show they’re innovating, constantly. They’re laying the groundwork for a future where maybe, just maybe, this kind of device does become mainstream. Think of it like concept cars. You see the wild, impractical stuff at auto shows, but then bits and pieces of that tech trickle down into the sedans we actually buy.

This TriFold, it’s probably for the early adopters with deep pockets. The tech enthusiasts. The people who absolutely have to have the latest, greatest, most ridiculous piece of gadgetry. And bless ’em, because they’re the ones funding the R&D that eventually, hopefully, makes this stuff affordable and accessible for the rest of us. It’s a slow burn, this foldable revolution. It’s not gonna happen overnight. But seeing something like the TriFold makes you think that maybe, just maybe, the future of devices isn’t just about faster chips and better cameras, but about radically different forms. It’s about how the device adapts to you, instead of the other way around. And that’s kind of exciting, even for an old grump like me.

What This Actually Means

So, where does that leave us? The Samsung TriFold at CES 2026 isn’t just a phone, or a tablet, or even a hybrid. It’s a declaration. It’s Samsung planting their flag firmly in the ground and saying, “We’re not done experimenting, not by a long shot.” It’s a glimpse, a very expensive, very cutting-edge glimpse, into what our personal tech could become. Will it replace your laptop? Probably not for most serious work. Will it replace your phone? Eventually, maybe. But for now, it’s a showstopper. It’s a conversation starter. It’s a testament to the fact that even when you think you’ve seen it all, someone, somewhere, is still figuring out how to fold a screen in a way that makes you go, “Huh. Well, I’ll be damned.” And that, my friends, is why we still go to CES. For those fleeting moments where the future actually feels a little bit real.