- TECNO has officially unveiled the PHANTOM Ultimate G Fold, a tri-fold concept phone with a unique dual inward-folding design.
- With a stunning 3.49mm thickness when unfolded, the Ultimate G Fold is currently the slimmest tri-fold smartphone ever announced.
- By entering the tri-fold race, TECNO is directly challenging Huawei’s Mate XT, the world’s first commercial tri-fold, and Samsung’s upcoming tri-fold phone.
TECNO has unveiled its boldest foldable smartphone design yet, the PHANTOM Ultimate G Fold. With a double inward-folding tri-fold design, the phone sets higher standards on portability, screen space, and engineering, entering a steadily rising ecosystem now inhabited by the Huawei Mate XT and next, perhaps, by Samsung’s very first tri-fold smartphone.
TECNO’s bold approach to the tri-fold with PHANTOM Ultimate G Fold
The PHANTOM Ultimate G Fold has an exclusive G-style double inward-folding design that deviates from conventional tri-fold designs that fold outward or in the shape of a zigzag. This design keeps the 9.94-inch curved inner screen safe by folding it twice inward, like a paper booklet folded inward for protection.
For ease of everyday use, the phone has a cover screen for one-hand usage, and its dual-hinge design, a smaller structural waterdrop hinge and a larger waterdrop structural hinge, offering a gapless, secure fold. Also, a locking mechanism ensures stability in both fully closed and semiclosed states.
The phone unfolds to a maximum thickness of 3.49mm and 11.49mm when folded, and is the thinnest tri-fold design to be announced thus far.
Huawei Mate XT: The world’s first commercial tri-fold smartphone
While TECNO’s concept is creating buzz, Huawei has already made history by launching the Mate XT, the world’s first commercially available tri-fold smartphone, in early 2025. Unlike TECNO’s inward-folding prototype, Huawei’s device adopts an outward Z-style folding design, offering a blend of smartphone, tablet, and e-reader experiences in one.
Key features of the Huawei Mate XT:
- 10.2-inch full display when unfolded.
- Two-hinge flexible design with outward folding.
- Kirin 9010 5G processor, Huawei’s own silicon.
- Triple Leica camera with AI processing.
- 5600mAh battery with 66W wired charging.
- EMUI 14.2 optimized for multi-display transition.
Huawei’s Mate XT is content and multitasking and ecosystem-centric. The firm also focuses on software fluidity, and app continuity and multi-window capabilities are based on its foldable UI.
Regardless of display durability issues caused by its front-facing screen, Huawei overcomes this with a Nano Optical Layer that aids scratch protection and clarity.
Samsung’s hyped tri-fold: A luxury contender on the horizon
Samsung, a prominent player in foldables with the release of the Galaxy Z Fold series, is set to introduce its first tri-fold foldable smartphone, later in 2025. Although not yet officially announced, trusted sources indicate the phone will release with notable additions in features.
Expected features of Samsung’s tri-fold:
- Flexible OLED tri-fold screen with UDR (Ultra Dynamic Range) support.
- One UI Fold Edition, designed for triple-pane multitasking.
- S Pen support, aimed at creative professionals.
- Under-display front camera for an unbroken display.
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 or Exynos 2500 chipset.
- Water and dust resistance, for the first time, for tri-folds.
Samsung’s entry is expected to compete directly with Huawei’s Mate XT and TECNO’s upcoming concept, potentially becoming the first mainstream tri-fold foldable to reach global markets at scale. The company’s proven reliability in hinge design, software optimization, and display durability could make its tri-fold the most refined offering in the segment.
Comparing the future of tri-folds
| Feature | TECNO PHANTOM Ultimate G Fold | Huawei Mate XT | Samsung Tri-Fold (Rumored) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fold Style | Dual inward-folding (G-style) | Outward Z-style fold | Inward dual-hinge (likely) |
| Display Size | 9.94 inches | 10.2 inches | ~10+ inches (expected) |
| Hinge Mechanism | Dual custom hinges with lock | Dual outward hinges | Advanced Flex Hinge (expected) |
| Thickness (Unfolded) | 3.49mm | ~3.6mm | TBD |
| Status | Concept (MWC 2026) | Commercial (Launched 2025) | (Launching by the end of 2025) |
| Software | Unspecified | HarmonyOS 5 | One UI 8 |
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The road ahead: Innovation, not just iteration
As tri-fold devices transition from concept to reality, each company is contributing special strengths to the category:
- Huawei excels in commercialization and ecosystem integration
- TECNO brings new form factors and engineering thickness
- Samsung will combine flagship hardware with established software stability
The foldables category is moving on from two-screen gimmicks to productivity-focused devices, and the triple-fold competition is a sign of increasing advancements in flexible display technology and component engineering.
