Samsung’s Tri-Fold Phone Could Be Compact & Support S Pen

The S Pen is becoming a sensitive topic for fans of flagship Galaxy phones following Samsung’s latest moves. The company first completely removed support for the accessory on last year’s Galaxy Z Fold SE. Then, it downgraded the Galaxy S25 Ultra‘s S Pen by ditching Bluetooth features. However, Samsung’s first tri-fold smartphone could support the classic S Pen and be more compact than we thought, according to a patent.

Samsung has been working on its tri-fold device for a long time. That said, they weren’t quick enough to bring it to market. Chinese giant Huawei led the way with the announcement of the Mate XT, which recently arrived in global markets. However, the form factor of Samsung’s product could help it differentiate itself from Huawei’s. Now, a patent suggests that the handset could be kind of different from what we thought.

Samsung’s tri-fold phone patent hints at a compact device when folded and S Pen compatibility

91mobiles spotted a Samsung patent in WIPO’s (World Intellectual Property Organization) database. The patent was only granted yesterday—February 25—so the ideas behind it are fairly recent. In some other cases, the leaked patents are many months old, so some of the things they show may have already been discarded.

According to leaks, Samsung’s first tri-fold smartphone will be called the Galaxy G Fold. The device could have a dual-inner folding form factor, meaning both side pieces could fold inward. On the other hand, the Huawei Mate XT takes on a zigzag shape when you fold/unfold it. Huawei’s approach allows it to use the same foldable screen as an external display when folded. Samsung’s approach requires a separate secondary display, but it helps protect the inner foldable screen.

The patent shows a design different from what many imagined. Previous Galaxy G Fold concept renders show a relatively elongated aspect ratio on each foldable screen section. This could make it look like a normal phone when folded. Think of a Galaxy Z Fold 6 with an additional foldable section. However, the document shows a phone that takes on a Galaxy Z Flip-like size when folded. That means the Galaxy G Fold could actually have a shorter and wider display than usual.

The sketches attached to the patent show an S Pen slot. So, it’s still possible that the final product will integrate support for Samsung’s much-loved stylus. The volume and power buttons are on the top of the phone. You’ll find the USB-C port for charging and data transfer on the bottom.

Still a patent, so nothing is written in stone yet

That said, the document is still a patent. That means it’s not guaranteed to make it to market as is. Perhaps Samsung is actually thinking about a more traditional, less compact form factor. We’ll have to wait a few months for more specific details on that.

The leaks surrounding the phone mention a 9.96-inch foldable internal display. In comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 6’s screen is 7.6 inches. Huawei still offers a larger foldable display with the 10.2 inches of the Mate XT. Conversely, reports suggest that Samsung’s tri-fold device boasts a 6.54-inch secondary screen.