5 Android phones you should buy instead of the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold

The Galaxy Z TriFold, Samsung’s long-awaited tri-folding smartphone, is now accessible for buy in the United States. It’s one of the most technologically progressive foldables we’ve ever seen and is actually pushing the boundaries of what a folding smartphone may be.

That mentioned, it’s additionally extraordinarily costly. The Galaxy Z TriFold prices $2,900 in the US, making it the costliest mainstream Android cellphone presently on the market. Innovation comes at a worth, and on this case, it’s a extremely massive worth.

There’s little question that the TriFold is a formidable piece of tech, however as a cellphone you should really spend your hard-earned cash on, it’s onerous to justify — particularly when you may (and should) buy these 5 different Android phones instead.

My first suggestion is probably the most blatant: the Galaxy Z Fold 7. It is probably not as flashy or new as the TriFold, nevertheless it’s unquestionably a extra wise buy for anybody trying to buy a foldable Samsung cellphone.

As cool as the TriFold’s 10-inch internal show is, it comes at the expense of making the cellphone extraordinarily cumbersome — we’re speaking 309 grams and 12.9mm thick when closed. By comparability, the Fold 7 weighs simply 215 grams and measures 8.9mm thick. In follow, meaning the TriFold will really feel like a brick, whereas the Z Fold 7 looks like a standard slab cellphone.

What’s extra spectacular is that the Fold 7 matches a lot of the TriFold’s spec sheet. The phones share the similar chipset, digital camera system, software program expertise, and replace coverage. And even with all of that, the Z Fold 7 prices $900 lower than the TriFold.

That’s the actual kicker right here. Until you completely want the TriFold’s bigger show, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 simply makes a lot extra sense. It’s considerably extra comfy to make use of, has a superb (and nonetheless very massive) 8-inch internal display screen, and a really related spec sheet. Getting all of that whereas saving $900 makes the Fold 7 a no brainer in comparison with the TriFold.

Your choices for book-style foldables in the US are fairly restricted, which makes discovering TriFold alternate options difficult. Exterior of the Fold 7, the solely different actual choice is the Google Pixel 10 Professional Fold. It’s not a tri-folding cellphone, and it’s not a Samsung handset, however I nonetheless suppose there’s an excellent argument for it as a TriFold various.

Like the Z Fold 7, the Pixel 10 Professional Fold has a way more sensible design. It’s heavier than the Fold 7, however nonetheless significantly lighter than the TriFold. It additionally provides a giant 8-inch internal show that appears unbelievable. The Pixel additionally has a notable sturdiness benefit. Whereas the TriFold and Fold 7 are restricted to an IP48 score, the Pixel 10 Professional Fold has an IP68 score, making the cellphone totally dust-tight, not like Samsung’s phones.

Samsung’s software program on the Z Fold 7 and TriFold is healthier at taking benefit of the bigger shows, however Google’s Pixel software program continues to be my private desire. Whether or not it’s the Materials 3 Expressive UI or options like Now Taking part in and the At a Look widget, so many little features of the Pixel expertise are so excellent — they usually aren’t accessible on both foldable Samsung cellphone.

And, unsurprisingly, worth is one other massive benefit right here. In comparison with the TriFold, the Pixel 10 Professional Fold is $1,100 cheaper. Google’s cellphone isn’t good, however for that massive of a worth distinction, I’d select it each single time over the TriFold.

At first look, the Galaxy S25 Extremely could look like a foolish various to the Galaxy Z TriFold. It’s not a foldable and is arguably one of the most tepid Galaxy S upgrades lately. Why should you trouble with it? All of it comes all the way down to practicality.

Does the S25 Extremely fold? No, nevertheless it does have an distinctive 6.9-inch show that’s sharper than each TriFold screens and options an anti-reflective coating. The design could also be boring, however Gorilla Armor 2 and an IP68 score imply the cellphone is extremely sturdy. The S25 Extremely has the similar chipset and first digital camera as the TriFold, plus considerably higher telephoto and ultrawide cameras. And, not like the TriFold, the S25 Extremely works with the S Pen.

The Galaxy S25 Extremely isn’t as cool as the TriFold, and it by no means shall be. However for a standard slab cellphone, it has mainly every little thing you may ask for — particularly if you’re a Samsung fan, which you in all probability are. And with a price ticket that’s $1,600 cheaper (!!!) than the TriFold, it’s a no brainer monetary resolution, too.

That is evident in practically each regard. The OnePlus 13’s show is a big 6.9-inch AMOLED panel that appears each bit pretty much as good as the S25 Extremely’s. Its 6,000mAh battery is amongst the largest for a mainstream Android cellphone, and its 80W charging speeds are some of the quickest, too. It additionally has unimaginable efficiency, excellent cameras, and a classy, comfy design. Is it a Samsung cellphone? No. If you’re a die-hard One UI fan, that’s going to be a difficulty. But when you can stay with out Samsung’s software program (and you in all probability can), the OnePlus 13 is a near-perfect buy.

Worth is one other massive issue right here. You might have to buy round to seek out remaining stock, however at the time of publication, Finest Buy is promoting the dearer 512GB storage variant for $800 — making the OnePlus 13 a whopping $2,100 cheaper than the Galaxy Z TriFold. At that worth, you may buy a OnePlus 13 and a Galaxy Z Fold 7 and nonetheless spend lower than what you pay for a single TriFold. Wild stuff.

The Motorola Razr Extremely is, of course, a unique kind of foldable than the TriFold. Instead of reworking from a cellphone right into a 10-inch pill, the Razr is a traditional slab cellphone that folds in half to grow to be a small, pocketable sq.. It’s primarily the precise reverse of what the TriFold represents, and there’s actual worth in that.

When unfolded, the Razr Extremely operates like another non-folding Android cellphone. It has a 7-inch AMOLED show, a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip (the similar one utilized in the S25 Extremely and OnePlus 13), tons of RAM and storage, nice cameras, good battery life, and quick 67W wired charging. They’re the specs you’d count on from a flagship Android handset.

The magic, nevertheless, is that you can fold the Razr Extremely shut every time you need, making it good for one-handed use or slipping into a good pocket or bag. It’s a degree of portability the TriFold won’t ever be capable to provide, and if you haven’t thought of this facet of foldable life, I extremely suggest it — particularly since doing so will price you $1,600 lower than the TriFold.