Samsung's Trifold Experiment Stumbles as Early Units Fail

Samsung's first foray into a three-fold smartphone is encountering serious problems. The Galaxy Z Fold6 Special Edition, a $1,999 device sold only in South Korea since early 2025, is showing a pattern of hardware failures that calls its readiness into question. Early users are reporting that the inner screens are going dark, with the malfunctions consistently appearing along the device's two fold lines.

Images and videos from Korean online communities show displays with distinct dead zones aligned with the hinges. The issues have emerged in some cases within weeks of purchase. This points to a potential systemic weakness in the complex design, which subjects the flexible display to twice the mechanical stress of a standard foldable phone.

Samsung has not publicly addressed the reports. While some customers have received repairs or replacements under warranty, the company has announced no recall or investigation. This silence is conspicuous. Industry observers believe Samsung is preparing a global launch for a trifold model, aiming to counter rivals like Huawei, which released its own trifold in China last year.

The situation echoes Samsung's troubled 2019 Galaxy Fold launch, which was delayed after review units broke. The company had since improved its foldable durability, but the trifold presents a new tier of engineering challenge. How Samsung handles these early failures will signal whether the technology is poised for a worldwide release or requires a significant redesign. For now, the customers who invested in this premium experiment are left with malfunctioning devices and unanswered questions.