Technologies

I’m Excited for Samsung’s Trifold Phone, but Its Design Might Be a Weak Spot

Commentary: Samsung’s trifold foldable might not be as similar to the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate as I thought. And that has me worried.

Ever since I first used Huawei’s trifold phone, the Mate XT Ultimate, I have wanted Samsung to launch a similar foldable. Lucky for me, rumors suggest that Samsung has been developing one for a long time and that the new foldable will be released on Dec. 5, in just a couple of weeks. On an earnings call in August, which Seeking Alpha shared, Samsung teased its triple-screen foldable, saying it aims to be a leader in «innovative form factors like the upcoming trifold device.»

I look forward to Samsung’s trifold because Huawei’s trifold phone, which I have used, is brilliant. I should mention that neither device folds three times; each only has two hinges, which segments the screen into three sections, hence the name. And yes, calling either of these phones a trifold makes as much sense as calling a horizontal board with two wheels a hoverboard.

The Huawei Mate XT Ultimate has two hinges that allow it to fold into a Z-shape. These hinges also let it transform into several devices. Unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which has a single hinge and can be used as either a phone or a mini tablet, Huawei’s device can function as a standard phone, a small tablet, or a full-size tablet. Huawei’s trifold phone has one of the most useful designs I’ve tested, with an interface that is as inventive as it is intuitive. As rumors about Samsung’s trifold phone leaked, I kept imagining how its phone could take what Huawei did to the next level.

But then Samsung showcased its dual-hinge phone at a tech exhibition during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit in South Korea, where The Chosun Daily filmed the Galaxy trifold in all its glory. When I saw the video, I was worried. This isn’t what I hoped for. From what I saw, Samsung’s trifold might not live up to my expectations. I’m sure it’ll have unique use cases with its big tablet-size folding screen, but it might miss the mark.

Huawei vs. Samsung trifold: Two hinges and two different designs

Both the Huawei Mate XT and Samsung’s upcoming trifold phone have two hinges, but there are major hardware differences between the two devices.

First, the Mate XT’s hinges fold in opposite directions, giving it a Z-shape. In comparison, Samsung has designed the two hinges to fold in the same direction — inward, to form a G-shape. As CNET’s David Lumb reported, it is ironic that the company with a Z-series of folding phones didn’t adopt that shape and format for its trifold.

Second, the Huawei trifold has a single screen that unfolds into a bigger display. On the other hand, Samsung has added a separate cover screen because you can’t access the inner screen once it is folded closed.

Both these design choices come with their own share of durability and functionality concerns.

Huawei’s design is more flexible than its Samsung counterpart in terms of functionality. The Mate XT has only one display, but that screen is large and can convert into three smartphone/tablet designs — at least that’s why I had always thought people called this a trifold phone, despite folding only twice. You can use the Mate XT like a regular phone (fully folded), a book-style foldable (one hinge folded and the other unfolded) and a tablet (fully unfolded).

In comparison, Samsung will likely offer two ways to use its trifold device — as a phone or a tablet. Samsung’s design could protect the inner display when it’s closed, but there’s a separate screen for external use, like the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Huawei’s trifold has its soft folding display exposed at all times. Samsung’s design may prove to be more durable in the long term, but it also limits the device’s functionality.

The whole point of using a trifold is to have a three-in-one device in your pocket, and that’s why I think Huawei’s design makes more sense.

All this harkens back to the early days of book-style versus taco-style foldable designs. Book-style versions, such as the original Galaxy Fold, had a screen that folded in half and was protected inside the phone’s body when shut. Taco-style variants, like the original Huawei Mate X, had a screen that bent in half to wrap around the outside of the phone like a taco shell: always visible, less protected.

It’s all about the aspect ratios

I didn’t expect to like the Huawei Mate XT when I first started using it. After all, it is (comparatively) thick and weighs 298 grams. However, I saw unique use cases once I started traveling with the phone. I used it for reading, browsing, multitasking, watching my favorite movies and playing games, among other things. I also installed Google apps, which eliminated the need to carry a separate tablet for content consumption or productivity-focused tasks.

Huawei Mate XT Ultimate measures 3.6mm thin when fully unfolded and 12.8mm thick when folded. For context, the Apple iPhone Air is 5.6mm thick, whereas Samsung’s 2024 Galaxy Z Fold 6 measured 12.1mm when folded. (The Galaxy Z Fold 6 launched in the same year as Huawei’s trifold.)

When I use the Galaxy Z Fold 7, I’m mostly on the cover screen for browsing and reading, just as I would with any other phone, and rarely unfold it — mostly because it is so thin when closed. I only open it up to watch a video, but when I do, the letterboxing on the main screen drives me nuts. (It always does, even on the 13-inch iPad Air.) So, I tend to use the hinge to prop it up and watch videos on half the screen.

But in my time with the Huawei trifold, I unfold it much more to use as a mini tablet for browsing and reading, and I unfurl it completely when I want a truly immersive movie-watching experience on its full 10.2-inch main screen.

The Huawei Mate XT Ultimate gives you three different screen experiences, depending on how many of its segments you have opened or closed. It’s a 6.4-inch screen with a 2,232×1,008-pixel resolution (think Pixel 10 Pro Fold‘s cover screen), a 7.9-inch display with 2,232×2,048 pixels (think a little smaller than the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s main screen), and a 10.2-inch screen with a 3,184×2,232-pixel resolution (think nearly the size of an iPad).

Unlike a book-style foldable (like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold), when the Huawei Mate XT is completely unfolded, its 10.2-inch screen offers a 16:11 aspect ratio, which is closer to what you’d get on a MacBook Air‘s 16:10 display, so there’s less letterboxing when watching movies, TV shows or YouTube videos. It also retains the reading-friendly square-ish aspect ratio of a book-style foldable and folds into a «normal» proportioned phone.

In comparison, the Samsung trifold is likely to skip the option of having it transform into a book-style mini tablet. Samsung’s trifold device will feature a 6.5-inch outer screen and a tablet-size 10-inch folding display, according to the report by The Chosun Daily. This would allow Samsung to have two distinct two-in-one fold phones: a book-style foldable for productivity-focused workloads (Galaxy Z Fold) and a G-shaped fold for better content consumption (the Galaxy trifold).

However, after using the Huawei trifold full time, I want a phone with two hinges to be an all-in-one device, one that I can use as a phone and also unfold into a book-style mini tablet for reading/browsing, as well as into a full-size tablet to watch movies on the go. I found the Mate XT Ultimate especially handy during long commutes or long-haul flights due to its three distinct forms.

As for durability, I haven’t noticed any scratches on my Mate XT after a month of heavy use. The two creases have held up well, and the hinges are as strong as ever, too. When traveling, I always make sure to use the included case, which protects the always-exposed side of the screen. I can even use the case’s built-in kickstand to prop it up when the screen is fully unfolded. I even dropped the phone once, but thankfully, it didn’t break.

I am still excited to see what Samsung has to offer with its new folding phone. I understand the G-shaped design might increase the phone’s durability (compared to the Mate XT Ultimate) and that the South Korean company probably needs to have a mass-production device ready. However, Huawei has already sold more than 470,000 Mate XT trifolds, according to an IDC report (via CNBC). If I’m paying $3,000 for a trifold phone, I shouldn’t have to choose one with a screen that doesn’t allow me the design that I want. I’d rather have the Mate XT Ultimate, where I can have it all.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for March 18, #1011

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for March 18 #1011.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is pretty tricky, but musicians might find the blue group easy. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Time between two things, maybe.

Green group hint: That smarts!

Blue group hint: Rockers know these well.

Purple group hint: You might write one out to pay a bill.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Interval.

Green group: React to a stubbed toe.

Blue group: Guitar effects pedals.

Purple group: ____ check.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is interval. The four answers are patch, period, spell and stretch.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is react to a stubbed toe. The four answers are curse, hop, wince and yell.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is guitar effects pedals. The four answers are delay, reverb, wah and whammy.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ check. The four answers are blank, coat, rain and reality.

Toughest Connections puzzles

We’ve made a note of some of the toughest Connections puzzles so far. Maybe they’ll help you see patterns in future puzzles.

#5: Included «things you can set,» such as mood, record, table and volleyball.

#4: Included «one in a dozen,» such as egg, juror, month and rose.

#3: Included «streets on screen,» such as Elm, Fear, Jump and Sesame.

#2: Included «power ___» such as nap, plant, Ranger and trip.

#1: Included «things that can run,» such as candidate, faucet, mascara and nose.

Technologies

My Kid Wanted Video Games. I Was Against It. This Console Gave Us Both the Win

The movement-based Nex Playground might be the antidote to parental screen time guilt.

When our 8-year-old started asking for video games, I knew we were about to engage in an uphill battle. Anytime we’ve been to friends’ houses with gaming consoles, he goes full zombie mode, then has an epic meltdown once the sensory overload wears off. And since he inevitably ropes his 6-year-old brother in, we’re essentially sealing both their fates.

So when our neighbors started raving about a movement-based gaming console called Nex Playground, my first instinct was to shut it down. The words «gaming console» alone were enough to put me in a mental block. Add in my own memories of Wii tennis sessions where I nearly took out the ceiling fan, and I was firmly in the «no» camp.

But after doing a little more research, I was intrigued enough to try it out.

Screen time isn’t something I take lightly. With three kids ages 2 to 8, my husband and I have always been intentional about how and what they watch. They don’t have their own tablets, and most of their screen time happens on our family TV, which means whatever the oldest is exposed to quickly trickles down to our toddler. So anything we bring into the house has to work for all of them. Tall order, I know, but the Nex Playground gets surprisingly close.

Getting started is easy

The console itself is refreshingly simple. It’s a small cube, slightly larger than a Rubik’s cube, with a circular camera and motion sensor, a light indicator and two ports for power, and an HDMI connection to the TV. There’s no controller beyond a basic remote for navigating menus. For most games, your body is the controller.

Setup is quick. Plug it in, connect it to your TV, and you’re ready to go. It doesn’t store video or upload footage to the cloud, which was an immediate plus. It also comes with a magnetic privacy cover that you can put on the lens when it’s not in use.

At $250, it’s not cheap, but it’s less than some of the popular gaming consoles for this age range, like the Nintendo Switch 2. That gets you a five-game starter pack: Fruit Ninja, Go Keeper (soccer), Starri (think Guitar Hero for your whole body), Party Fowl (an AR emoji frenzy) and Whack-a-Mole. Additional games require a subscription: $89 a year or $49 for three months, which unlocks a library of 50-plus games and counting. New titles dropped even as I was writing this.

The library spans a surprisingly wide range. There are board game adaptations like Connect Four and Candy Land, character-driven games with Peppa Pig, Bluey and the Ninja Turtles, and sports like baseball and, yes, tennis — minus the ceiling fan hazard. There’s even parent-friendly content like Zumba workouts, which I may or may not have fully committed to on a rainy afternoon.

Even my toddler has gotten in on the action, mostly bouncing her way through Hungry Hungry Hippos when her brothers finally concede.

Gameplay is where it wins

The movements range from swinging your arms to keep a ball in motion, hopping or full-body launches that are far more aggressive than what the game actually requires. (I’m not about to tell the kids otherwise.) After a 45-minute session, my kids are tired and sometimes even drenched in sweat. The Nex Playground entertains and burns energy in one fell swoop.

The graphics also seem intentionally simple and arcade-like, which fits the minimalist play experience. There’s no POV storyline to get lost in, no leveling up into a new world at 9 p.m. on a school night. Some games keep score, which awakens my kids’ competitive streak, but the vibe is more collaborative and hasn’t been the catalyst for more fighting like other games. If anything, it’s done the opposite.

I still don’t love defaulting to a screen when my kids are bored, so we try to use it in moderation. In our house, piano practice is the only thing that unlocks weekend play time, and the fact that they’ll sit at the piano for a full hour tells you everything you need to know.

The verdict that matters most

But the real test: Does it hold up to an 8-year-old who was dead set on a Nintendo Switch?

Short answer: yes. At least for now. He’d still pick the Switch if you asked him, but not for the reasons you’d expect.

«The Playground is more tiring,» he told me, which only helped seal the deal for me. His current favorite is Homerun Hitters. «It’s basically a baseball game where you go against ranked global players. Me and my brother are really good at it.»

This from a kid whose primary hobby is annoying his younger brother. The fact that he said «me and my brother» as a collective was an unexpected bonus.

The Switch may still show up on the Christmas list this year. And realistically, I know I’m on borrowed time. As kids get older, «cool» becomes the currency, and a motion-based cube probably won’t hold up against an Xbox or a Switch once playdates turn into side-by-side gaming sessions.

The Nex Playground isn’t a replacement for those. It’s more of a detour; it gives them a taste of gaming without all the usual side effects. Even if I do eventually cave, I can still see it sticking around for the occasional family game night or as a rainy-day sibling diffuser.

In the meantime, I’ll relish this simpler version of gaming while I still can. He’s not exactly rushing me to return this review unit. More importantly, neither am I.

Technologies

Don’t Wait for New Emoji in iOS 26.4, Here’s How to Create Them on Your Own

If your iPhone has Apple Intelligence, you can create your own emoji now.

Apple will likely add new emoji to your iPhone when the company releases iOS 26.4. Those new emoji could include an orca, a distorted smiley face and more. According to Emojipedia, there are 3,953 emoji with more on the way. The current list of emoji include smileys, sports players, weather conditions and flags. But there’s no emoji for a dog wearing pajamas, a plate with burgers and fries and many other things. But if you have Genmoji on your iPhone you can create these emoji and many more.

Apple released iOS 18.2 in 2024 and the company introduced its own emoji generator, called Genmoji, to Apple Intelligence-capable iPhones at that time. The Unicode Standard, a universal character encoding standard, is responsible for creating new emoji, and approved emoji are added to all devices once a year. With Genmoji, you don’t have to wait for new emoji to appear on your iPhone each year. You can just create them as you need them.

Read on to learn how to use Genmoji on iPhone to create your own custom emoji. Just note that only iPhones with Apple Intelligence, like the iPhone 17 lineup, can use Genmoji at this time.

How to make custom emoji

1. Open Messages and go into a chat.
2. Tap the plus (+) button next to your text box.
3. Tap Genmoji.

You can then type a description of an emoji into the text box near the bottom of your screen and tap the check mark on your keyboard to enter that description into Genmoji. You can also tap different suggestions and themes that are right above the text box. And with iOS 26 or later, you can also combine and use emoji to create others rather than describing a new emoji or using suggestions.

Your iPhone will generate a series of new emoji for you to pick from according to your description, and you can swipe through these new emoji. When you find the one you want, tap Add in the top right corner of your screen and the new emoji will be available to use as an emoji, tapback or a sticker. Now you don’t have to wait for the Unicode Standard to propose, create and bring new emoji to devices.

For more iOS news, here’s what to know about iOS 26.3.1 and iOS 26.3. You can also check out our iOS 26 cheat sheet for other tips and tricks.