Connect with us

Technologies

I Tried the Galaxy Z TriFold at a Dubai Store and Its Design Made Me a Fan

Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold impressed me with its smart design choices despite being a less versatile folding phone than the Huawei Mate XT.

I was skeptical about Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold ahead of its launch. On paper, it looked like the Korean company was trading functionality for durability, resulting in another 2-in-1 foldable device rather than a true all-in-one trifold phone like the Huawei Mate XT. However, I spent 20 minutes using and folding the Z TriFold at a Samsung store in Dubai, and even that brief interaction was enough to put my skepticism to rest.

The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold is essentially a wide-screen tablet that folds into a phone to fit inside your pocket. It might seem like a simple concept, but Samsung made several smart design decisions here that make the Z TriFold better than the rivals.

Samsung designed the foldable with two separate hinges of different sizes in order for its 10-inch screen to fold twice. The right hinge is similar to the one found on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, but the left hinge is wider and accommodates the thickness created by two of the three sections being stacked on one another when closed. The wider right hinge feels like a spring and popped open as soon as I started to unfold it. This responsiveness gives the Z TriFold a distinct ergonomic advantage when unfolding the device.

The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold is divided into three panels (hence the name). The right-most panel is actually slightly wider than the rest, creating an edge that protrudes out slightly when folded. That edge makes unfolding the phone significantly more intuitive as it’s easy for my finger to find and push open. I struggled to unfold the Huawei Mate XT, the flat-sided Galaxy Z Fold 7, as well as the Honor Magic V5 with its curved sides. In contrast, the TriFold’s protruding edge gives me a solid lip that makes it  breeze to open.

Initially I didn’t take Samsung’s announcement blog post seriously when I read that the «folding mechanism has been precisely engineered for easy opening and closing, with an auto-alarm alerting the user of incorrect folding.» But in practice, the auto-alarm is shrewdly implemented and essential to this design. It makes the TriFold difficult for a person to fold incorrectly.

Three panels and two hinges means the existence of not one, but two screen creases. Some people just can’t get past having a crease on their phone’s display, especially since it can become more conspicuous the more you fold it. I couldn’t feel either crease when running my finger across the Z TriFold’s screen. Comparatively, I can distinctly feel both creases on my Huawei trifold’s display. Samsung surprised me earlier this year with it’s overhaul of the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s hinge design which by consequence minimized the depth of the crease on its folding screen. It seems that Samsung took those learnings and applied them to the Galaxy Z TriFold.

Like the Fold 7, the crease appears virtually non-existent on the Galaxy Z TriFold unless you are looking at it from an extreme angle. It likely won’t bother most people, even when using the phone unfolded in wide-screen tablet mode. Overhead room lighting might reflect on the Z TriFold’s screen and creases in a way that might bother some people.

Samsung vs. Huawei: Two distinct trifold designs

Samsung and Huawei have taken two different approaches to their TriFold phones. I find Huawei’s Z-shaped design to be more flexible than its Samsung U-shaped counterpart in terms of pure functionality. Huawei opted for a single screen that converts into three distinct form factors: a smartphone, a mini-tablet (one side unfolded), and a wide-screen tablet (both sides unfolded).

In comparison, Samsung skips the mini-tablet design entirely. The Galaxy Z TriFold can be either fully folded or fully unfolded. If you unfold the Galaxy TriFold just once, it won’t allow you to use it for anything. And that limits its usefulness.

After using the Huawei Mate XT full-time, I hoped that Samsung’s Z TriFold phone would be a similar all-in-one device. I love using the Huawei trifold as a book-style mini tablet (with just one side open) for reading and browsing on commutes. But I won’t be able to do that with the Z Trifold. Samsung’s choice limits versatility, but it could be a massive win for durability. 

Huawei’s soft folding display is exposed at all times, whereas Samsung’s design protects the inner screen when it is folded shut. It’s a calculated trade-off: durability in the long-term at the expense of not having a mini-tablet mode (one side opened). I am not in favor of it. But I want any device that I’m paying $3,000 for to last me as long as it can, so I welcome the durability.

Then there are the software differences between the two trifold phone. The Mate XT’s operating system runs smoothly enough but its UI looks dated. I have to jump through hoops to install the Google Play Store on the Huawei trifold. So it was refreshing to use the new Samsung TriFold by comparison, which runs Android 16-based One UI 8. The software is clearly optimized for the Z TriFold’s massive canvas. It lets you run three windows side by side and add multiple pop-up windows for the ultimate form of multitasking. It also allows you to create separate workspaces (similar to Desktops on MacOS and Windows) with just two taps.

Magnets could’ve been useful

The Galaxy Z TriFold doesn’t have a built-in kickstand (think Nintendo Switch) or support for Qi2.2 magnetic accessories (like Apple’s MagSafe). And not having either makes it a challenge to work on it as a wide-screen tablet. Samsung should’ve included MagSafe-like magnetic accessory support so I could add a magnetic stand (think PixelSnap Ring) and easily prop it up. Then I could pair the Z TriFold with a mouse and keyboard to use like a 2-in-1 laptop.

If you want to use the Z TriFold’s 10-inch screen as a tablet and be productive, you need a kickstand. Without built-in magnets, you’re forced to find a case with a kickstand, which will inevitably make an already thick phone unwieldy. A snap-and-go magnetic stand would have been the perfect solution.

After my brief time with Samsung’s newest foldable, I have to say that the Galaxy Z TriFold is a promising device — one that might surprise a lot of people. I wish it were thinner when folded closed, but Samsung’s smart design choices have me excited for the future of folding phones.

Related Topics:

Technologies

Turns Out Perplexity Might Be the Sleeper Feature on Samsung’s Galaxy S26

Having Perplexity’s AI and models on devices from the world’s biggest phone-maker puts the company under a brighter light.

There were plenty of references to AI at today’s Galaxy Unpacked event. But Samsung isn’t alone; nearly every major smartphone launch in recent years has included new AI features or partnerships with AI companies.

Samsung launched its latest iteration of Galaxy AI, debuting it alongside Galaxy S26 phones. This follows weekend news that the company plans to integrate Perplexity’s AI agent — and even support a «Hey Plex» wake word — on its new phones. But the partnership appears to go beyond simply giving Samsung users another AI option.

Since late 2023, phone-makers have been leapfrogging one another to add generative AI features and integrate AI agents. Nearly every new Android phone supports Google’s Gemini assistant. Apple’s iPhones integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT into the phone’s Visual Intelligence feature and its Siri overhaul will incorporate Google’s Gemini AI models.

While Perplexity has partnered with phone-makers such as Motorola to preload its app — and has been integrated into devices for Deutsche Telekom — having its AI and models built directly into phones from the world’s largest manufacturer puts the company on a much bigger stage. It marks a shift toward AI agents being just another tool people choose to use, much like a phone app.

«The first step toward an agentic mobile ecosystem is the user getting to choose whatever agent they want,» Dmitry Shevelenko, Perplexity’s chief business officer, told CNET. «I think this is where Samsung is taking a big, big leap forward.»

Perplexity’s Sonar API powers aspects of Samsung’s Galaxy AI ecosystem. Shevelenko said that the company’s engineers worked closely with Samsung’s team to revamp its Bixby assistant at the framework level, getting deep system access. He noted that it’s the first time a third-party AI company has achieved parity on a major mobile OS. The Galaxy S26 phones that Samsung announced support the new «Hey Plex» wake word, putting Perplexity shoulder-to-shoulder with Google’s Gemini AI assistant, which is integrated into Android on Samsung devices.

«What’s unique is the only other company that has it is Google, right?» said Shevelenko. «It’s a real paradigm shift for Samsung to be going into a multi-AI direction, where they are giving their users choice. And I think they see this as a strategic differentiator.»

Samsung’s inclusion of Perplexity touches many of the company’s own apps including Calendar, Clock, Gallery, Notes and Reminders. The benefit of structuring Perplexity’s AI deeply into Samsung’s software is that people can have a lighter interaction with their phones. As opposed to unlocking their device, navigating the home page, opening the app and entering a query, people will be able to simply press a button, say, «Hey Plex,» starting their search within seconds.

But the integration of Perplexity isn’t limited to Bixby. Shevelenko said Samsung’s browser, aptly named Internet, includes agentic browsing using Perplexity’s Comet technology as well.

Such a significant moment for Perplexity naturally draws parallels to Apple and its partnership with OpenAI, which has partnered with former Apple designer Jony Ive for its own hardware efforts. When I asked Shevelenko about the possibility of Perplexity making its own phone or hardware, he responded emphatically, «No.»

«We are laser-focused on working with all the best OEMs,» he said. «Our thing we’re world-class at is building accurate AI that is easy to use and delightful to use and growing that curiosity.»

And while we wait for Samsung to announce new phones, it’ll be interesting to see how Galaxy phone owners use the phone’s AI agents. Soon, people could say, «Hey Google» into their Samsung devices to prompt Gemini, or «Hey Plex» to trigger a query with Perplexity. And options are usually a good thing.

Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Continue Reading

Technologies

ADT Acquires AI Company for Sensing People and Activity in Your Home

ADT’s acquisition of Origin AI brings presence-sensing technology under the home security company’s umbrella.

ADT on Tuesday announced an interesting new acquisition for anyone looking to the future of home security — and it’s no surprise AI is a part of the story. In a $170 million deal, ADT has purchased Origin AI, which specializes in people detection in spaces like the inside of your home, something the security company is calling AI-sensing technology.

ADT has not disclosed specific plans for AI technology, but this comes at a time when concerns about corporate surveillance by companies like Ring and Flock have reached a fever pitch.

«ADT has been testing and evaluating Origin’s technology pre-acquisition,» ADT Chief Business Officer Omar Kahn told me. «In 2026, the focus is on integrating the technology into ADT’s platform, with commercialization expected to begin in 2027.»

Presence sensing doesn’t sound like the chatty, summary-creating large language models we consider AI these days, nor the person and car recognition features companies like Flock use. It’s a system that analyzes home Wi-Fi frequencies for disruptions. The AI is trained in pattern recognition to identify which disruptions indicate that humans are at home (ignoring pets) and what they may be doing.

The technology has cropped up in many spots over the past couple of years. I’ve seen it before with aging-in-place technology and Philips Hue’s newest smart bulbs, but most recently with Aqara’s sensor at CES 2026, which can detect when multiple people are congregating, standing, sitting or lying down. 

How does presence sensing affect people’s privacy?

It’s not clear how ADT will use Origin’s presence sensing in its home security systems, though the company did mention smart automation, personalization and reducing false alarms. In one example, it could automatically adjust an ADT-supported thermostat when multiple people are detected moving around a house. But that also raises privacy questions.

Presence sensing, like Origin’s tech, has certain privacy benefits. It doesn’t use cameras to film anyone or save video recordings of people, and it doesn’t create identity profiles based on someone’s face or other data. It can’t tell who is in a house, only where they are and how/when they are moving around (or not moving).

That allows for capabilities such as notifying a nursing home that a resident hasn’t gotten out of bed when they usually do, without invasive investigation. But the technology also raises privacy concerns: A company could know when people in their own home are in bed, watching TV, or sitting to eat dinner, even if it can’t identify them by name.

ADT calls features like these home awareness, but also mentions municipal compliance and coordination with first responders. That could mean giving firefighters information on how many people are in a burning building. But there are concerns. Recent news reports indicate that some local law enforcement agencies have shared information with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement for use in home and apartment raids, raising the possibility that the technology could be applied in similar contexts.

The technology’s implications may ultimately hinge on how ADT chooses to implement and regulate it. Until those details are clearer, its promise and its risks remain closely intertwined.

Continue Reading

Technologies

New York Times Debuts the Midi Crossword, Its In-Between Puzzle

Is the Mini Crossword too easy, but the original one just too time-consuming? Here’s your new puzzle.

The daily New York Times Mini Crossword can be solved in a minute or so, while the newspaper’s iconic original crossword puzzle might take hours. Now, puzzlers who want an in-between diversion can try a new puzzle from the Times, introduced this week — the Midi Crossword puzzle. (And CNET readers can get daily answers for five Times puzzles — Wordle, Connections, Strands, Connections: Sports Edition and the Mini Crossword.)

New York Times Games subscribers can play the Midi in the New York Times Games app for iOS and Android devices, or on mobile or desktop web. It’s online-only, not in the print newspaper. 

«We’re really leaning into the digital-first nature of the puzzle,» NYT Games Puzzle Editor Ian Livengood said in a Times article about the new puzzle. «About once a week, the puzzle will have a visual effect — an extra flourish when you start or after you solve. This could be a cool animation or colorful shading.»

As the name «Midi» suggests, this is a mid-sized crossword puzzle. Where the Mini Crossword usually only has 5 Across and 5 Down clues, the Midi is usually a 9-by-9 puzzle, sometimes as long as 11-by-11.

«If you feel like the Mini is not enough but the Daily is too much, this will be the perfect puzzle for you,» Livengood said.

Each Midi Crossword has a theme that hints at the topics of the clues and answers. Unlike the other puzzles, Livengood says the Midi might occasionally have two-letter words and repeating answers.

I tried the Midi Crossword

I tried Wednesday’s Midi Crossword and solved it in just over 3 minutes. That’s much longer than I spend on the Mini Crossword, but much faster than the original New York Times crossword puzzle takes me. 

I thought most of the clues were pretty simple, and the few tricky ones filled themselves in once I moved from Across to Down.

If you’re a New York Times Games subscriber, this is a nice addition to your daily puzzle stable. It tests your mind a bit more than the Mini, but you can also solve it while watching TV or waiting for someone to text you back.

Continue Reading

Trending