Galaxy Z Fold 7, Tri-Fold May Feature Titanium Backplates for Slimmer Design

Samsung is gearing up to launch its next-generation book-style foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and its first tri-fold device, apparently called the Galaxy G Fold. Thanks to leaks, we already have a pretty good idea of what to expect from both foldable devices. Now, a fresh leak reveals that both devices use titanium material for the backplate, which is quite impressive.

Leak reveals titanium backplates for upcoming foldable devices

Recent reports suggest Samsung aims to make its phones slimmer and lighter. It recently launched an ultra-slim flagship, the Galaxy S25 Edge, measuring just 5.8mm thick. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is also rumored to be 3.9mm thick when unfolded and 8.9mm when folded. The use of titanium in certain parts of the phone could help the company achieve a slimmer and lighter design without compromising on its strength.

According to a report from Korean outlet TheElec, Samsung will use titanium for the backplate (support part) of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Tri-Fold smartphone. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time the Korean firm has used titanium on its foldable lineup — we saw this material on last year’s slim foldable model, the Galaxy Z Fold SE.

In case you are unfamiliar with the backplate part, the industry usually calls this part a “built-in hinge”. While this part provides support between the foldable panel and the hinge, it doesn’t actually contain the gears and axles essential for implementing the hinge mechanism. This part adds an etching process to the folding area to help the hinge move smoothly.

Galaxy Z Fold 7 may drop the S Pen digitizer to achieve a slimmer profile

The Korean firm used SUS (Steel Use Stainless) backplates in the Galaxy Fold (2019) and Z Fold 2 (2020). From 2021 to 2024, the company switched to carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) backplate to support the use of the S Pen stylus, which is required for a digitizer sensor. However, the company dropped stylus support and the digitizer with its Galaxy Z Fold SE and implemented a titanium backplate. This helped the company to achieve a thickness of 10.6mm when folded, which is 1.5mm thinner than the Z Fold 6.

According to the outlet, Samsung may follow the same route with the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 7 smartphone. This means that apart from adopting a titanium backplate, the Korean firm may also remove the digitizer to reduce its thickness — the Fold 7 is nearly 2mm thinner than the Z Fold 6. However, it may introduce new technology to enable S Pen support without a digitizer.

As far as launch is concerned, the Galaxy Z Fold 7, along with Z Flip 7, may go official in early July 2025 during the summer Unpacked event. There’s no confirmed launch window for the tri-fold device yet, but rumors suggest it may arrive by the end of 2025.