As smartphone design pushes boundaries, curved edge and foldable displays attract attention for their futuristic appeal and complex engineering. Yet for the secondary mobile industry, these design shifts raise a crucial question: do such innovations enhance resale potential or expose the trade-in market to higher risk? NSYS, a company that provides software and robotics automated processing and grading systems, concluded in a survey that while both categories inspire consumer curiosity, they also introduce measurable challenges across diagnostics, repairability, and value retention. The latest industry data confirms that beauty and innovation often come at a cost.
Curved screens complicate refurbishment
Curved display phones deliver striking aesthetics through glass that bends around the edges, offering an immersive viewing experience. However, this very design introduces fragility. Edge glass cracks more easily, and even small impacts can disrupt touch sensitivity or OLED performance. Standard screen protectors and cases often fail to fit precisely, further increasing the chance of damage. Repairing curved screens remains significantly more complex and expensive than flat ones due to the adhesive layers and curvature of the display. Automated diagnostic tools also need specific calibration, as touch misalignment near the edges can lead to inaccurate test results. All these factors elevate testing time, cost per unit, and ultimately affect resale margins.
Foldable phones raise durability doubts
Foldable phones promise versatility: tablet-sized screens that fold into compact formats. Yet despite strong marketing, global adoption remains limited. According to Counterpoint Research, foldable shipments are expected to decline by about 4% in 2025, marking the first slowdown since their debut. Durability remains the key issue. Repeated folding causes hinge wear, mechanical failure, and visible creases along the fold line. Dust ingress can further damage internal layers, and repairs are notoriously expensive. Replacement screens can cost nearly as much as the phone itself, discouraging both consumers and refurbishers.
Resale data shows steep value loss
Recent research from SellCell shows that foldable smartphones lose an average of 62.3% of their value within the first six months, around 15.4% more than standard devices, which depreciate roughly 49.8%. Samsung’s foldables suffer the sharpest decline at 63.7%, while Google’s Pixel Fold series drops by about 58.1%. OnePlus performs best among major brands, with a 55.2% loss. Such steep depreciation reflects buyer hesitation over long-term durability and repair costs. For buy-back platforms, this volatility translates to tighter profit margins and unpredictable resale pricing.
Balancing innovation with operational reality
Curved and foldable devices highlight a growing divide between design innovation and market sustainability. For now, these models remain niche products, less than 2% of global smartphone sales in 2025 according to Mordor Intelligence. For secondary-market professionals, the lesson is clear: these devices should be approached as high-risk premium stock. Success depends on precise diagnostics, adapted valuation models, and data-driven monitoring of defect rates and resale velocity. As testing automation and analytics improve, the industry can manage these complex designs more efficiently, but caution remains essential.
Market
Trade-in
Repair
Refurbishing
