Why some Android manufacturers have stopped using curved screens

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There was a time when curved screens were considered an indicator of a high-end Android smartphone, with flagship devices opting for these screens instead of the ubiquitous flat-screen design. You can buy curved screen phones from the likes of Samsung, Huawei, LG, and OnePlus. Just look at the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra from 2023, the Huawei Mate 50 Pro from 2022, and the OnePlus 12 from 2023. However, if you look at the current Android smartphone market, it is difficult to find a device with a curved screen. They’ve really fallen out of favor: Samsung ditched its Edge design in the S24 Ultra, and OnePlus followed suit, dropping the OnePlus 13 design in late 2024.

If curved screens were once considered premium and a way to distinguish flagship devices from the rest, why have some companies abandoned them? One of the main disadvantages is their fragility. Compared to flat screens, curved screens are more likely to be damaged if dropped, in part because they expose the screen more to impact. As such, there is a good chance that your phone screen will shatter even from small impacts with a hard surface. And good luck trying to apply a screen protector, because some areas would still be exposed, and even the specialized areas intended for this type of screen didn’t fit perfectly. Even worse, replacing a cracked curved screen was more expensive.

Curved screens also suffer from accidental touches along the edge of the screen, as this is usually the part of the surface that your palm and fingers come into contact with when holding the device. Glare is another Achilles heel for this type of smartphone screen, and it was common to see streaks of light reflecting off the curved edge, especially when using the device in a bright environment.

With all these drawbacks, you might be wondering why curved screens were all the rage at one point, with Android makers offering different models to attract buyers while pursuing bezel-less all-screen models. The main selling point of these screens was largely their aesthetic value. These displays make phones look sleek by offering a high screen-to-body ratio on the front. Additionally, the edge-to-edge design of curved screens provided a more immersive viewing experience, which meant there was less distraction from bezels when performing certain tasks such as watching videos.

Besides the aforementioned benefits of curved displays, some smartphone manufacturers have gone further by leveraging software-level benefits to improve the overall user experience. Samsung, for example, used the edge of the screen to display the current time, battery level, and information from a handful of apps. You can even add your close friends or family and your favorite apps for easy access. Some of these features are still present in modern Samsung phones under the name Edge Panel, which is one of the features exclusive to Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones.

Curved screens have their share of pros and cons. The cons eventually outweighed the pros, and that’s why we don’t see them as much anymore. If you’re a fan of curved smartphone displays and were upset when some of the major Android smartphone companies moved away from these displays, all is not lost – or at least not yet. These screens may not be common today, but some Android manufacturers still make phones with curved screens.

Motorola is a good example. Most of the phones in the company’s Edge series of devices feature a curved screen on the edge, perfect for anyone who wants a phone with such a screen. There are a variety of models in Motorola’s Edge series that you can choose from, such as the Motorola Edge 60 Pro, Motorola Edge 70 Fusion, and the Motorola Edge 2025. Another company that launched a curved screen smartphone recently is Tecno, which introduced its Tecno Slim 5G in India.

Rumor has it that Apple could introduce a curved screen on the 20th anniversary iPhone, which would be a big change for the American technology company. If this happens, we could see this type of screen become popular, as many smartphone manufacturers generally follow in Apple’s footsteps.