Why Foldable Phones Can Lose Value Faster

A Galaxy Z Fold launches at over £1,700 and a Z Flip in the £1,000–£1,200 range. The used market for both moves quickly. Two years in, both can sit at less than half their launch price — and the reasons are mechanical, not commercial.

1. Hinge wear is a real cost

Samsung rates the Z Fold and Z Flip hinges at around 200,000 folds. That's plenty for most users, but the hinge is a moving part with springs and small mechanisms inside it. At resale we check:

• Tension — does it hold position at 90°, or does it sag closed?
• Snap — is the closing snap firm or has it gone soft?
• Debris — has anything got into the hinge mechanism (sand, lint, grit)?
• Gap — does the device close flush, or is there a visible gap?

A hinge replacement isn't a small repair. On Z Fold models it can mean replacing the entire chassis assembly, which is why hinge wear is one of the heaviest single deductions on a foldable valuation.

2. The inner display is glass underneath, plastic on top

Inner foldable displays are flexible OLED panels with a layered protective film on top. The film picks up scratches easily and can develop bubbles or peeling around the crease over time. Even a small mark across the fold line is visible because that's exactly where the eye lands.

The crease itself deepens with use. New foldables ship with a barely visible crease; well-used ones can develop a noticeable groove. None of that breaks the phone, but it all moves the second-hand price.

3. Repair costs sit at the top of the table

4. The buyer pool is smaller

Foldables are a niche within a niche. The second-hand audience for a Z Fold is much smaller than the audience for an S24 Ultra at the same price point. That means fewer buyers compete for each unit, and resellers price-in slower stock turnover. None of that is the seller's fault — but it shows up in the offer.

5. New launches reset the market quickly

Each new foldable generation is the headline launch of its product line. When the Z Fold 6 lands, the Z Fold 5 used market re-prices within weeks, more aggressively than an equivalent slab-phone generation change. The same pattern applies to Z Flip generations.

What makes a foldable hold value better

• Original screen protector intact — if the inner film hasn't been peeled, the panel underneath is in much better shape
• Light use, no debris in the hinge — clean fold action without grit or sand
• Boxed and complete — chargers, cables and any included cases all support the offer
• Network unlocked — broadens the buyer pool, which on foldables matters more than on slab phones

What to photograph before requesting an estimate

• Phone fully open and flat, inner display on a plain background, lit at an angle so the crease is visible
• Phone half-folded at around 90° so the hinge tension is visible
• Phone fully closed showing whether it sits flush or with a gap
• Close-ups of any inner-film bubbling, peeling or dead lines along the fold
• Outer cover screen, frame edges and the hinge spine

Selling a foldable

Start a valuation at Sell My Phone, or jump to a model page: Galaxy Z Fold 7 · Galaxy Z Flip 7. For wider Galaxy guidance see the Sell My Samsung hub.

Common questions