Here is the thing about design. If we decide to add or remove a feature, the first question we need to answer is why.
Style should come from function. You should not make something a certain way just to fit a certain style. That is what minimalism is really about.
Minimalism does not mean removing everything. It does not mean turning curves into straight lines, turning straight lines into curves, removing a beam here, or removing a button there. That completely misses the point.
So with that in mind, let us take another look at the wraparound screen, the display on the side, and the ultra-thin design.
What real need does the side display actually serve? Is there something users truly need that cannot be done without a screen on the side? Or is it possible that this need does not even exist in the first place?
And what do we actually gain from making the device extremely thin? What do we give up in return? When you compare the small benefits against the cost, is an ultra-thin body and a side display really worth it?
Most users are going to put a case on the device anyway. Once the side display is covered by the case, all you can really see is some light coming through. The other option is for companies to make cases with the sides cut open, leaving only a thin strip between the front and the side. Otherwise, the very feature that supposedly needs a wraparound side display would stop working properly, would it not?
Good design should put function before form. Style should come naturally from that. It should not be the thing you chase.