New world 18: 9

The aspect ratio in smartphone screens is undergoing changes, so the diagonal indicator in comparison with screens with different aspect ratios will only mislead the user.

New world 18: 9

With the release of the LG 5.7 ″ G6, we have officially entered the era of smartphones with an aspect ratio of 18: 9. Longer displays will be the main trend in phones in 2017, rumored to be picked up by Samsung, whose 5.8 “and 6.2” phones will use an 18.5: 9 ratio. Apple could also switch to a display concept with on-screen controls and implement it in the next generation iPhone, which again rumored to use 5.8-inch panels.

In the smartphone world, we are used to relying on diagonal screen measurements as a way to estimate device size: 4.7 – 5 inches for compact smartphones, 5.7 inches and above for phablets. In most cases, this rule worked, because we were dealing with the same aspect ratio – 16: 9, as in most televisions. But as panels with an 18: 9 ratio enter the market, it becomes a great temptation to compare the diagonals of new products with their predecessors. And at this point, the possibility of misinterpretation arises.

The size difference is hilarious here. pic.twitter .com/Lq4BtbaqHR

– Andrew Martonik (@andrewmartonik) March 8, 2017

Consider the above devices HTC U Ultra and LG G6. The diagonal of the screens of both smartphones is 5.7 ″, which means the active part of the display from corner to corner (with some rounding off the manufacturer's intention). But with the naked eye it is noticeable that the screen in HTC U Ultra is much larger, the whole point is in its basic geometric characteristics, namely, a relatively larger screen area.

We used a measuring tape, took readings of the areas of the device screens and got the following results:

  • LG G6: 86.5 cm²
  • HTC U Ultra: 90.2cm²
  • Well, to be sure, let's add the result of Nexus 6P: 90.7 cm²

The diagonal of the screen does not always give complete information. In this case, smartphones with an aspect ratio of 16: 9 have a larger screen area. Of course, they are much wider, which is not very good for the usability with one hand. But the bottom line is that the sizes are different. The 16: 9 display at 5.7 ″ is different in size from the 18: 9 display at the same diagonal. Therefore, do not expect the 5.8 ″ Galaxy S8 to have the same area as the Note 5 or S6 Edge phablets. The screen will be longer, you will have more lines available in email and web content, but the screen area will be strikingly different. A similar position applies to the Galaxy S8 Plus, whose physical dimensions are almost identical to those of the Note 7.

You can get even more confused if you remember that the G6 has on-screen keys that eat up extra space from the diagonal of 5.7 inches, while in HTC Ultra U with capacitive keys under the screen this does not happen. If you exclude the part of the screen occupied by the keys from the measurement, the screen area of ​​the G6 is reduced to 80.5 cm². Of course, many applications 'know' how to hide these keys and use the entire display. That factor alone should make the Galaxy S8 feel like a 5.2-inch to 5.5-inch device, especially for previous Galaxy users who are accustomed to using under-screen keys. Sizes of devices according to OnLeaks version are presented below, transition to the enlarged image by clicking.

OK so this one is the very last one. Now please, let me alone !!! ? #Samsung # GalaxyS8 # GalaxyS8Plus @Butler_Speaks pic.twitter.com/zH0n9OutJa

– Steve H. (@OnLeaks) March 9, 2017

All this to talk about how the news that the LG G6 and its 'peers' provide 'more screen' in a more compact form factor is supposedly nonsense. G6 is significantly smaller iPhone 7 Plus, while the screen area of ​​a smartphone from LG is slightly larger – 86.5 cm² versus 84.5 cm² in iPhone with a 5.5-inch diagonal.

The conclusion is that with the same diagonal, a 16: 9 display will be larger than an 18: 9 display due to its geometry. Trying to compare two such screens will be misleading at best. The most accurate way to estimate screen size is to measure its active surface area. Therefore, until manufacturers begin to indicate this figure on the boxes with devices, you and I will have to use common sense in order to break through marketing barriers and understand the real state of affairs.

Original material by Alex Doby

It is in the features of the displays of new flagship smartphones described by the author that the reason lies in the fact that I still cannot consider the upcoming flagships as a replacement for my bouncy old man Note 4. For example, I cannot use iPhone without the Plus prefix, I cannot the width of the screen is enough, so the smartphone every now and then strives to jump out of hand. So all hope is on the Note 8. Do you think you can get used to the new aspect ratio?

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