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The shape of the smartphone is changing as a fad turns into a long-term trend, a business analyst has noted.
Analyst outfit IHS Markit said it expected wide aspect ratios – either 18:9 or 18+:9 – to make up two-thirds of new device sales in Q3 of this year. At the start of 2017, the "traditional" 16:9 ratio display was seen on over 95 per cent of phones sold.
The taller, narrower shape is no longer a flagship feature, the company noted.
"Smartphone makers are now aggressively applying 18:9 aspect ratio of TFT LCD to their 2018 models even for mid-end and entry-level smartphones, instead of using high-priced flexible AMOLED panels," said IHS Markit's Hiroshi Hayase.
Still no slide-out keyboards. Lame.
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Official: the Shape of the Smartphone Is Changing Forever
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Remember Darwin; building a better mousetrap merely results in smarter mice.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by fyngyrz on Thursday July 19 2018, @12:24PM (11 children)
The problem right now, as I see it, is the way the touch input extends to the edges of many current phones.
Specifically, unintended touch input at the edges of the smartphones is far too likely to cause interference with what you want to do.
I have a Galaxy S9, and that is by far the most common, and the most annoying, problem I have with it overall.
I end up holding it balanced on my palm. which puts the device at far greater risk of falling out of my hand. I should probably get a velcro glove. :(
(Score: 4, Informative) by inertnet on Thursday July 19 2018, @12:50PM (3 children)
My Cat S60 is the opposite, it has a raised edge, which prevents the screen from getting damaged in a fall. The screen doesn't go all the way to the edge. And it has 3 real tactile navigation buttons on the bottom instead of on the screen.
The just released Cat S61 has the same build, but has better specs all over (4500 mAh battery, better cameras, processor etc).
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 19 2018, @01:42PM (2 children)
Never heard about. Is it produced by that earth-moving equipment manufacturer?
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 19 2018, @03:07PM (1 child)
Branded by. I have an S60 as well. It's great. Rugged, waterproof, infrared camera, long battery life.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by bob_super on Thursday July 19 2018, @04:59PM
If I was going to spend that much money on a phone (and live with the need for big pockets), that'd probably be my first choice.
Finally a phone designed for its customers, not for its designers.
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Thursday July 19 2018, @01:21PM
That happens so much. I touch it in a certain way, it goes nuts. Totally loses its mind. And I don't even have one of those phones where the screen is the whole front. Where it totally covers the front. Except where they have the camera, there's a little dent for the camera. If you know what I mean. But my next phone will be one of those. A lot of my friends have them. And they look FABULOUS!
(Score: 3, Funny) by Alfred on Thursday July 19 2018, @01:36PM (2 children)
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 19 2018, @02:18PM (1 child)
Worf bent the stunned Wesley over the chair. "This won't hurt a bit" he whispered as he slid the velcro glove onto his hand. Shoving his hand up Wesley's ass he admired the boy from behind as he shuddered and squirmed.
(Score: 2) by Alfred on Friday July 20 2018, @01:25PM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 19 2018, @02:09PM
I like the size of my samsung galaxy. I had a play with the edge versions when they came out buy didn't like them. My current plastic case overlaps around the outside by about 1mm to protect the screen which works well. Why would I want a screen that goes to the edge?
The current size of the galaxy's is good.
Pity about the non-removable battery in the later ones. It's a deal breaker for me. I kill phone batteries.
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Thursday July 19 2018, @06:45PM
That's one of the itims in my next "Useful Dead Tech" article, bezels. TVs and monitors without bezels are fine, but smart screen automobile controls are only dumber because they're physically dangerous.
That's the problem with young designers; all techy and cool with no or little thought to WTF the devise will be used for. Another example of horrible design is the size of the damned things. [mcgrew.info] Fine for women, who carry purses, but I need a phone that fits in my pocket.
mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
(Score: 3, Informative) by Marand on Thursday July 19 2018, @11:39PM
It's not perfect, but try replacing the default keyboard with Multiling O Keyboard [google.com]. It's an insanely configurable software keyboard that lets you build arbitrary key layouts (including keys like ctrl and alt if desired), swap between floating and docked, resize on-the-fly, change key sizes, and a bunch more. For a random example, you can even add spacers within a keyboard layout to make a left/right split akin to physical ergonomic keyboards if desired for easier two-thumb typing. I mention it because, in addition to resizing and moving the floats, I believe you can resize the keyboard while "docked" to the bottom both horizontally and vertically, which would give you some fatfinger freedom.
It's not perfect, like I said, though. Building a custom keymap is a bit clunky, its swipe-based input works but is a bit rudimentary, and if you rely heavily on autocomplete it'll take a while to get it guessing the words you want by manually teaching it priorities. Still, I use it because it doesn't have an insane permissions list and I've found nothing else that's even close to as configurable. Plus it doesn't use internet access, unlike most "smart" keyboards including default ones.