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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(Score: 2) by opinionated_science on Thursday July 19 2018, @12:00PM (8 children)
As bipeds, how long can the pockets get ;-)
(Score: 2) by AndyTheAbsurd on Thursday July 19 2018, @12:05PM
Theoretically, the pockets can be as long as you're willing to drag behind you.
Realistically, the limit is probably somewhere below 75% of the length of the femur.
Please note my username before responding. You may have been trolled.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Thursday July 19 2018, @12:19PM (1 child)
Is that a smartphone in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?
Account abandoned.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 19 2018, @02:56PM
Can't it be both?
(Score: 2) by EvilSS on Thursday July 19 2018, @01:14PM
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday July 19 2018, @01:53PM (3 children)
Wake me when there is a smartphone with a 180:9 aspect ratio.
Zzzzzzzzzzzz.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 2) by Dr Spin on Thursday July 19 2018, @02:45PM (2 children)
I would like to see a
comparisondetailed analysis of 18:9 vs 4:2, or may be even 2:1.However, I want a 3:2 screen in my next phone.
Warning: Opening your mouth may invalidate your brain!
(Score: 4, Insightful) by bob_super on Thursday July 19 2018, @04:52PM (1 child)
https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/blackberry-keytwo-news-and-rumors/ [digitaltrends.com]
(Score: 2) by kazzie on Thursday July 19 2018, @07:27PM
Likewise last year's keyOne.
(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.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday July 19 2018, @12:38PM
1.5-2 inch diameter squares and circles [soylentnews.org]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by axsdenied on Thursday July 19 2018, @01:11PM (6 children)
Isn't this backwards? Unless I am mistaken the 18:9 shape is longer and narrower than 16:9. So the phones are actually getting taller and narrower (and wider when held horizontally) unlike the conclusion from the article.
(Score: 4, Funny) by EvilSS on Thursday July 19 2018, @01:15PM (1 child)
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Thursday July 19 2018, @06:47PM
"The"? Every smartphone video I see on the news was shot in portrait mode. Remember, half the world's population has an IQ less than 100.
mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
(Score: 3, Funny) by c0lo on Thursday July 19 2018, @01:52PM
Actually, it is.
It is as backward as iPhone5 [youtube.com]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 19 2018, @03:54PM (1 child)
They're saying that being tall and narrow is now a feature for ALL phones, not just flagships.
(Score: 2) by axsdenied on Friday July 20 2018, @02:43AM
Thanks, that clears it up.
I understood the sentence "The taller, narrower shape is no longer a flagship feature..." as something else is now the flagship feature, i.e. not taller and narrow shape.
(English not the first language).
(Score: 4, Insightful) by krishnoid on Thursday July 19 2018, @06:00PM
I'm more concerned about HD content no longer matching the smartphones. I don't know what we have to gain from creating another aspect ratio 'standard'.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 19 2018, @01:26PM (3 children)
My half-decade old Nexus 5 that cost $350 new has a 16:9 display.
(Score: 2) by kazzie on Thursday July 19 2018, @02:23PM
And my Blackberry KeyOne (2017) has a 3:2 ratio display.*
It probably would have been 16:9 if not for the physical keyboard below the screen.
*Matches my DSLR camera.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 19 2018, @02:38PM (1 child)
What's with the "to 9" (18:9) designation? This new shape looks like 2:1 to me.
It also looks like a great way for the manufacturer to save on screen cost, since they can accurately measure it as a "6 inch diagonal" screen* right on down to an array of 2 pixels x 6" of pixels. Was going to write 1 pixel, but then the measurement wouldn't be diagonal...
[*] Or ~150mm for the rest of the world
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 20 2018, @01:39AM
Pixels aren't zero-dimensional...
(Score: 3, Touché) by SomeGuy on Thursday July 19 2018, @02:16PM (2 children)
And next year's shape will be... triangles! Because different! Our advertising and social media astroturfing will once again convince you they are the best thing since sliced bread. And you consumertards will eat them up like hotcakes!
Don't forget to throw all the ooooold ones in the trash.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday July 19 2018, @02:26PM
Just wait until you use a dual-triangle display.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by kazzie on Thursday July 19 2018, @02:30PM
Actually, triangles are a good choice for device security in our world, as they're inherently strong and stable in a 3D space.
I wonder if Nintendo have jumped on the bandwagon yet. [nintendolife.com] The UK's Prime Minister Theresa May certainly did [theguardian.com] but it somehow backfired on her at the last election.
(Score: 2) by ilsa on Thursday July 19 2018, @04:59PM (4 children)
18:9? Are people just too lazy to reduce their fractions, or is there a reason people are expressing ratios with unnecessary complexity?
(Score: 4, Touché) by bob_super on Thursday July 19 2018, @05:06PM
It's MOAR! than 16/9.
2:1 is for losers! Our new phone will be 22/11 in ads to geeks, 24/12 in ads for US non-geek men, but 30/15 for men in metric countries, and Size 4/2 for US women.
And it is 18/9 for those people who can't do math and just need to be told it's MOAR than their puny 16/9
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Thursday July 19 2018, @06:50PM (2 children)
It's always been standard to express aspect ratios like that. You can always convert it in your head.
mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Thursday July 19 2018, @09:07PM (1 child)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspect_ratio_(image) [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday July 19 2018, @09:15PM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspect_ratio_(image)#18:9_(2:1) [wikipedia.org] ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Friday July 20 2018, @11:42AM
I saw the title of the article and hoped feverishly for a icosahedron phone. Circles, squares, rectangles....fuck, those have already been done to death...nothing 'new' there.
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.