A few years ago, many smartphone manufacturers tried to popularize widescreen smartphones. Sony and Motorola were among the first to release devices with unusual 21:9 aspect ratio screens – claiming they were perfect for watching movies, as they provided the classic “Cinemascope” look. However, they also made the phone unusually tall and thin, which surprised some people.
Revisiting one of these phones in 2023 explains why widescreen phones didn’t reach mainstream acceptance at the time. But it also shows that they were actually much more important than we ever gave them credit for.
What makes the Xperia 10 Plus special?
The 21:9 smartphone I’m looking at is the Sony Xperia 10 Plus, which was released in 2019, but it certainly wasn’t the first or only example of this unusual format. LG introduced this format in 2009 with the BL40 New Chocolate, but the widescreen disappeared for the next 10 years when Sony suddenly rekindled interest in it.
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For this first edition of the 21:9 phone, the Xperia 10 Plus was the middle device in a trio of devices, joined by the Xperia 10 and the top-of-the-range Xperia 1. Sony continued to keep 21:9 aspect ratio screens on many smartphones for several years, including the 2022 Xperia 5 IV. Around the same time as Sony’s exploits, Motorola also used widescreen on phones like the Motorola One and Motorola One Vision, but it was not as committed as Sony.
What does video look like on these cinematic phones? It looks good, provided you accept that phone screen technology has moved on. Very LCD panels since 2019, but finding 21:9 content is just as awkward and frustrating as it was when the phone was released. Streaming services promote resolution and quality, rarely mention aspect ratio, and most content is shot in 16:9 anyway. It shows black bars on both sides of the screen on Xperia 10 Plus. Search YouTube, and you’ll find plenty of trailers, just as I did when I first reviewed the phone.
Besides the “benefits” of video, the longer screen was supposed to be great for multitasking (they’re not), and in the case of the Xperia 10 Plus, also on the camera. There’s a dedicated 21:9 stills and video mode, which is as strange today as it was in 2019. In some circumstances, I can see how budding filmmakers might enjoy shooting video creatively, but it doesn’t make much sense for stills. The wide-angle camera covers a lot more of a scene and is far more versatile.
Why didn’t this work?
The effort and usually frustration involved in trying to find various 21:9 videos to watch online was – and remains – a major problem. When you get something, seeing it on the Xperia 10 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra also helps explain why these types of screens didn’t work. There isn’t enough difference between them, and the Samsung phone is far better suited for watching videos in other aspect ratios.
This versatility means the Xperia 10 Plus’s one-trick screen comes off as a bit of a gimmick and feels awkwardly limited in the central area where it should have excelled. Another nail in the coffin of 21:9 smartphones is the indifference towards 21:9 televisions. Efforts to put together a TV and a 21:9 ratio for home viewing have so far failed, but monitors with 21:9 viewing are slightly more plentiful. But if you’re shooting 21:9 video on your 21:9 smartphone, you’ll probably want to show it on a 21:9 television as well, but that’s not really an option.
This is unfortunate, as ergonomically, the Xperia 10 Plus is surprisingly comfortable to hold, and it’s also very easy to use with one hand – provided you don’t need to stretch up to reach the upper part of the screen. The phone looks unusual, and even from a distance, it’s clear that its shape isn’t like most other phones.
I like this style but I admit that it is not always very practical. However, as we will see further, the screen with 21:9 aspect ratio has managed to find a new niche that attracts these positives to occupy in 2023.
21:9 screen comes back
The 21:9 aspect ratio screen may seem like a relic, but it’s actually making a comeback on most cutting-edge modern smartphones. This shows that the tall, skinny aspect ratio works really well. folding Smartphones.
You see the 21:9 ratio screen on the open Oppo Find N2 Flip and Oppo Find N3 Flip, Vivo X Flip and Huawei P50 Pocket. The cover screens of Tecno Phantom V Fold, Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold 3, Huawei Mate X2 and Vivo X Fold also have 21:9 aspect ratio. Even the original Samsung Galaxy Fold used a 21:9 ratio for the cover screen.
The tall and thin design works well in this instance, as it’s usable with one hand (like the current 23:1.9 ratio on the Galaxy Z Fold 5) regardless of the thickness of the device when folded, and video Also nice to see when a phone is bent slightly so it supports itself at an angle. This is a different direction taken by the Google Pixel Fold and OnePlus Open, where the cover screens are closer to the format of a non-folding phone.
interesting thing A video posted on X (formerly Twitter) A series of prototype large-screen folding phones were shown during the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 in July, each with a different aspect ratio for the cover screen. One of them had a size of 21:9, which shows that Samsung is still experimenting with it. It obviously didn’t make it past the concept/prototype stage this time, but it’s possible that a future Z Fold device could adopt this cinematic aspect ratio again.
A quiet (but important) comeback
It looks like the 21:9 aspect ratio screen has found its place in 2023, and this time, it’s gone largely unnoticed – mainly because manufacturers have kept quiet about it. It’s not pitched as the perfect screen for video or multitasking and instead folding keeps the phone more manageable when open or closed. Based on how little has changed in online video since the release of the Xperia 10 Plus, this is certainly the most sensible approach.
It’s great to see how unusual this screen is Truth The benefits of size, shape and comfort in the hand enable us to enjoy the most interesting and exciting types of smartphones available today.
