Flashback: the LG BL40 New Chocolate put a cinema in your pocket with its 4" 21:9 display

09 April 2023
This was a unique experience geared towards movies and multimedia in general. It was not without its flaws, but its biggest mistake may have been a matter of timing.

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  • ?
  • Anonymous
  • 0BG
  • 10 Apr 2023

NeonHD, 10 Apr 2023What?? I don't know the context behind this reply,... moreYea bezels really have nothing to do with aspect ratio, manufacturers are simply insane and have their own unwritten insane "rules". "If aspect ratio is 16:9, then we have to add bezels".

    hmm, 09 Apr 2023You cant find 16:9 screen phones that has screen edge to ed... moreWhat??

    I don't know the context behind this reply, but there were quite a few 16:9 phones with minimal side bezels.

    ZTE nubia Z9 is the most memorable one. There is quite literally no side bezels on that phone, probably just 0.1mm.

    There was also the Meizu MX4, and its bezels were razor thin for a 2014 phone.

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      • David
      • 3H2
      • 10 Apr 2023

      Only Sony seems to think people watch movies on their phones. It’s the one gimmick I dislike about Xperia’s and why I won’t get one. 16:9 made the most sense because most content is that shape but unfortunately nearly all phones have weird aspect ratios that don’t fit any standard.

        Wow, it's interesting how 21:9 looks abnormally long on here, yet looks normal on the Xperia 1. It's those bezels.

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • 8tL
          • 10 Apr 2023

          Looks classy

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • fCC
            • 10 Apr 2023

            I would like to buy a phone like this in 2023 if they remake it

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              • Oki
              • sw3
              • 10 Apr 2023

              hmm, 09 Apr 2023You cant find 16:9 screen phones that has screen edge to ed... moreNo, you get the phone more tall with 21:9. 6 inch screen with 21:9 ratio would be less wide and more tall than 6 inch phone with 16:9 ratio. That's some basic math. Just to be clear I'm talking about the screen, not the overall size of a phone.

              There weren't 16:9 phones with thin bezels on top and bottom but on sides they were thin. We even had curved screens on 16:9. So that means on 21:9 width should either stay the same but with taller display which means longer diagonal OR the diagonal stays the same but width goes down. What manufacturers are doing they increased the width and now we have unnecessarily long diagonals.

              Maybe my first comment was too chaotic I hope this one clears things up

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • 8N3
                • 10 Apr 2023

                [deleted post]4th gen still has extremely visible crease and fragile screen.
                Even ones with BOE screen have less crease.
                Samsung should for fold 5 get LG oled then.

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • sXH
                  • 10 Apr 2023

                  No, the earliest TVs were "squarish" ie 4x3 because they were CRTs which deflected the electron beam magnetically. The natural shape of the screen would be circular, like early radar screens and oscilloscopes. Nearly square was a compromise, but there was always distortion in the corners.

                    • ?
                    • Anonymous
                    • 8N3
                    • 10 Apr 2023

                    hmm, 09 Apr 2023You cant find 16:9 screen phones that has screen edge to ed... moreXA Ultra. Sides are almost nin-existent.
                    With same top/bottom bezels of 1iv, it would be about 15cm tall at most.

                    Brands could easily make 5,7" 16:9 with similar size to s7.

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • 8N3
                      • 10 Apr 2023

                      Whackcar, 09 Apr 2023To be honest though, the Z Fold is primarily meant to be us... moreNobody is gonna carry it around open, if you havent noticed

                        • ?
                        • Anonymous
                        • 8N3
                        • 10 Apr 2023

                        GAMIR3DH, 09 Apr 2023Z fold can... fold in half, you know?Z fold "WHEN CLOSED" ( UPPERCASE IN CASE YOU CANNOT READ PROPERLY)

                        Fold 1: 16,1cm x 6,3 cm
                        Fold 2: 15,9cm x 6,9cm
                        Fold 3: 15,8cm x 6,7 cm
                        Fold 4 : 15,5cm x 6,7cm

                        But if any other phone has about 15,7 x 6,8 is called tv control. Funny.

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                          • hmm
                          • m2J
                          • 09 Apr 2023

                          Oki, 09 Apr 2023That's the catch, 21:9 ratio phones are actually meant... moreYou cant find 16:9 screen phones that has screen edge to edge with minimal bezels
                          Also i would say 21:9 is wider then 16:9 as 16:9 be wider only in portrait mode

                          21:9 means it is wide as it has over 2 times the wide then it has height as in 16:9 it's not even 2 times as then it needs to be 18:9

                          Also i cant understand how you get the phone less taller with 21:9 with your 6 inch theory ?

                            • h
                            • hmm
                            • m2J
                            • 09 Apr 2023

                            Oki, 09 Apr 2023I never understood the hate for 21:9 ratio. It always looke... moreWhat double standards there is ? Folding phones are basically tablets with a function of phone calls.
                            Phones are in these days mini tablets where you can do your work but you would still prefer bigger screen for more comfort on typing longer text and so on.

                            If a phone is narrow then it looks like TV Remote controller
                            Foldable phone is basically a tablet that you fold and can have it in your pocket and dont need a bag to move it around.

                            It's basically comparing a bus with airplane
                            In some way i can have you argue that flip phones look like tv remote unfolded but even that is stretching it

                              • O
                              • Oki
                              • sw3
                              • 09 Apr 2023

                              Whackcar, 09 Apr 2023To be honest though, the Z Fold is primarily meant to be us... moreThat's the catch, 21:9 ratio phones are actually meant to be thinner in width. Just think about it, calculate it if you must. You achieve the same diagonal length with less width or more diagonal length with the same width. A 6 inch screen on 16:9 will be wider than a 6 inch 21:9, that's just math.

                              However stupid phone manufacturers are not using this feature to make the same width with bigger screen. They are instead keeping the same width and even increasing it and increasing the diagonal with that. So it's really fault of these stupid companies, not the 21:9 ratio.

                              Just take a look at 16:9 phones and find the phone with the same dimensions that have 18:9 or more ratio and you'll see bigger ratio phones achieve more screen with the same form factor. But no for some reason instead of keeping screens on 6 inches with smaller form factor, companies are keeping the big form factor with unnecessarily big 6.6 inch screens

                                • O
                                • Oki
                                • sw3
                                • 09 Apr 2023

                                Anonymous, 09 Apr 2023Ppl here 🤬, when LG had 21:9 .. Ppl here 🤬, when motorola... moreI never understood the hate for 21:9 ratio. It always looked beautiful to me and it achieves high screen for scrolling with thin width so it's still comfortable to hold. But yeah you're right even tho people are already ridiculing you. Fanboys have double standards when it comes to their companies and there are a ton of Samsung and Apple fanboys.

                                I don't understand the hype around z fold. It's cool looking, a bit nostalgic but it also has serious flaws for a flagship. Every foldable suffers from visible grease and hinge fragility over years. I'll never buy a foldable until they fix those issues.

                                  • O
                                  • Oki
                                  • sw3
                                  • 09 Apr 2023

                                  Back in the time when devices had their own magic and character. I remember buying my first mp4 player. When I realized I could play movies on it I was mind blown. Even when it was only 2 inch screen or something like that. Now everything just seems dull and boring. I guess that's the result of technology evolution. I wish manufacturers added something of their own just like they did in 2000s

                                    My mother had the original LG Chocolate slider phone. It was beautiful back in the day. I miss the good old days when phones had a personality. The bland slabs these days are so dull...

                                      Ok yeah, if it can't do multimedia properly for its aspect ratio and on top of that it was during the smartphone birth... no wonder why that phone failed. But interesting that back in 2009 there was one 21:9 phone.

                                        Anonymous, 09 Apr 2023Ppl here 🤬, when LG had 21:9 .. Ppl here 🤬, when motorola... moreTo be honest though, the Z Fold is primarily meant to be used in the unfolded/tablet state. The folded state is only meant to be used for calls/etc.

                                        I like Sony (In fact i like all the companies you listed), and I'm not fond of the 21:9 screen ratio. Personally i prefer the good old 16:9 or less preferably 18:9. The more wider it is, the less practical it becomes for any type of multimedia usage. I'm not a fan of that, but unfortunately, these ultrawide screens are the new trend & everyone is blindly following it.