Benefits of LG G6’s new 18:9 display

LG has just unveiled its newest flagship during this year’s MWC in Barcelona. In a nutshell, the new LG G6 veered away from the modular approach seen on the somewhat lackluster G5 and went for a different direction including water- & dust-resistance and a display with an unusual 18:9 aspect ratio.

Now, the company claims that this new screen feature is a game-changer but what exactly do its users benefit from this implementation? Here are five benefits on the company’s ‘FullVision’ screen. These are based on hard specs and the direction of multimedia consumption is heading towards right now.

Bigger but not Really

Let’s first get technical. The new LG G6 is armed with a screen size that spans 5.7 inches across and an aspect ratio of 18:9 which is longer compared to the commonly-used 16:9 settings. The use of the new image ratio made its display taller (or wider in portrait view) which allowed the company to redesign its chassis and still produce a form factor smaller than any other 5.7-inch device today.

This results in a 79.3% screen-to-body ratio which means the front is more screen and less bezel. To put that into perspective, LG’s own V20 has the same screen size but only has a 72.4% screen-to-body ratio. The LG G6 is also smaller and narrower compared to the V20 — so, yeah, it’s bigger but not really.

Packed Tight

The South Korean company used a QHD+ panel on the G6’s display which has a higher resolution than the regular QHD at 2880 x 1440 vs 2560 x 1440. This results in a pixel density of 564ppi (pixels per inch) which is tightly-packed and should technically output more detailed images.

Show Me More

With a taller screen, it now has extra space at the top and bottom which could display more content. It could show you, say, a larger part of an image you’re viewing without zooming out or add a few more lines while reading news on the internet so you’ll eventually scroll less to finish an article. It’s not a big change but it still is a benefit.

VR-friendly

There’s no denying that virtual reality (VR) will play a big part in both gaming and media consumption in the near future. More and more smartphones are coming out compatible for such features and although LG neither confirmed nor denied when asked by Android Authority if they have plans of releasing a mobile VR headset for the G6, we think the new flagship will have an edge as users could benefit from its spacious screen area by being more immersed in the content.

The Next Standard?

The fact that LG made a smartphone that sports the 18:9 or 2:1 aspect ratio means the company foresees a demand for it. It’s true that most of the visual content are still sticking to the 16:9 ratio but there are also productions for both TV and film that have already started adapting to this shooting format. To name a couple, certain TV shows produced by Netflix like House of Cards are on this wagon for an added touch of unique cinematic experience. Back in 1991, Apocalypse Now has also been cropped to a 2:1 ratio for LaserDisc distribution.

The point is, LG has made the first leap into this new implementation and they’re pretty confident that other brands will also follow suit in the long run (Samsung is also rumored to use this same aspect ratio for their upcoming device). If this becomes the standard, you’ll be one of the first to experience it through the G6.

• Read: LG G6 Hands-on, First Impressions

These are some of the benefits that we can expect when we grab the LG G6. Do keep in mind that the items listed here were based on specs and features. We still haven’t reviewed the device fully so we couldn’t disclose on how all these features would work together and if they would altogether work seamlessly.

In closing, would these new display-related features persuade you to get one when it launches in the Philippines? Why or why not?