Almost since laptops hit the market many, many years ago, the preferred aspect ratio that manufacturers use is 16:9 or 16:10 in some cases. The company that disrupted the market and introduced a 3:2 display was Microsoft with the Surface Pro series, but few companies have revamped their PC lineup to follow Microsoft’s lead, which is really a shame, as it is a much more comfortable aspect ratio for an office productivity laptop.
Thankfully, smaller manufacturers seem to think otherwise as the Chinese manufacturer Chuwi chose to go with this format in their latest 2in1 laptop UBook Pro. The device will launch soon on Indiegogo crowdfunding platform featuring a 12.3″ display with a 3:2 aspect ratio.
This is a big course shift over the previous-gen UBook as Chuwi chose this aspect over their previously used 16:9 because they say it falls right in between 4:3 and 16:9, which are the two most common aspects in reading and media. In other words, they’re billing it as the best intermediate solution. Little black bars won’t be too distracting in video playback, but web pages, magazines and especially PDFs feel way more comfortable while reading or editing.
Even if smartphones are starting to increase the aspect ratio up to 21:9 as Sony did with the Xperia 1, the result is the same: besides the fact that it is convenient when watching videos in landscape mode, users want more vertical space when browsing webpages since more content is visible.
Compare that experience to reading a web page on a 16:9 screen with copious amounts of scrolling, and it is not hard to see the benefits. As a matter of fact, Sony does the same thing as Microsoft and Chuwi even if it’s not that obvious, as most tech sites focus on video playback.
The bottom line is it’s a pity that most laptop makers haven’t opted for the 3:2 aspect ratio. Video playback is something many users care about but mainly in media consuming devices like tablets and smartphones and less in laptops that for millions of users are a productivity tool. Laptops are used to read, write, remember, create, connect, and communicate and in this regard, Chuwi’s choice is totally justified.
Apart from the display, UBook Pro also comes with a 3.4Ghz Core™ m3-8100Y, one of the most high-efficiency core ULV processors backed by 8GB RAM and up to 512GB SSD. Practicality combined with performance and design makes the UBook Pro and almost perfect companion. We hope that Chuwi continues its excellent price/performance ratio and give more users the chance to get the UBook Pro. The company hasn’t disclosed the price yet but you can subscribe to get 25% off when the device hits Indiegogo.
