Dell Considers Using 3:2 Displays for XPS Laptops

Dell is considering using aspect ratios other than 16:9 for laptops and convertibles. Among other things, the company would consider using the aspect ratio of 3:2, just like Microsoft does with the Surface Book.

Dell may continue to use the 16:9 ratio for laptops intended for video consumption, while for laptops intended for productivity, the 3:2 ratio is more likely, Notebookcheck speculates. The site learned of the plan to move away from 16:9 on XPS laptops during a conference call with Frank Azor, who heads the Alienware, Gaming and XPS divisions at Dell. Dell has so far used 16:9 screens for its XPS products, including the 2-in-1 tablets in the series. The company does have a 2-in-1 in the Latitude series with 3:2 aspect ratio in its range, the Dell Latitude 5285.

In the past, aspect ratios of 16:10 and 4:3 were common in laptops, but from 2008 the 16:9 aspect ratio emerged and has been the standard ever since. Following the example of tablets, 2-in-1 laptops with 3:2 screens have recently appeared, such as Microsoft’s Surface Book and Huawei’s Matebook X, while Google’s Pixelbook also has this screen ratio.

The widescreen format of 16:9 makes watching video especially pleasant, but The Verge argues that 3:2 is preferable for many other computing tasks. With smartphones, many manufacturers are also switching to alternative aspect ratios, such as 18:9, 19:9 and 19.5:9.

Dell Latitude 5285