Please visit the updated report for mid 2016

---

While the major smartphone manufacturers compete at the top end with ever-increasing screens, Sony has just recently bucked the trend by launching the Xperia Z1 Compact. A top end powerhouse with “only” a 4.3″ screen (which would have been a top of the line phone size just 2 years ago) it’s the first time in many years that there is a real alternative top end smartphone to the iPhone 5S.

But while most are focused on screen size, weight, and thickness of the device, something that is often overlooked is the screen-to-body ratio of a phone which is an essential ratio to express the usability of the phone. Screen-to-body is measured as the percentage of the front surface of a phone that is taken up by the screen. I have compiled a list of the more popular phones, sorted by ratio in descending order.

What are some of my findings?

Android offers it all…. and LG is the king of screens

• Phablets with their 5.5″ and larger screens obviously have a geometrical advantage so that they dominate the above 70% club.
• LG overall offers phones with the highest size-to-screen ratio with the LG G2, G Flex and Optimus G Pro
• Sony generally has a worse than average ratio for all Android phones

Nokia makes Windows Phones bezel-heavy

• Windows Phones generally have a lower screen-to-body ratio which is due to Nokia’s unibody design philosophy which has extremely large bezels all around the screen.

Screen-to-Body ratios are increase, but Apple doesn’t care

• Screen-to-body ratios have increased significantly over the last years which can be demonstrated on the Samsung Note line of devices:
  • Galaxy Note 1: 63.5%
  • Galaxy Note 2: 68.6%
  • Galaxy Note 3: 74.8%
• Apple really hasn’t followed this trend and offers some of the lowest screen-to-body ratios around. The screen of the iPhone 5/5S merely covers 60.8% of the front of the phone. Still, quite an improvement over the 47% of the iPhone 3GS

Please note that the below ratios are not super accurate as they don’t take into account that devices with more rounded edges have a smaller front surface area overall.

Model	Screen   Size (inch)	Resolution   (horizontal)	Resolution   (vertical)	Body   size (width)	Body   size (height)	Ratio   (screen to body)	PPI
Alcatel One touch Hero	6	1080	1920	80.6	158.5	77.69%	367
LG G2	5.2	1080	1920	70.9	138.5	75.91%	424
LG G Flex	6	720	1280	81.6	160.5	75.78%	245
Huawei Ascend Mate 2	6.1	720	1280	84.7	161	75.22%	241
Sony Xperia ZL	5	1080	1920	69.8	131.6	75.03%	441
Samsung Galaxy Note 3	5.7	1080	1920	79.2	151.2	74.80%	386
Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3	6.3	720	1280	88	167.6	74.19%	233
Huawei Ascend Mate	6.1	720	1280	85.7	163.5	73.21%	241
LG Optimus G Pro	5.5	1080	1920	76.1	150.2	72.96%	401
ZTE Nubia Z5S	5	1080	1920	68.8	137.7	72.75%	441
Alcatel One Touch Idol X	5	1080	1920	67.5	140.4	72.72%	441
Lenovo Vibe Z	5.5	1080	1920	77	149	72.69%	401
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo	5.5	720	1280	77.4	148.4	72.60%	267
Google Nexus 5	5	1080	1920	69.17	137.84	72.28%	441
LG G Pro Lite	5.5	540	960	76.9	150.2	72.20%	200
Motorola Moto X	4.7	720	1280	65.3	129.3	72.12%	312
Huawei Honor 3X	5.5	720	1280	77.4	149.5	72.07%	267
Meizu MX3	5.1	1080	1800	72	139	71.65%	418
Micromax Canvas XL	6	540	960	84.2	165	71.43%	184
Nokia Lumia 1520	6	1080	1920	85.4	162.8	71.38%	367
LG Optimus L9 II	4.7	720	1280	66.5	128.4	71.32%	312
HTC One max	5.9	1080	1920	82.5	164.5	70.71%	373
Oppo Find 5	5	1080	1920	68.8	141.8	70.64%	441
Motorola Droid Ultra	5	720	1280	71.2	137.5	70.40%	294
Nokia Lumia 1320	6	720	1280	85.9	164.2	70.36%	245
Huawei Ascend P6	4.7	720	1280	65.5	132.65	70.09%	312
Sony Xperia Z	5	1080	1920	71	139	69.83%	441
Acer Liquid S2	6	1080	1920	86	166	69.52%	367
Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8	5.8	540	960	82.4	162.6	69.22%	190
Samsung Galaxy S4 Active	5	1080	1920	71.3	139.7	69.19%	441
Samsung Galaxy Note 2	5.5	720	1280	80.5	151	68.60%	267
Oppo R1	5	720	1280	70.4	142.7	68.60%	294
Motorola Droid Mini	4.3	720	1280	61.3	121.25	68.58%	342
Motorola RAZR i	4.3	540	960	60.9	122.5	68.33%	256
Sony Xperia Z Ultra	6.4	1080	1920	92.2	179.4	68.27%	344
Lenovo K900	5.5	1080	1920	78	157	68.10%	401
Blackberry Z30	5	720	1280	72	140.7	68.03%	294
LG Optimus F7	4.7	720	1280	68.2	131.7	67.80%	312
HTC Butterfly S	5	1080	1920	70.5	144.5	67.65%	441
Lenovo S930	6	720	1280	86.5	170	67.49%	245
Samsung Galaxy Grand 2	5.2	720	1280	75.3	146.8	67.44%	282
LG Optimus 4X HD	4.7	720	1280	68	133	67.33%	312
Huawei Ascend P2	4.7	720	1280	66.7	136.2	67.03%	312
LG Optimus G	4.7	768	1280	69	132	66.86%	323
Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini	4.3	540	960	61.3	124.6	66.74%	256
Sony Xperia SP	4.6	720	1280	67.1	130.6	66.57%	319
Huawei Ascend G700	5	720	1280	72.8	142.5	66.43%	294
Google nexus 4	4.7	768	1280	68.7	133.9	66.20%	323
Samsung Galaxy Nexus	4.7	720	1280	67.94	135.5	66.15%	312
Alcatel One touch Idol   Ultra	4.7	720	1280	68.5	134.4	66.15%	312
LG Vu 3	5.2	960	1280	85.6	132.1	65.92%	326
Samsung Galaxy S3	4.8	720	1280	70.6	136.6	65.86%	306
HTC Desire 700	5	540	960	72	145.5	65.79%	220
Oppo N1	5.8	1080	1920	82.6	170.7	65.77%	380
Sony Xperia C	5	540	960	74.15	141.5	65.69%	220
Samsung Ativ S	4.8	720	1280	70.5	137.2	65.67%	306
BLU Life Play S	4.7	720	1280	67.5	137.5	65.61%	312
Xiaomi Mi-2	4.3	720	1280	62	126	65.25%	342
Motorola Moto G	4.5	720	1280	65.9	129.9	65.21%	326
Xiaomi Mi-3	5	1080	1920	73.6	144	65.03%	441
BLU Life Pro	5	720	1280	72.1	147	65.03%	294
HTC One	4.7	1080	1920	68.2	137.4	64.99%	469
HTC One X / X+	4.7	720	1280	69.9	134.36	64.84%	312
Samsung Galaxy Core Advance	4.7	180	800	70.5	133.3	64.80%	124
Lenovo Vibe X	5	1080	1920	74	144	64.68%	441
Sony Xperia Z1 Compact	5	1080	1920	73.9	144.4	64.58%	441
Samsung Galaxy Express 2	4.5	540	960	65.8	132.4	64.08%	245
Asus ZenFone 5	5	720	1280	72.8	148.2	63.88%	294
Samsung Galaxy Note	5.3	800	1280	83	147	63.47%	292
Nokia Lumia 625	4.7	480	800	72.2	133.2	63.32%	202
Sony Xperia ZR	4.5	720	1280	67.4	131	63.23%	326
LG Optimus L7 II	4.3	480	800	66.6	121.5	62.99%	220
Jolla Smartphone	4.5	540	960	68	131	62.67%	245
Lenovo S820	4.7	720	1280	69.7	139.5	62.63%	312
Sony Xperia SL	4.3	720	1280	64	128	62.22%	342
Sony Xperia Z1 Compact	4.3	720	1280	64.9	127	61.84%	342
HTC Desire 600	4.5	540	960	67	134.8	61.81%	245
Samsung Galaxy S2	4.3	480	800	66.1	125.3	61.54%	220
Nokia Lumia 925	4.5	768	1280	70.6	129	61.30%	337
HTC One Mini	4.3	720	1280	63.2	132	61.10%	342
Apple iPhone 5/5S	4	640	1136	58.6	123.8	60.80%	326
Nokia Lumia 920	4.5	768	1280	70.8	130.3	60.51%	337
LG Optimus L5 II	4	480	800	62.2	117.5	60.35%	237
Nokia Lumia 820	4.3	480	800	68.5	123.8	60.11%	220
Nokia Lumia 1020	4.5	768	1280	71.4	130.4	59.96%	337
HTC Desire X	4	480	800	62.3	118.5	59.75%	237
HTC Desire V	4	480	800	62.3	118.5	59.75%	237
Nokia Lumia 720	4.3	480	800	67.5	127.9	59.04%	220
HTC Windows Phone 8X	4.3	720	1280	66.2	132.3	58.20%	342
Samsung Galaxy Ace 3	4	480	800	62.7	121.2	58.04%	237
Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini	4	480	800	63	121.5	57.62%	237
Nokia Lumia 520	4	480	800	64	119.9	57.48%	237
Nokia Lumia 525	4	480	800	64	119.9	57.48%	237
Sony Xperia M	4	480	854	62	124	57.37%	245
Blackberry Z10	4.2	768	1280	65.6	130	57.02%	361
Huawei Ascend W2	4.3	480	800	67	134	56.78%	220
Nokia Lumia 620	3.8	480	800	61.1	115.4	56.46%	249
Huawei Ascend W1	4	480	800	63.5	124.5	55.79%	237
Iphone 4/4S	3.5	640	960	58.6	115.2	50.02%	343
Samsung Galaxy Fame	3.5	320	480	61.6	113.2	48.43%	171
Apple iPhone 3G/3GS	3.5	320	480	62.1	115.5	47.08%	171
Nokia Asha 503	3	240	320	60.6	102.6	39.90%	141
Blackberry Q5	3.1	720	720	66	120	33.45%	355
Blackberry Q10	3.1	720	720	66.8	119.6	33.16%	355
HTC First	4.3	720	1280	65	126	62.24%	342