Goodbye and good riddance to the 16:9 aspect ratio - The Verge

After enduring years of cramped, “widescreen” laptop displays, it looks like we’re finally starting to say goodbye to the 16:9 aspect ratio.

For example, a screen with a resolution of 500 x 500 would have an aspect ratio of 1:1.

Think of it like simplifying a fraction: a 1080p screen has a resolution of 1920 x 1080, which divides down to 16:9.

The aspect ratios you’ll typically see on laptops are 16:9, 3:2, 16:10 (which, for whatever reason, is called 16:10 rather than 8:5), and (occasionally) 4:3.

If you have a modern Windows laptop, there’s a good chance your screen is 16:9.

If you’re used to using a 16:9 screen and you try a 16:10 or 3:2 display of the same size, you probably won’t want to go back.